![]() In 2002, Truett Cathy published Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People, a book that explains “Doing Business the Chick-fil-A Way. From providing scholarships to closing on Sundays, Chick-fil-A continues to do business its own way, based on principles Truett Cathy instilled in the company more than 50 years ago. If grades aren’t maintained, students’ work schedules could be cut back. At the family night celebration, Dan Cathy assured the parents of the many teenage employees their children would be working in a supportive environment. Chick-fil-A promotes involvement and works around students’ schedules.ĭickerson said he would rather have 20 students with less availability than students who aren’t involved in their schools. Many of the employees are teenagers, and Dickerson-following a company tradition-employs students who are involved in their schools and extracurricular activities. Dickerson oversees 72 part- and full-time employees at his North Charleston store. Dickerson said he looks up to the Cathy family and also tries to live up to the legacy his own father left behind. Raised in Charleston, Daniel Dickerson previously ran a store in Ocala, Fla. His father was one of the first Chick-fil-A operators, and his brother, Patrick Dickerson, is the operator of the Mount Pleasant Chick-fil-A. Family ties have local roots Operating the new Dorchester Road location is Daniel Dickerson, whose family has been operating Chick-fil-A for years. And a spicy chicken sandwich is being tested in the Tampa, Fla. The company will introduce milkshakes to its menu next summer. The company is opening 61 new restaurants this year, and customer satisfaction scores are the highest they have ever been, Cathy said. In 2004, Chick-fil-A achieved sales of $1. And not just survive but thrive, Dan Cathy pointed out. Chick-fil-A has proven a business with values and principles can do well. Despite opportunities to go public, Chick-fil-A remains a private company so it can retain control over its key values. The company continues its long-standing tradition of being closed on Sundays, so employees can spend time with their families and attend a worship service. Operators are assured a minimum annual income of $30,000. Each month operators pay the corporate office 15% of gross sales and 50% of net profits as a franchise fee. The company also has a unique agreement with its operators, providing franchisees with the chance to sublease a restaurant for $5,000. ![]() ” Chick-fil-A offers $1,000 college scholarships to its employees, having awarded about $20 million during the past 30 years. “You can’t have great tasting food until you have a good relationship with your employees. “It’s all about the people,” Dan Cathy said. When the focus is on the customers and employees, success will follow, according to Chick-fil-A’s philosophy. “That’s our heritage, our roots,” he said. But Cathy said the idea of being in the hospitality business began when his family opened its first diner. Interestingly, Dan Cathy refers to his company as being in the hospitality business-not usually the first description that comes to mind when thinking about fast food. ![]() Despite the many potential distractions, the company stays focused on its recipes, hot food, clean restrooms-the things that are important to customers. Thanks to his father’s influence, Chick-fil-A has “stayed the course,” Dan Cathy said. Dan Cathy attributes the company’s success to his 84-year-old father, whom he describes as a tremendous influence, a “patriarch” and “Moses figure” in the family and in the company. The Chick-fil-A Way Certainly Chick-fil-A isn’t the only quick service restaurant to make billions, but what sets Chick-fil-A apart is the company’s corporate philosophy, its emphasis on values, customer service and treating employees like family members. The restaurant has continued its incredible growth, expanding heavily into the western United States, introducing a breakfast menu and healthier menu options. ![]() The first freestanding restaurant opened in Atlanta about 20 years later. The first Chick-fil-A opened in Atlanta’s Greenbrier Mall in 1967. The name morphed into chick fillet and eventually became Chick-fil-A (with a capital “A” to emphasize quality). The best cut of a steak is the fillet, so why not call the sandwich a chicken fillet, he thought. According to Chick-fil-A history, Truett Cathy originally called it a chicken steak sandwich but began thinking of something that could carry a trademark. Truett Cathy spent months perfecting the recipe and figuring out the best way to cook the chicken quickly.Īfter four years, he had a boneless chicken sandwich.
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