Lucas Delgado
Chick-fil-A is a fast-food chain specializing in chicken sandwiches, with restaurants across 48 states in the US, as well as locations in Canada, the UK, and South Africa. The company's values are largely influenced by the Christian faith of its late founder, S. Truett Cathy, and all Chick-fil-A locations are closed on Sundays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. While Chick-fil-A has broken this tradition on rare occasions, such as during a power outage at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the company loses millions of dollars by refusing to open on Sundays. Despite this, analysts consider this a brilliant business strategy, creating a sense of community and urgency among customers. So, is Chick-fil-A really open every Sunday in November?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Days of the week Chick-fil-A is closed | Sundays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas |
| Reason for closing on Sundays | To honor God and show loyalty |
| To allow employees to rest and spend time with family | |
| To direct attention to things that matter more than business | |
| Business impact of being closed on Sundays | Likely loss of more than $1 billion in sales every year |
| Boosts sales by creating a sense of urgency among customers | |
| Exceptions to being closed on Sundays | Prepared meals for passengers stranded during a power outage at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport |
| Honored the birthday wish of a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and autism |
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What You'll Learn
Chick-fil-A's Christian values
Chick-fil-A is a fast-food chain that has experienced soaring sales, an ever-increasing market share, and a strong reputation for hospitality and customer satisfaction. Many of the company's values are influenced by the Christian religious beliefs of its late founder, S. Truett Cathy, a devout Southern Baptist.
Cathy's faith played a significant role in the way he ran his business. He held weekly devotionals at Chick-fil-A headquarters, gave about 10% of his income to charities, and opened the WinShape Homes foster-care program. Cathy's understanding of the Bible and his "insight of the Holy Spirit" led to Chick-fil-A being built on a central mission to serve as a fundamentally welcoming place, with friendly employees and clean locations.
Chick-fil-A's success is powered by Cathy's approach to Christianity. The company's commitment to Sunday Sabbatarianism means that all Chick-fil-A locations are closed on Sundays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, allowing employees time to rest, recharge, and worship if they choose. This decision costs the company an estimated $1.2 billion in revenue each year, but Cathy has stated that it "isn't about the money."
Chick-fil-A's culture and service tradition are to treat every person with honor, dignity, and respect, regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation, or gender. The company values diversity and inclusion and strives to provide top-notch, personable service.
Chick-fil-A has also been criticised for its Christian values. The company has been accused of anti-LGBTQ+ practices, including anti-same-sex-marriage interviews from Dan Cathy, Truett's son and the current CEO, and controversial donations. Despite this backlash, the company has continued to grow, with sales more than doubling and hundreds of new locations opening.
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Franchisees may open stores on Sundays
Chick-fil-A is famously closed on Sundays, with all locations traditionally closed for business that day, as well as on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. This policy was introduced by the company's late founder, S. Truett Cathy, who was a devout Southern Baptist. Cathy's Christian beliefs included a commitment to Sunday Sabbatarianism, and he also believed that his employees should be allowed time to rest, recharge, and worship if they wished.
However, there have been rare exceptions to this rule. For example, in 2017, Chick-fil-A opened on a Sunday to prepare meals for passengers stranded during a power outage at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Additionally, in 2019, a Chick-fil-A franchise in Mobile, Alabama, opened on a Sunday to honour the birthday wish of a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and autism.
The company's strict policy of closing on Sundays has led to some controversy, particularly in New York. When Applegreen, an Irish convenience store chain that includes Chick-fil-A, took over the leases of all Thruway Authority service areas in 2021, it sparked debate about the company's closure on Sundays, one of the busiest travel days of the week. Some New York lawmakers have even tried to force Chick-fil-A to stay open on Sundays, despite the company's longstanding policy.
While Chick-fil-A has not officially changed its policy of closing on Sundays, there is speculation that they could soon be required to open on Sundays in some locations, particularly in high-traffic travel areas. This could present a challenge for franchisees, who may have to adapt to serving customers seven days a week, potentially impacting their operations and staffing decisions.
Franchisees may be faced with a difficult decision if they are required to open on Sundays. On the one hand, they may risk backlash from customers and the company itself for breaking with tradition. On the other hand, they could potentially increase their revenue by serving customers on one of the busiest travel days of the week. Ultimately, the decision to open on Sundays rests with individual franchisees, and they will need to carefully consider the potential benefits and consequences of such a move.
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Chick-fil-A's loss of revenue on Sundays
Chick-fil-A is closed every Sunday, as well as on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The company's founder, Truett Cathy, a devout Southern Baptist, made the decision to close all locations on Sundays in 1946 because of his Christian faith and belief in the Christian doctrine of first-day Sabbatarianism. He wanted to allow employees time to rest, recharge, and worship if they desired.
