Company | Family-Owned Restaurant Business (2024)

Company | Family-Owned Restaurant Business (1)

Known as much for our warm, personable service as our delicious food, Chick-fil-A has come a long way since our humble beginnings, when S. Truett Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A Restaurant in Atlanta in 1967.

Corporate Purpose

To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.

Company | Family-Owned Restaurant Business (2)

Investing in local ownership

Most Owner-Operators own only one restaurant, meaning they’re small business owners who are onsite and actively involved. They are regularly working with their Team Members and take a hands-on approach in order to foster connections within their communities. Over the past two years, 76 percent of newly selected Owner-Operators had experience working as Team Member themselves.

Learn about becoming an Owner-Operator

Company | Family-Owned Restaurant Business (3)

Caring for Team Members

Chick-fil-A restaurants aim to add a positive impact beyond profit, including giving back to local communities and advancing opportunities for others. By investing in Team Members through ourscholarship program, leadership development, access to well-being benefits and more, Owner-Operators can know their Team Members are taken care of and will, in turn, take care of our customers.

Learn more about Team Member Scholarships

Company | Family-Owned Restaurant Business (4)

Community Impact: Addressing local hunger

Through the Chick-fil-A Shared Table® program, local Chick-fil-A Owner-Operators fight food insecurity in their neighborhoods by donating surplus food from their restaurants to local soup kitchens, shelters and nonprofits to feed those in need. To date, more than 25 million meals have been created from Chick-fil-A Shared Table® donations from over 2,000 Chick-fil-A restaurants throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Additionally, every time a new Chick-fil-A restaurant opens, Chick-fil-A, Inc. donates $25,000 to Feeding America or Second Harvest in Canada to support local hunger relief efforts.

Learn more about the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program

Company | Family-Owned Restaurant Business (5)

Working at Chick-fil-A

We believe a strong and caring culture is essential to our success. The notion of care applies not only to our local Owner-Operators, Team Members and Guests in Chick-fil-A restaurantsbut also to how we treat each other at the offices of our Support Center in Atlanta.

Chick-fil-A is committed to a workplace culture where everyone is treated with honor, dignity and respect. “We are better together” - one of our core values - means that when we combine our unique backgrounds and experiences with a culture of belonging. we can strengthen the quality of care we deliver.

Work with us


Company | Family-Owned Restaurant Business (6)

Innovative from the beginning

Chick-fil-A was the first restaurant to pair shopping and eating by opening in an Atlanta-area mall. We continue to look for new ways to meet our customers where they are, with digital enhancements and bold new restaurant designs. As the first quick-service restaurant to introduce parent-friendly menus, with fruit cups and a grilled entree, we believe we can always find newer and better ways to care for our customers.

Explore innovation in action

Company | Family-Owned Restaurant Business (7)

A people business and a family business

Truett always maintained he was in the people business, prioritizing customer service and dedication to his community. When traveling one day, he thanked the employee of a high-end hotel and the man responded, "my pleasure." Struck by that response, Truett encouraged his employees to add that phrase to their daily interactions, something they do to this day.

Chick-fil-A is still a family business, with Truett's grandson, Andrew, serving as the CEO. The Cathy family has been working together for over 70 years. Today, several second and third generation Cathy family members carry on the company tradition.

Commitment to quality

Our Restaurants offer top-quality food, served with exceptional hospitality. Whether it's offering more wholesome options or simply removing unnecessary ingredients, we believe in food we can feel good about. Striving to serve freshly prepared food while reducing food waste, we take a “cook less, more often” approach. By studying smart, lean manufacturing principles used in other industries, we're working toward a menu that achieves these goals and enhances your experience, while never sacrificing delicious taste.

What sets our food apart

Company | Family-Owned Restaurant Business (8)

A growing tradition

A lot has changed over the years, from delicious new menu items to our popular Chick-fil-A® App that makes ordering quick and easy. But we've never changed our commitment to warm, friendly service – or the recipe for our Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich, which Truett perfected at The Dwarf House® restaurant, previously known as The Dwarf Grill, a restaurant he opened with his brother, Ben, in 1946.

