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Business
The Impactof Chick-fil-A
I have been a long time believer that for-profit businesses are the greatest tools we have to producepositive change in the world. That positive change is not limited to “Christian” businesses like Chick-fil-A. Many great organizations are making huge, positive impacts. But, today I want to take a look at this chicken business so many of us love and get a better understanding of the impact they have made in the world.
“Nearly every moment of every day we have the opportunity to give something to someone else – our time, our love, our resources. I have always found more joy in giving when I did not expect anything in return.”
– Truett Cathy
First, a little history. In 1946 Truett Cathy and his brother, Ben, opened a little Atlanta diner they called The Dwarf Grill. It wasn’t until 15 years later that Cathy found a pressure-fryer that could cook a chicken breast in the same time it took to cook a fast-food burger. That was the birth of the chicken sandwich and the beginning of Chick-fil-A.
In 1967 Chick-fil-A opened their first mall location and expanded through the 70’s and 80’s by opening stores in the food courts of suburban malls. The first free-standing Chick-fil-A opened in 1986 on North Druid Hills Road in Atlanta, Ga (I used to live on that road!).
Today, Chick-fil-A has over 2,100 restaurants in 46 states. They have financed all of this expansion through their own cash flow. Store operators partner with Chick-fil-A and are only asked to put in $10,000 of their own money. In February 2012, Dan Cathy announced on Facebook that Chick-fil-A was officially debt free! Do you think he called Dave Ramsey??
And, in 2010, they officially became the industry leader in sales per store at $2.7 million per restaurant vs $2.4 million for McDonald’s. And they make their $2.7M in 6 days, with very little advertising.
So, lots to learn from this great company. But today, let’s focus on their impact.
Employees
CFA employs a lot of people – over 1,000 corporate employees and over 40,000 in their restaurants. Since 1973, CFA has been providing team member scholarships for higher education. They have provided over $36 million in scholarships so far and will provide $4.9 million in scholarships in 2017 alone.
The company was the only restaurant brand named to the Top 10 Best Companies to Work For by 24/7 Wall Street. CFA is closed on Sundays, which is a huge win for people in the food service industry who are accustomed to working every day (and all hours).
Their corporate purpose is “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A.” They attract like-minded people and put a focus on family in an industry that is notoriously rough on families. They also send team members to Winshape marriage retreats. From the beginning, Truett has loved hiring dedicated family men and women. He said that they’ve always made better employees.
Community
In 2016, CFA employees donated over 6,000 hours to charitable causes while on the clock. The Chick-fil-A Foundation gave away $1.2 million in grants to deserving non-profits last year and touched over 140,000 middle school students through its partnership with Junior Achievement.
The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl holds the record among all college bowl games for charitable and scholarship contributions with more than $1.25 million in 2011 and $19 million over its 14-year history.
Restaurant operators constantly donate food to worthy causes. One operator in Sacramento, California bought turkeys for over 330 families for Thanksgiving. The operators also host great events like “Daddy-Daughter Date Nights” (I took two of my daughters to this last year and it was awesome!) and “Stuffed Animal Sleepovers” (going to try that this year).
Chick-fil-A has accomplished all of this since it was founded in 1946. The gross revenue for their first day of operations was under $50.00. They now make over $5 billion and are debt free.
Doing good in business works. Why aren’t there more businesses like Chick-fil-A?
Health
Pillar #1 of Alzheimer’s Prevention
Last weekwe introduced the 4 pillars of Alzheimer’s prevention. They are Diet & Supplements, Stress Management, Exercise and Spiritual Fitness. This week let’s take a closer look at the pillar of Diet & Supplements.
Our brains are flesh and blood organs that thrive on proper fuel. One of the best ways to feed your brain for better memory is by avoiding a diet high in trans-fat and saturated fat. These fats cause inflammation and produce free radicals that can damage our brains.
Eating foods that are high in antioxidants like vitamins C & E is a great way to eliminate free radicals. Scientists also believe that a diet rich infruits, vegetables and omega-3 containing fish are protective against memory loss.
According to the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, the ideal prevention diet breaks down like this:
- 20% good fats – like extra virgin olive oil, avocado and flax seed,
- 40% lean proteins including fish, chicken, turkey and soy,
- 40% complex carbohydrates – fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and fresh fruits,
- Superfoods for the brain include blueberries, spinach and seaweed. Eat as many as you can!
The ARPF also recommends a high potency multi-vitamin that contains folic acid, vitamin C and E. They also list several other memory boosting supplements here.
Life, Fun, Whatever
