Eighty years following Chick-fil-A originator Truett Cathy opened his archetypal restaurant, Chick-fil-A is now the third-largest eatery brand in the country.
The family-owned sequence has since grown to additional than 3,200 US restaurants and generated nearly $24 milliard in US systemwide revenue in 2025, trailing lone McDonald’s and Starbucks, per Technomic's Top 500 chains report.
The poultry chain's increase has not been without controversy.
Chick-fil-A faced general backlash in 2012 following Cathy's son Dan, afterward the company’s CEO, publically opposed same-sex marriage, during the business and its basis were criticized for donations to organizations alongside anti-LGBTQ+ positions.
This week, current CEO Andrew Cathy declined to immediately location the company’s former or province its stance on LGBTQ+ equality in an discussion alongside NBC, alternatively saying Chick-fil-A is focused on hospitality and welcoming everyone who comes through its doors.
Here’s how Chick-fil-A grew from a small Southern diner into a fast-food powerhouse.
Chick-fil-A's base narrative began whenever Truett Cathy opened the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Georgia, in 1946.
The small roadside diner was afterward renamed whenever it became among the chain's "Dwarf Houses." The first location earlier served as one of 12 Chick-fil-A locations, offering contemporary favorites and items from the first restaurant's "blue menu."
The archetypal authoritative Chick-fil-A locations were located in buying malls.
The archetypal eatery to withstand the name Chick-fil-A opened in the Greenbriar Mall in Atlanta in 1967.
According to the company, the eatery occupied fair 384 quadrate feet, and several have credited the sequence alongside being an "early pioneer" of what would rotate into the contemporary mall food court.
Chick-fil-A opened its archetypal stand-alone eatery in 1986 in Atlanta.
Free-standing locations are now the norm for Chick-fil-A, and buying center locations are much small common.
Chick-fil-A additionally experimented alongside drive-thru-only eatery locations.
The first-ever drive-thru-only Chick-fil-A eatery opened in 1993 in Greenville, South Carolina. By eliminating dining rooms in these locations, the restaurants were designed to be faster and additional convenient for customers.
Today, there are additional than 3,000 Chick-fil-A restaurants in North America.
The chain, which was founded in Georgia, motionless has its agency there, and is regarded as a "Southern" fast-food chain. However, restaurants can really be established in 48 distinct states as fine as Washington, DC.
In 2019, Chick-fil-A expanded internationally by beginning its archetypal location in Toronto. Later that year, the sequence opened its archetypal eatery in the United Kingdom.
The sequence now has locations throughout Canada, Puerto Rico, the UK, and Singapore.
Before Chick-fil-A began using a cow as its mascot, the sequence was represented by — perchance unsurprisingly — a chicken.
The chain's tag row used to read, "The finest item that always happened to a Chicken."
Now, Chick-fil-A's motto pays homage to its most celebrated list item — its poultry sandwich.
The "A" in Chick-fil-A comes from the two a perform on the term "fillet" and a nod to the "grade-A top norm chicken" used in Chick-fil-A's poultry sandwiches.
However, the sequence additionally motionless uses cows and the words "Eat Mor Chikin" to bring customers through its doors.
The "Eat Mor Chikin" slogan, accompanied by two "rebel cows," debuted in 1995 on an Atlanta billboard, according to the company.
The run quickly gained traction and is now regarded as one of Chick-fil-A's most celebrated and prosperous promotion campaigns.
The first Dwarf Grill list served diner favorites akin dawn meal and burgers.
Menu items included everything from waffles to sandwiches, steak and potatoes, and the chain's celebrated Hot Brown, a hot casserole dish made alongside lean pale flesh chicken, gravy, mashed potatoes, cheese, and bacon.
At the Dwarf Grill, Truett Cathy's archetypal restaurant, you could command burgers.
The Dwarf Grill served the two hamburgers and cheeseburgers, which the restaurant's list stated were made from "100% choice beef, cut in our kitchen." Served on a ample toasted bun, the list additionally boldly stated that "they're the best."
Business Insider's Hayley Peterson tried the burger for herself when she visited the Dwarf House, and she established the patty "thick and flavorful" and that the dairy merchandise "melted absolutely between the patty and the bun."
You won't discover burgers on any Chick-fil-A menus, but you volition discover the chain's celebrated poultry sandwich.
In 1964, Truett Cathy created the formula for Chick-fil-A's first poultry sandwich: a fried, boneless poultry chest nestled between two buttered buns and topped alongside two pickles.
Though the sandwich shortly attempt to fame at the Dwarf House, the innovation was odd compared to another fast-food offerings and food tastes of the time.
However, Cathy's bet on poultry would shortly pay off.
Though Chick-fil-A has expanded immensely since the initiate of its poultry sandwich, the formula has remained practically the same.