Our dedication to service is what has put Chick-fil-A on the path toward strong success. With locations in 48 states and counting as well as Puerto Ricoand Canada, we are excited about joining new communities and expanding internationally.

See where we're going next

Company | Family-Owned Restaurant Business (2024)

FAQs

What does family-owned restaurant mean? ›

Local family restaurants are usually owned by people who live in the community they serve. This means that the money you spend there directly benefits people in your town. They will then spend that money on their own needs, which are also often fulfilled locally.

What are the advantages of running a family-owned restaurant? ›

In a family-owned restaurant, there's often an inherent dependability between family members to get everything done, delight guests, and always keep the best interests of the restaurant in mind. This can be a great motivator for the rest of the organization to follow suit.

Is Chick-fil-A a family owned business? ›

Chick-fil-A is still a family business, with Truett's grandson, Andrew, serving as the CEO. The Cathy family has been working together for over 70 years. Today, several second and third generation Cathy family members carry on the company tradition.

What is the difference between a chain restaurant and an independent restaurant? ›

Difference between Chain and Independent Restaurants

Owners of independent restaurants typically operate one or two restaurants in a small radius in which they manage themselves. Chain restaurants are known as corporate restaurants comprising a board of owners that are founded throughout an entire region.

What does it mean when a company is family-owned? ›

A family-owned business may be defined as any business in which two or more family members are involved and the majority of ownership or control lies within a family. Family-owned businesses may be the oldest form of business organization.

What is the best form of ownership for a restaurant? ›

Advantages of Incorporating Your Restaurant Business

Even though it's simpler to form a sole proprietorship or partnership, it's usually advisable to form a corporation or LLC. That's because you can separate and protect your personal assets from your business assets and keep from being liable for a partner's debts.

How much money would you make if you owned a restaurant? ›

How much restaurant owners make can be as high as $333,000 and as low as $19,500 per year. According to ZipRecruiter, the majority of restaurant owners earn between $45,500 and $100,000, with the average restaurant owner's salary just over $97,000, which equates to roughly $47 an hour.

Who is the richest Chick-fil-A owner? ›

Truett's son, Dan Cathy, served as CEO from 2013 to 2021, and Dan's son, Andrew, has run the chain since November 2021. He is only the third member of the Cathy family to lead Chick-fil-A since it was founded in 1967. Dan Cathy, whose net worth is $10.7 billion, remains board chairman of the chain.

Who owns Chick-fil-A Mormon? ›

Chick-fil-A was founded by S Truett Cathy who was a devout southern baptist as are members of his family who has run the company since Mr Cathy's Death. A lot of members of the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saint work there, because of the high standard of pay and benefits and they don't open on Sundays.

What are you called if you own a restaurant? ›

A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.

Is franchising a restaurant worth it? ›

The pros of restaurant franchising

There are several benefits to restaurant franchising, including access to an established brand, marketing materials, and support from the franchisor. Additionally, franchisees benefit from economies of scale in purchasing food and supplies and lower overhead costs due to buying power.

What is the owner of a chain restaurant called? ›

The concept of chain restaurants is rooted in the system of franchising. The franchisor maintains a brand that is familiar to all who see its advertising and physical construct; the franchisee operates a local business that benefits from the reputation of the brand the franchisor maintains.

What is meant by family restaurant? ›

family restaurant (plural family restaurants) An eating establishment that serves relatively simple food at reasonable prices, and welcomes children as well as adults.

What is considered family-owned? ›

A firm is said to be family-owned if a person is the controlling shareholder; that is, a person (rather than a state, corporation, management trust, or mutual fund) can garner enough shares to assure at least 20% of the voting rights and the highest percentage of voting rights in comparison to other shareholders.

What does it mean when a restaurant says family style? ›

“Family-style” is a method of dining where servers place all components of a meal on the table and allow everyone to serve themselves. They place large serving dishes in the middle of the table. In this way, everyone can reach the offerings and choose what they want.

Why are family-owned restaurants important? ›

Support Local Economy

These establishments are more likely to put money into other local businesses, hire local workers, and participate in community development and enrichment. This is one small way that you can contribute to your community and local economy.

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