#CHICK DIL PLUS#
It then rents everything to the franchisee for 15% of the restaurant's sales plus 50% of the pretax profit remaining. KFC, for example, demands $25,000 and a net worth of $1 million.Ĭhick-fil-A pays for the land, the construction and the equipment. Cathy likes to give a leg up to people who have ambition but little else: The company asks operators to pay just $5,000 as an initial franchise fee. Sixteen others were in Sunday-school classes Cathy teaches at First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Ga. and Brazil run by a nonprofit organization Chick-fil-A funds, the WinShape Foundation. They screen prospective operators for their loyalty, wholesome values and willingness to buy into Chick-fil-A's in-your-face Christian credo, espoused often by Cathy, an evangelical Southern Baptist who says "the Lord has never spoken to me, but I feel Chick-fil-A has been His gift."įifty employees and one franchisee grew up in one of 13 Christian foster homes in the U.S. "You don't have to be a Christian to work at Chick-fil-A, but we ask you to base your business on biblical principles because they work," says Cathy.Ĭhick-fil-A is run by Cathy and his sons Dan T., chief operating officer, and Donald (a.k.a.
#CHICK DIL FREE#
He offers a free breakfast to all who attend. Howe Rice, a franchisee in Glen Allen, Va., hosts a Bible study group in one of his two Chick-fil-A restaurants every Tuesday.
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Company meetings and retreats include prayers, and the company encourages franchisees to market their restaurants through church groups. Chick-fil-A's corporate mission, as stated on a plaque at company headquarters (and by Cathy), is to "glorify God." It is the only national fast-food chain that closes on Sunday so operators can go to church and spend time with their families franchisees who don't go along with the rule risk having their contracts terminated.
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"We tell applicants, 'If you don't intend to be here for life, you needn't apply,'" says Cathy, who opened his first restaurant in 1946. Among hourly workers turnover is 60%, compared with 107% for the industry. The turnover among Chick-fil-A operators is a low 5% a year. The privately held chain-with $2.3 billion in systemwide sales last year from 1,300 franchised stores in the U.S.-is best known for chicken-breast sandwiches that inspire fans to camp out so they are first in line when a new restaurant opens.Ĭathy, 86, credits the company's success to 975 franchisees and 600 employees who are unusually dedicated in an industry known for grumpy operators and high turnover among hourly workers. Chick-fil-A tries to recruit and retain loyalists like Yadkowski, who is so devoted to the company and its founder that he named his son Samuel (Cathy's first name).