Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy on family ownership, growth

Key Points:

• Chick-fil-A, under CEO Andrew Cathy, has expanded internationally and opened 179 new restaurants last year, yet remains committed to its roots and conservative growth strategy as a privately held company.
• Despite industry-wide challenges and sluggish traffic, Chick-fil-A reported a 14% revenue increase to $10.3 billion in 2025 and maintained strong customer satisfaction, partly due to its focus on hospitality and service.
• The chain balances tradition, such as staying closed on Sundays, with innovation, including exploring new menu items and technology like AI behind the scenes, while rejecting AI voice ordering to preserve human interaction.
• Chick-fil-A faces growing competition in the chicken sandwich market, with rivals like Popeyes and McDonald's expanding offerings, but CEO Cathy embraces competition as a driver for improvement.
• Through its venture arm Red Wagon Ventures, Chick-fil-A is experimenting with new restaurant concepts and non-restaurant businesses, aiming for long-term innovation while maintaining its family business values.