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Chicken Filets Start Flying: Cathy Opens His Business

Article Overview: When Cathy’s brother was also discharged from the army in 1945, the two decided to go into business together. Then, a local restaurant franchiser offered them a deal they could not refuse: to set each of them up as a manager with one of her restaurants. They accepted.

Chicken Filets Start Flying: Cathy Opens His Business

When Cathy's brother was also discharged from the army in 1945, the two decided to go into business together. Then, a local restaurant franchiser offered them a deal they could not refuse: to set each of them up as a manager with one of her restaurants. They accepted. However, things took a turn for the worse when the brothers, after finishing their seven weeks of training, were told they would have to share the management of just one restaurant. With that, they decided to quit and start their own.

Cathy secured a $6,000 loan from the First National Bank of Atlanta, and an additional $4,600 in personal savings to get going. He envisioned a short-order 24-hour restaurant, with him and his brother each working 12 hour shifts. They would offer the always popular hamburgers, fries, and breakfast.

Together with his brother, Cathy searched throughout Atlanta for a good location with a large flow of people, finally settling on 461 South Central Avenue. A new Ford Motor Company factory was being built nearby, presenting a large base of potential customers. They realized only after buying the property that it was not zoned for business, but fortunately were able to change that.

In 1946, the Dwarf Grill finally opened. Named for its small size, it would soon become Chick-fil-A, with Cathy expanding into shopping malls across the U.S. Sadly, three years later, his brother would die in a private airplane accident. His wife sold all of his shares of the company to Cathy the next year.

In 1986, Cathy opened his first freestanding location, and by 1988, "Restaurants and Institutions" had named the chain the country's top-rated chicken restaurant according to customer satisfaction.

"When we opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in 1967 I never expected a chain of 1,000 restaurants and at that time I was not capable of running such an operation," recalls Cathy. "But I grew into it one day at a time with the help of talented people around me."

As the chain expanded, its menu remained the same, with a flagship chicken sandwich on offer. Cathy had realized that pressure cooking the chicken in peanut oil allowed it to be prepared in less time. And, the famous two pickles accompaniment is because it was the only condiment Cathy had on hand at the time he was creating the sandwich.

As Cathy's business grew, so too did his celebrity, for Cathy was not your typical businessman. He is a devout Christian who has taught Sunday School for over 50 years, and he tries to implement his religious values at work. All of his restaurants are closed on Sundays, "our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business," says Cathy.

The original Dwarf Grill remains open to this day, and Cathy also expanded to launch the first Truett's Grill in 1996, a sit-down alternative to the quick serve Chick-fil-A that also serves beef products. There are three Truett's Grills throughout Georgia. In 2008, Cathy opened up a restaurant called "Upscale Pizza" in Fayetteville, Georgia, but says he has no plans to turn it into another chain.

Cathy has also published four books, including an autobiography, a motivational book, a parenting book, and an explanation on his business success. In 2007, Forbes ranked him 380th richest man in America, and 799th in the world, with an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion.

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Article Tags: army, brother, cathy, chicken filets, franchiser, local restaurant, restaurants



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