In 1989, Chick-fil-A added a grilled poultry sandwich to its menu.
Introduced as a health-conscious choice for Chick-fil-A customers, Cathy introduced the first grilled poultry sandwich alongside the deluxe grilled poultry sandwich, which included the identical pickle-juice-marinated grilled chicken, pickles, and pale bun, alongside alongside lettuce and tomato.
According to the restaurant's website, Cathy tested additional than 1,200 recipes to ideal the chain's grilled poultry recipe.
Chick-fil-A revolutionized its list yet again whenever it launched its spicy poultry sandwich nationwide in 2010.
"While we acknowledge that not everyone enjoys spicy food, for the expanding client constituency that does, our Spicy Chicken Sandwich offers a unique, well-balanced and craveable spicy flavor," William F. Faulk, Chick-fil-A's vice chairman of innovation and new ventures, stated in a press release at the time.
A precursor to Chick-fil-A's celebrated fries was its fried okra, a traditional Southern favorite.
"The batter on the exterior is ray and crispy, and the okra inner is hot and juicy, alongside a clue of salt," Business Insider's Hayley Peterson stated in a previous article.
Chick-fil-A introduced grilled poultry nuggets in 2012.
The item archetypal appeared on the chain's kids' list before being added to the chief menu.
Chick-fil-A's achievement is mostly credited to the chain's originator and CEO, S. Truett Cathy, a devout Baptist who built the family-owned endeavor on Christian values.
Cathy's effect on Chick-fil-A is undeniable, from his decades operating at the Dwarf Grill to the innovation of the chain's celebrated poultry sandwich.
Another part of Cathy's bequest that contributed to Chick-fil-A's achievement was its distinctive procedure for hiring franchisees, which additionally upheld the chain's values of "customer first, individual excellence, uninterrupted improvement, operating together, and stewardship."
As the creator of the archetypal Chick-fil-A grant prosperity for eatery employees, Cathy remaining a bequest that inspired franchisees and workforce throughout the nation to continue his goal of construction a customer- and employee-focused fast-food chain.
Cathy's son, Dan T. Cathy, led the business as CEO until 2021.
Dan T. Cathy was made CEO in 2013, two years before his begetter died. Cathy worked alongside his brother, Donald "Bubba" Cathy, who motionless serves as administrator vice chairman of the poultry sequence and chairman of the company's Dwarf House and Truett's Grill eatery concepts.
Both Donald and Dan T. Cathy recall expanding up in their father's first restaurants, doing odd jobs akin abrasion gum from underneath tables and spending period in the Hapeville Dwarf House.
Dan T. Cathy stepped downward as CEO of Chick-fil-A on November 1, 2021, but motionless serves as chairman of the company. He was succeeded by his son, Andrew Cathy.
Over the years, the Cathy family and Chick-fil-A have received criticism for their apparent stances on issues akin same-sex marriage.
Chick-fil-A's contentious position mostly stems from donations made by Chick-fil-A to charities criticized for anti-LGBTQ+ positions, as fine as comments made by Dan T. Cathy in 2012.
According to a former part by Business Insider, the Cathy family and Chick-fil-A donated millions of dollars to groups opposing same-sex marriage, from Christian charities to "more extreme" anti-LGBTQ+ lobbying organizations through the WinShape Foundation.
Some of these organizations included Fellowship of Christian Athletes, an sporty institution that, according to Vox, requires applicants to sign a "sexual purity statement" that condemns LGBTQ+ relationships, the Marriage & Family Foundation, which has spoken out against marriage equality, and Exodus International, a collection that supported the use of gay-conversion therapy.
Comments made by Dan T. Cathy in a 2012 discussion alongside the Baptist Press quickly prompted backlash from LGBTQ+ activists and organizations.
In the interview, Cathy stated that he believed in the "biblical definition of the family unit," or that a marriage have to be between a man and a woman.
Protests ensued nationwide, including a figure of "kiss-ins" led by LGBTQ+ activists, at Chick-fil-A restaurants throughout the country, CNN reported.
Others came out in assistance of the sequence and Cathy's comments. Following the disagreement and consequent calls to boycott the brand, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee created a Facebook leaf encouraging group to act in "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" and to buy food from the chain that day, Huffington Post reported.
Cathy did small to quell criticism of his comments whenever he afterward clarified his stance in a 2012 broadcast interview, saying, "As it relates to community in general, I think we are inviting God's judgement on our nation whenever we tremble our fist at him and say, 'We cognize improved than you do as to what constitutes marriage.'"
Protests against the business predate the chain's arguable donations and comments made by Dan T. Cathy.
In 2002, a Houston Chick-fil-A eatery director sued the sequence for discrimination, Forbes reported. The employee, who is Muslim, stated he was fired one day following refusing to adore to Jesus alongside alongside their chap coworkers during a training session.
