Being part of the community.Serving Great Food.Giving back.
Those three ideals are integral parts of Chick-fil-A’s brand message.
Chick-fil-A’s brand message has been constant over the years. Yes, they sell the “original chicken sandwich“, but visit any of its stores and you are quick to understand the quote from founder Truett Cathy that is featured on the “Who We Are” section of the company’s website: “We should be about more than just selling chicken. We should be a part of our customers’ lives and the communities in which we serve.”
Chick-fil-A accomplishes that mission by ensuring its operators and thus its stores are part of the community. Unlike most other fast food chains, a Chick-fil-A operator can’t have a large number of stores (one or two at the most), and must not have any other active business ventures. They are expected to work in the restaurant and be involved in the community. They are expected to be servant leaders, and give back with a smile. And to this day each store is closed on Sundays so employees have time to rest and worship (if they choose to do so).
While the Brand Message is about more than sandwiches, it’s still crucial to get the food right. Cathy believed “food is essential to life, therefore make it good.”
Chicken breasts are hand breaded daily, salads are chopped fresh, and that famous lemonade is freshly squeezed. Chick-fil-A is transitioning to cage-free eggs, and has published their own Animal Wellbeing Standards which includes the commitment that all chicken served by the end of 2019 will be guaranteed antibiotic free. Their lemons, potatoes and chickens are all U.S. sourced and their coffee beans come straight from farmers. Each of those commitments to quality ingredients helps ensure the consistency of the product which is responsibly produced.
Say Thank You to someone at Chick-fil-A and the response will be “my pleasure”. It’s a servant’s mindset that is instilled from day one on the job. Chick-fil-A makes it clear that everyone “no matter [their] title or job description” is there to serve.