Our history
1964Truett Cathy invented the Original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich
1967Truett officially founded Chick-fil-A, Inc.
2019We opened our first Canada restaurant at Yonge & Bloor
Our founder, Truett Cathy, made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946 when he opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia. Having worked seven days a week in restaurants open 24 hours, Truett saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest and worship if they choose — a practice we uphold today.
“We should be about more than just selling chicken. We should be a part of our customers’ lives and the communities in which we serve.” S. TRUETT CATHY 1921—2014
Having grown up during the Great Depression, Truett built our brand on a core set of principles. Whether encouraging their Team Members to apply for a Chick-fil-A Remarkable Futures Scholarship, nominating local nonprofits for Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Awards™ grants, or donating food to community organizations through Chick-fil-A Shared Table, Operators seek out ways to share kindness with those around them.
One day when Truett was staying at a hotel, an employee responded to his thanks with a sincere “my pleasure.” The memory of that interaction, and the way it made Truett feel, stayed with him. Returning home, he encouraged his team to respond with “my pleasure” whenever a customer said thank you. It’s something we still do to this day.