While Chick-fil-A has stated that it values principles above profits, the company's decision to remain closed on Sundays results in a significant loss of revenue. According to reports by Douglas A. McIntyre of 24/7 Wall Street, the company loses out on at least $1.2 billion in sales each year due to its closure on Sundays. This estimate is based on the assumption that Chick-fil-A's sales pattern is similar to that of McDonald's, which is believed to generate around 15% of its sales on Sundays.
Despite the substantial loss in revenue, experts suggest that closing on Sundays is a brilliant business strategy for Chick-fil-A. It helps cement the company's reputation, provides benefits to both operators and customers, and creates a sense of urgency among patrons. Adam Chandler, the author of "Drive-Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America's Fast-Food Kingdom," commented on the unique strategy, stating that Chick-fil-A is known for being family-focused and mission-driven.
Although Chick-fil-A remains steadfast in its decision to prioritize its values over financial gains, the company has, on rare occasions, broken its tradition of closing on Sundays. For instance, in 2017, Chick-fil-A opened at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to prepare meals for passengers stranded during a power outage. Similarly, in 2019, a Chick-fil-A franchise in Mobile, Alabama, opened on a Sunday to honor the birthday wish of a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and autism.
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Chick-fil-A's New York Thruway contract
Chick-fil-A is a fast-food chain with restaurants across the United States. The chain is known for its Christian values, which include closing all locations on Sundays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. However, there have been rare instances where individual Chick-fil-A franchises have opened on Sundays, such as during a power outage at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in 2017.
In 2021, Chick-fil-A was chosen as one of the vendors for the New York Thruway Authority's rest stop renovation project. The project, which began in July 2021, involved the rebuilding or renovation of 27 service plazas along the Thruway. The contract was awarded to Applegreen, an Irish convenience store chain, which will manage the facilities until 2053. Chick-fil-A was included in the list of restaurants that would occupy the new rest stops, along with other popular chains such as Shake Shack and Popeyes.
The decision to include Chick-fil-A in the Thruway rest stops sparked controversy due to the company's history of donations to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations. At least four state lawmakers called for Chick-fil-A to be scrapped as a restaurant option, citing concerns over the company's values. In response, the Thruway Authority issued a statement emphasizing that all restaurant brands in the service plazas must adhere to the inclusive and non-discriminatory standards embraced by New York State. Chick-fil-A also provided a statement stressing that the company does not have a political or social agenda.
Despite the controversy, Chick-fil-A remained a part of the Thruway rest stop plans. However, in December 2023, New York lawmakers proposed legislation that would require restaurants in rest stops on the Thruway to be open seven days a week. This bill was aimed directly at Chick-fil-A's company policy of closing on Sundays. It remains to be seen whether the bill will pass and how it will impact Chick-fil-A's presence in the Thruway rest stops.
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Chick-fil-A's rare exceptions to Sunday closure
Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sundays, as well as on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. This is in accordance with the founder's belief in the Christian doctrine of first-day Sabbatarianism. However, there have been a few rare exceptions to this rule.
On December 17, 2017, Chick-fil-A broke tradition and opened on a Sunday to prepare meals for passengers stranded during a power outage at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. This was an unusual move for the company, as even Chick-fil-A locations at sports stadiums, rest stops, airports, and malls close on Sundays, despite these locations often having an influx of visitors on Sundays.
On January 13, 2019, a Chick-fil-A franchise in Mobile, Alabama, also opened on a Sunday to honor the birthday wish of a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and autism.
It is technically possible for a Chick-fil-A owner to decide to open their store on a Sunday, but this would likely result in repercussions from the company, and they would have to open without any advertisement to avoid backlash.
The original Chick-fil-A Dwarf House in Hapeville, Georgia, where the brand debuted in 1946, is also open 24 hours a day, six days a week, closing only on Sundays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. This mandate was put in place by the founder, S. Truett Cathy, to allow employees time to rest, recharge, and worship if they desired.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays. The company's founder, Truett Cathy, made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946 when he opened his first restaurant. The decision was influenced by his Christian faith and belief in first-day Sabbatarianism.
Truett Cathy's original reasoning for closing on Sundays was rooted in his religious beliefs. However, the decision also provides benefits such as giving employees a day off to rest and spend time with family, creating a sense of community and urgency among customers, and allowing the company to uphold its values.
Yes, there have been rare instances where Chick-fil-A has opened on a Sunday. For example, in 2017, a Chick-fil-A location in Atlanta broke tradition and opened to prepare meals for passengers stranded during a power outage. In 2019, a franchise in Mobile, Alabama, opened on a Sunday to honor the birthday wish of a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and autism.