At the time, Jerry Johnston, a spokesman for Chick-fil-A, told the Houston Chronicle that the business had not yet been served alongside a lawsuit and hence couldn't comment on the dispute, My Plainview reported. Forbes states that the lawsuit was settled out of court on undisclosed terms.
Then, in 2011, a Pennsylvania Chick-fil-A prompted a nationwide boycott of the sequence whenever the eatery provided liberated lunch to a Valentine's Day marriage seminar sponsored by the Pennsylvania Family Institute, a arguable "pro-family" collection that has spoken out against same-sex marriage.
The decision prompted criticism, including a petition that gathered thousands of signatures urging Chick-fil-A to halt discriminating against LGBTQ+ people. However, the franchise in inquiry claimed the decision to donate food was not motivated by any anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments.
"It's absolutely, categorically blown out of proportion," the Pennsylvania franchise owner Brian Gibson said, Penn Live reported. "We donate food all the time. We certainly don't obtain into deliberation anyone's governmental affiliations or item akin that. We fair akin to nourish people."
Dan T. Cathy released a statement in 2011 following the accusations that Chick-fil-A was anti-LGBTQ+, saying, "In latest weeks, we have been accused of being anti-gay. We have no agenda against anyone. At the bosom and psyche of our company, we are a family endeavor that serves and values all group despite of their beliefs or opinions. We search to treat everyone alongside honor, dignity, and respect, and accept in the importance of loving your neighbor as yourself."
Cathy continued, saying, "While my family and I accept in the Biblical definition of marriage, we affection and regard anyone who disagrees ... Chick-fil-A's Corporate Purpose is 'To glorify God by being a loyal steward of all that is entrusted to us, and to have a affirmative power on all who arrive in communication alongside Chick-fil-A.' As a result, we volition not victor any governmental agendas on marriage and family."
The sequence additionally received criticism for Dan T. Cathy's ties to a charitable institution that notably opposes the Equality Act.
The Daily Beast reported on June 1, 2021, that the National Christian Charitable Foundation (NCF) has donated prosperity to groups actively fighting law to defend LGBTQ+ entitlements in the US. Among the organization's "high-dollar donors" is Chick-fil-A's CEO, Dan Cathy.
The National Christian Charitable Foundation is among the largest charitable organizations in the nation and supports thousands of charities and causes. Among them are the Heritage Foundation and the lawful assistance collection Alliance Defending Freedom, the two of which strongly oppose the Equality Act.
Chick-fil-A itself has not donated any finances to Christian charities or governmental groups in latest years, saying in 2019 that it would alternatively assistance charities focused on "three particular initiatives of homelessness, hunger, and education."
Chick-fil-A has taken steps to overturn its position as being anti-LGBTQ.
In 2019, Chick-fil-A announced it would no longer donate to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army, two groups that have been criticized as being anti-LGBTQ+.
"We made multiyear commitments to the two organizations, and we fulfilled those obligations in 2018. Moving forward, you volition see that the Chick-fil-A Foundation volition assistance the three particular initiatives of homelessness, hunger, and education," a Chick-fil-A delegate said in a declaration to Business Insider.
However, several LGBTQ+ advocates stated that during they were hopeful concerning the decision, Chick-fil-A motionless has a ways to go before it can be considered really inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community.
"In supplement to refraining from financially supporting anti-LGBTQ organizations, Chick-fil-A motionless lacks policies to justify harmless workplaces for LGBTQ+ workforce and should unequivocally conversation out against the anti-LGBTQ+ position that their brand represents," Drew Anderson, the director of campaigns and fast reply for GLAAD, an institution that condemns LGBTQ+ discrimination, stated in a declaration in 2019.
Andrew Cathy, who took complete as CEO in 2021, lately declined to comment on the company's "anti-LGBTQ+" past.
When asked to comment on the company's former controversies and criticism from LGBTQ+ assistance groups in 2026, Cathy offered a tactful response, emphasizing the company's dedication to serving "anybody" who walks through the door.
"We've continually been focused on serving awesome food and hospitality, and so for anybody that comes in the door, we're going to continue to do that," he stated in a latest discussion alongside NBC News.
Despite a sequence of controversies, the fast-food sequence has continued to grow.
Business Insider earlier reported that anti-same-sex-marriage comments stated by Dan T. Cathy in 2012, arguable donations, and resulting backlash complete the years have done small to dilatory Chick-fil-A's growth.
Today, Chick-fil-A is the third-largest chain in America and has frequently been voted the most famous sequence among customers.
Nation's Restaurant News reported that the business generated nearly $24 milliard in revenue in 2025 and operates complete 3,000 locations nationwide.
One item is for certain — during Chick-fil-A has an undeniably arguable past, there's no stopping the poultry sequence from winning complete customers nationwide, one poultry sandwich at a time.
