‘We’re Here to Glorify God’: Former CEO Dan Cathy Shares Chick-fil-A’s Mission
By Movieguide® Contributor
While many restaurant chains focus on profit and business growth, former Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy recently shared that the mission behind America’s favorite fast food chain is to “glorify God.”
“At Chick-fil-A, we are very grounded on our corporate purpose, to be a purpose-driven organization,” Cathy recently shared. “That purpose is defined in the statement that we’re here to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that’s entrusted to us and have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”
For Cathy, Chick-fil-A’s mission is about more than serving food or making money. It’s about treating customers well and reaching them at a deeper level.
“People are hungry to be treated with honor, dignity and respect. As delicious as our chicken bite sandwiches are, our fresh-squeezed lemonade and those hot waffle fries, people are in greater need of being restored and encouraged from an emotional standpoint,” he said.
“We want to impact people’s lives, we want to be a good steward of what we’ve been entrusted with.”
The former CEO and now chair of the board also recognizes that the ultimate success of the chain comes from God, not from anything that he or other Chick-fil-A leaders can do.
“Ultimately, let’s acknowledge our Creator,” he stated. “Let’s have a sense of humility, let’s have a teachable spirit, let’s be willing to be submissive, all of which we learn in our faith experience to honor the Lord and seek to honor him in all that we do.”
“We’re not going to take any of this with us,” Cathy said of the company’s success. “We only have it for just a moment in time, so let’s be a good steward of it.”
While his son, Andrew Truett Cathy, took on the role of CEO in 2021, faith continues to play a key role in the iconic company’s mission and drive.
This dedication to genuine customer service and Christian values has paid off, and Chick-fil-A was voted America’s favorite fast food restaurant for the eighth year in a row, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
Movieguide® previously reported on Chick-fil-A:
Chick-fil-A is without a doubt one of the nation’s most popular and beloved fast-food chains. In addition to delicious chicken, the company is also known for embracing Christian values. Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays and frequently goes above and beyond the call to help communities in need, and, as it turns out, these values are rooted in the founder’s deep faith.
Trudy Cathy White, daughter of Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy and author of the new book, “Climb Every Mountain,” recently told “The Pure Flix Podcast,” about the biggest lessons her dad instilled in her — and the transformational values that built the company into a powerhouse.
“My dad worked really, really hard through the years,” she said, noting that her father opened his first restaurant in 1946. Chick-fil-A didn’t come onto the scene until 1964, quickly growing to become one of the nation’s most coveted eateries.
But, life wasn’t always smooth, with White noting that she watched her parents “walk through a lot of challenges.” Through those struggles, though, White and her brothers, Dan and Bubba, saw their parents cling to God.
“So many things I learned .. they taught us that the important things in life can’t be bought with dollars and cents,” she said. “The true things that people are looking for like joy and peace and hope can only be found through a personal relationship with Christ.”
White said that her parents taught her that “everything belongs to God” and that He has entrusted her and her family to manage what they have been given.
“Whatever we have, we realize it’s come from the hands of the Lord,” she said.
She added that Chick-fil-A’s values represent and summarize her family’s values and goals: to honor God and to “have a positive influence on all who come in contact” with the company.
“We just want to be an extension of [God’s] love for others,” she said.
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