A plaque inside Chick-Fil-A headquarters reads: “Our corporate purpose is to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us.” For a successful businessman driven less by the dollar than his faith, the motto could apply to all areas of S. Truett Cathy’s life.
“I’ve never seen a conflict between biblical principles and good business practice,” Cathy, founder and CEO of Chick-Fil-A restaurants, said in a recent address to student athletes in Alabama.
Echoing life lessons illustrated in his book “It’s Easier to Succeed Than to Fail,” Cathy challenged nearly 300 members of Auburn University’s chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes to value a good reputation over personal success.
“A good name is more desirable than great riches,” Cathy said, quoting Proverbs 22:1.
Cathy is an advocate of “old-time religion.” Not quite 81, this staunch Southern Baptist has taught eighth-graders in Sunday school for 47 years and remains a lucid, unwavering reminder that “it’s easier to build boys and girls than to mend men and women.”
In fact, the only thing unorthodox about Cathy is the way he runs his business. Along with an empire of successful restaurants, he has built a reputation for impeccable business ethics.
“I think the Bible spells out how we should treat our employees and how we should treat our customers,” he said
Elaborating on his philosophy, Cathy said: “A lot of people eat out when they’re not even hungry; they’re just looking for a pleasant experience, and we provide for their emotional needs and sometimes even their spiritual needs.”
“I think there’s a reason so many of Christ’s dynamic experiences took place around the dining table,” he said.
Cathy, who opened his first restaurant nearly 60 years ago, said he is fascinated by changes he has witnessed in the restaurant industry.
“Fast food is now a way of life,” said Cathy.
Responding to a question about his controversial policy of closing his restaurants on Sundays, Cathy said unflinchingly: “That’s the best business decision I’ve ever made. I think the Lord has blessed us because of the fact that we’re closed on Sunday.”
While critics cite as much as a 20 percent loss in sales resulting from the Sunday closing practice, Chick-Fil-A’s employee turnaround was about 4 percent in 2000, a remarkably low figure in the fast-food industry. Cathy credits this to his observance of the Sabbath. “It’s certainly helped to attract the caliber of people as employees who appreciate having Sundays off,” he said.
One such person who appreciates Cathy’s decision is Andrew Barnes, owner and operator of two Chick-Fil-A stores in the Auburn area. Barnes, who started working at Chick-Fil-A when he was 14, is planning to open a third store in Opelika.
In addition to offering scholarships to the many student employees of Chick Fil-A, Cathy started a foster home system for children until they reach college age. There are 11 WinShape homes located in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, and one in Brazil. Cathy’s daughter, Trudy, and her husband John, were International Mission Board missionaries in Brazil for 10 years.
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