Backgrounder

BACKGROUNDER

Summary

Chick-‐fil-‐A
is
a
67-‐year-‐old
family-‐owned
fast-‐food
chain
with
very
strong

conservative
beliefs,
some
of
which
pertain
to
what
constitutes
a
family.
Dan
Cathy,

president
and
chief
operating
officer
of
the
chain,
recently
did
a
radio
interview

where
he
shared
these
beliefs,
stating
that
he
only
supports
traditional
marriage.

Since
this
incident,
the
media
and
protestors
are
attacking
the
company
and

essentially
ruining
its
reputation.

This
controversy
is
also
causing
Chicago
to

oppose
construction
of
a
new
location.
The
company
would
like
to
now
focus
on

business
and
leave
the
social
debates
to
the
government.

Scope

Chick-‐fil-‐A’s
main
demographic
is
people
between
the
ages
of
18
and
34.
This

is
the
same
demographic
that
largely
supports
same-‐sex
marriage,
which
the

company
opposes.
It
is
important
for
Chick-‐fil-‐A
to
fix
its
reputation
so
it
will
not

lose
the
business
of
their
main
demographic.

However,
Chick-‐fil-‐A
already
lost
business
from
a
few
major
universities,

with
students
that
fall
in
their
main
demographic.
New
York
University
students

signed
a
petition
to
not
allow
Chick-‐fil-‐A
to
continue
to
sell
on
campus.

Northwestern
University’s
senate
passed
a
resolution
to
cancel
plans
for
a
Chick-‐fil-‐
A
to
be
built
on
campus.
Both
universities
hold
large
student
bodies.
Chick-‐fil-‐A
lost

many
customers.

Not
all
people
in
the
18-‐34
year
old
demographic
feel
the
same
about
same

sex
marriage.
When
asked,
only
53
percent
said
they
would
boycott
the
due
to
the

statements
of
the
president.
That
leaves
47
percent
to
visit
the
fast
food
chain.

After
the
public
heard
Cathy’s
statements,
there
were
two
separate
sides
that

people
took.
One
side
is
in
support
of
him,
and
many
of
these
people
came
together

and
held
a
Chick-‐fil-‐A
appreciation
day.
This
took
place
on
a
Wednesday,
and
sales

that
particular
day
went
up
29.9
percent,
with
an
average
of
367
more
customers

than
usual
per
location.
Although
people
attended
this
for
political
reasons
and
to

support
the
idea
of
same
sex
marriage,
many
others
attended
in
support
of
the
food

and
the
company
in
general.
On
the
other
hand,
many
people
do
not
agree
with
the

company’s
beliefs
and
swear
they
will
not
eat
at
any
of
the
restaurants
in
the
near

future.

The
controversy
Chick-‐fil-‐A
is
facing
may
be
bigger
in
certain
areas
of
the

country.
The
Southern
area
is
statistically
more
religious
than
the
North,
and
there

may
be
more
people
there
that
would
agree
with
the
company
and
continue
to

support
it.
Conversely,
people
from
the
North
tend
to
be
more
liberal
and
may
not

agree
with
the
company.
The
sales
of
the
different
regions
would
tell
if
this
is
true.

Mission

main
objective
is
to
provide
excellent
food
and
service
to

customers,
employees
and
the
community.
Employees
are
to
treat
everyone
who

comes
in
with
respect,
honor,
and
dignity.
Chick-‐fil-‐A
enforces
these
guidelines
from

day
one,
and
the
company
feels
it
is
something
the
employees
can
take
with
them

into
their
future
careers.

Chick-‐fil-‐A
strongly
believes
in
helping
the
community.
Chick-‐fil-‐A
brings

sandwiches
to
first
responders
during
a
crisis
to
honor
the
volunteers.
When
the

wildfires
and
tornadoes
ripped
through
the
Midwest
and
South
in
2011
and
2012,

Chick-‐fil-‐A
donated
over
twelve
thousand
sandwiches
to
the
victims
and
workers.

Food
is
also
donated
to
organizations
who
treat
sick
or
special-‐needs
children,
like

the
Children’s
Hospital
of
Atlanta,
Nathaniel’s
Hope
in
Florida,
the
East
Tennessee

Children’s
Hospital,
and
many
more.
In
addition,
Chick-‐fil-‐A
holds
military

appreciation
days,
during
which
military
personnel
and
their
families
eat
for
free
or

at
a
decreased
cost.

Furthermore,
Chick-‐fil-‐A
sponsors
youth
education
and
provides

scholarships.
Chick-‐fil-‐A
provides
college
scholarships
to
Chick-‐fil-‐A
team
members,

donates
to
various
colleges,
and
provides
funds
for
sports
programs
to

disadvantaged
kids
in
Atlanta,
Ga.
founder,
Truett
Cathy,
created
the

WinShape
Foundation,
which
created
camps
and
foster
homes
throughout
the

country.
The
WinShape
Foundation
donated
millions
of
dollars
to
organizations
that

promote
traditional
marriage
and
to
organizations
that
are
anti-‐gay.
Funding
of

these
groups
ceased
due
to
the
controversy.

As
people
became
upset,
Chick-‐fil-‐A,
released
a
statement,
solidifying
the
fact

that
the
company
has
a
heritage
that
it
is
sticking
to
by
continuing
to
strengthen

families,
enrich
marriages,
and
support
communities.
Chick-‐fil-‐A
also
states
its

intent
is
not
to
support
any
political
or
social
agendas.

History

Chick-‐fil-‐A
started
in
1946
when
Truett
Cathy,
founder
of
Chick-‐fil-‐A,
opened

his
first
restaurant,
Dwarf
Grill,
in
Hapeville,
Ga.
This
is
where
signature

boneless
breast
of
chicken
sandwich
was
invented.
In
the
early
1960s,
Chick-‐fil-‐A,

Inc.
was
founded,
and
locations
began
to
open.
The
first
location
opened
in

suburban
Atlanta
in
1967.
Chick-‐fil-‐A
has
grown
into
the
second
largest
fast-‐food

chicken
restaurant
chain
in
the
United
States.
There
are
over
1,700
locations
in
39

states
and
Washington,
D.C.
In
2012,
annual
sales
were
over
4.6
billion,
a
14
percent

increase
from
the
previous
year.

Chick-‐fil-‐A
has
many
different
types
of
locations,
including:
in-‐line

restaurants,
drive-‐thru
only
outlets,
stand-‐alone
restaurants,
non-‐traditional
outlets,

and
lunch-‐counters.
The
Dwarf
House
and
Truett’s
Grill,
two
full-‐service

restaurants,
are
also
owned
by
Chick-‐fil-‐A.
The
restaurants
stay
open
six
days
a

week,
Monday
through
Saturday.
Because
of
religious
practices,
the
locations
stay

closed
on
Sunday.

Conclusion

Headquarters
for
Chick-‐fil-‐A
is
located
in
Atlanta,
Ga.
Chick-‐fil-‐A
credits
a
lot

of
its
success
to
its
stable
management
team.
Although
other
companies’

management
teams
may
change
frequently,
all
of
corporate
staff
has

been
with
the
company
for
20
years
or
more.
Chick-‐fil-‐A
is
one
of
the
largest
family-‐
owned
businesses
in
the
United
States.

Chick-‐fil-‐A
could
start
to
repair
its
reputation
by
publishing
more
positive

things
they
do
to
the
media,
which
would
bring
good
press
and
attention.

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