2025-01-28
Grossinger / Shutterstock.com | Inset: Public Domain

Following "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," few trios of words mean more to Christians than "Chick-fil-A." It's ownership among Christians, something that belongs to "us."

Whenever the national news mentions how popular the franchise is worldwide, people in churches applaud. And every time members start hankering for an order of those addictive nuggets and cold lemonade and realize it's (always) a Sunday, they cry. We feel that bond with Chick-fil-A because of S. Truett Cathy, its visionary and founder, who was a lifelong Southern Baptist and implemented Christian values in his company.

In 1946, Truett and his brother Ben opened an Atlanta diner called The Dwarf Grill (now known as The Dwarf House). Why? It was modeled after their childhood home. Then, in 1967, the boys opened a quick-service restaurant in Atlanta's Greenbriar Shopping Center.

This toasted buttered bun sandwich, which includes a generous helping of fried chicken and a fresh pickle, became so popular that Chick-fil-A opened additional locations. They invented the "Chicken Sandwich" and licensed it to 50 other brands nationwide. Along with their teeth-jittering sweet tea, Chick-fil-A became a force to be reckoned with in the food industry.

Following an unprecedented 44 consecutive years of annual sales increases, Truett and Ben Cathy's chicken locations are known as one of the world's most successful and beloved brands. As of January 2025, there are over 3,160 restaurants in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Africa.

Although Cathy died in 2014 following complications with diabetes, the rich legacy and faith-based foundation upon which he established Chick-fil-A still live on. And they are all still closed on Sundays because Truett taught Sunday school for 50 years.

Because of the Body of Christ's deep connections with Truett Cathy and his enduring faith, churchgoers and frequent users of the Chick-fil-A app love learning about the man behind the mission. Here are some fun facts about Truett Cathy.

People First, Then Cows

As Christians are taught in John 13:34, Truett Cathy was fond of serving people. In fact, he is known for saying that he was never in the chicken business but the people business. His love for people was storied, as some of his first employees remained lifelong friends with Cathy until his death at 93.

He chose cows as the mascot of the Dallas advertising agency TRG. Research showed that cows made people laugh, and that was all it took to sell Truett Cathy on the idea. He knew it would matter to his customers.

God Bless America

S. Truett Cathy (the "S" is for Samuel) answered three calls in his life–to God, his country, and the rest of us. Before building his chicken empire, Cathay was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1939. There, he served in World War II in the South Pacific. Following the Allied victory, he was honorably discharged in 1945.

His stipend helped him and his brother raise the $4,000 needed to acquire a plot of land outside a Ford assembly plant in Atlanta, the Dwarf House.

Reap What He Sowed

Truett Cathy was a firm believer in the Word and helping humanity. In 1984, he created the WinShape Foundation. According to its website, the nonprofit organization has five core ministries: summer camp, foster care, team and leader development, college student discipleship, and marriage enrichment.

It comes from the idea that Cathy and his wife Jeannette wanted to invest in college students and "shape winners." Ending Dec. 2022, the WinShape Foundation had distributed over $56 million. In 2008, President George W. Bush honored Cathy with the Presidential Call to Service Award for his unyielding commitment to impacting communities.

Self-Made

When Truett Cathy died, he was worth over $5.5 billion and did it all alone. Several reports detail his love for entrepreneurism, which he began at 8, selling bottles of Coke from his front yard. (It's ironic considering how much lemonade Chick-fil-A sells today.) By the time he was 12, he had a money-making paper route for his hometown paper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which he had for seven years.

Shortly following his return from WWII, Chick-fil-A was born. Aside from licensing rights to his invention of the chicken sandwich, he thought it would be a good idea to trademark the term "Chick-fil-A" because everyone knew the term "chicken filet." (Say it fast.)

A Nonagenarian Retiree

Cathy had a contagious passion for people and his business, so much so that his retirement as chairman and chief executive officer made national headlines. This was partly because it was Truett Cathy. Perhaps the primary reason was that he was 92 when he decided to transition the family business to his son, Dan.

When he stepped down, the company's sales were $4.6 billion. He also retained the title of president until he died two years later.

A Not-Quite Fully National Chain

Considering the vastness of the Chick-fil-A brand, it may surprise anyone that Truett Cathy wasn't able to get the restaurant in all 50 states. It is not in two of them–Alaska and Vermont. More surprisingly, there wasn't a location in the tourist haven of Hawaii until 2022.

Alaska doesn't have a location, citing remote availability and the difficulty of sourcing local food. Despite its rich fish supply, the 50th state is known as a "food desert." Vermont's lack of a Chick-fil-A is much more peculiar.

In 2011, a local artist named Bo Muller-Moore designed an ad campaign for a local farmer, "Eat More Kale." By then, "Eat More Chikin" was widely regarded in marketing, so the chain sent a cease-and-desist letter. Muller-Moore didn't, sued, and won. Although high-five to the little guy, Chick-fil-A has no plans to grow in the Green Mountain area.

Not "My Pleasure" First

Go inside a location, fly by the drive-thru, or even make a phone call; anyone will hear "please" and the signature "my pleasure" salutation. It is sacrosanct that all customers hear those words from any employee every time. That kind of polite and cheery attitude makes the corporate headquarters and each of its 4100+ locations highly rated on popular review sites.

Only, it wasn't Truett Cathy's original idea.

He was staying at a Ritz-Carlton hotel and noticed each employee didn't say "You're welcome" or "You bet, bruh" when he was served. They all said, "My pleasure." Cathy said those two words "elevated" his experience so much that he immediately determined that would be the preferred greeting at all his locations.

Truett Cathy’s life and legacy exemplify how faith, hard work, and a commitment to serving others can build not just a successful business but a cherished cultural icon. From his innovative approach to fast food to his unwavering dedication to Christian values, Cathy’s story continues to inspire, reminding us that true success lies in enriching the lives of others.

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