Welcome to a collection of insightful and inspiring quotes from S. Truett Cathy, the innovative mind behind one of America’s most beloved fast-food chains, Chick-fil-A. S. Truett Cathy was not only a successful businessman but also a philanthropist and a devout Christian whose values deeply influenced his approach to entrepreneurship. Born in 1921, Cathy’s journey towards building a business empire began with the opening of the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Georgia, in 1946. This small diner later evolved into the Chick-fil-A we know today, renowned for its delicious chicken sandwiches and unparalleled customer service.
Throughout his life, S. Truett Cathy espoused principles of honesty, integrity, and excellence in all endeavors. His commitment to serving quality food with a smile, coupled with a strong emphasis on community engagement and giving back, set Chick-fil-A apart in the competitive fast-food industry. Cathy’s leadership philosophy, encapsulated in his famous statement, 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, continues to guide Chick-fil-A’s culture and business practices to this day. Below, you’ll find a selection of S. Truett Cathy’s most memorable and thought-provoking quotes, offering wisdom and inspiration for entrepreneurs, leaders, and individuals alike.
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. S. Truett Cathy
I cook chicken for a living. S. Truett Cathy
It’s a silent witness to the Lord when people go into shopping malls, and everyone is bustling, and you see that Chick-fil-A is closed. S. Truett Cathy
If a man can’t manage his own life, he can’t manage a business. S. Truett Cathy
I’m planning to be here forever, but I know at some point I’ll probably have to give it up. If you live to 100, there’s a very good chance you’ll live forever. Because very few people die after 100. S. Truett Cathy
I have always encouraged my restaurant operators and team members to give back to the local community. S. Truett Cathy
I’d like to be remembered as one who kept my priorities in the right order. S. Truett Cathy
In the Great Depression, you bought something if you had the cash to buy it. S. Truett Cathy
I’ve experienced poverty and plenty, and there’s a lesson to be learned when you’re brought up in poverty. S. Truett Cathy
We live in a changing world, but we need to be reminded that the important things have not changed, and the important things will not change if we keep our priorities in proper order. S. Truett Cathy
If you have debt, you have to worry about it. I would challenge each of you to try to be debt-free. S. Truett Cathy
If it took seven days to make a living with a restaurant, then we needed to be in some other line of work. S. Truett Cathy
I’d be resentful if shareholders who don’t know the business tried to tell me what to do. S. Truett Cathy
Putting people before profits is how we’ve tried to operate from the beginning. S. Truett Cathy
Nearly every moment of every day, we have the opportunity to give something to someone else – our time, our love, our resources. S. Truett Cathy
I had a low image of myself because I was brought up in the deep Depression. S. Truett Cathy
We tell applicants, ‘If you don’t intend to be here for life, you needn’t apply.’ S. Truett Cathy
I have people say, ‘I’ll come to work for you for free,’ and I tell my employees they have to compete with that. S. Truett Cathy
Why would I retire from something I enjoy doing? I can hardly wait to get here. S. Truett Cathy
I lost two brothers in an airplane crash, both of them leaving a wife and kids. When I get to Heaven, that’s probably the first question I’d like to ask: ‘Why was it necessary?’ S. Truett Cathy
Chick-fil-A is what it is today because of its people, purpose and product. S. Truett Cathy
Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done. S. Truett Cathy
I had to create some good work habits and attitude. S. Truett Cathy
You don’t have to be a Christian to work at Chick-fil-A, but we ask you to base your business on biblical principles because they work. S. Truett Cathy
Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business. S. Truett Cathy
The people are more important than the food. We want a person to be as successful as he can be, and it works the other way around, too. S. Truett Cathy
I struggled to get through high school. I didn’t get to go to college. But it made me realize you can do anything if you want to bad enough. S. Truett Cathy
I was not so committed to financial success that I was willing to abandon my principles and priorities. One of the most visible examples of this is our decision to close on Sunday. S. Truett Cathy
I see no conflict whatsoever between Christianity and good business practices. People say you can’t mix business with religion. I say there’s no other way. S. Truett Cathy
I motivate what I see in young people because we employ about forty thousand young people in our various Chick-fil-A units. Some of them come to work because they need to work; others just work because they just like to work. There’s nothing wrong with that. S. Truett Cathy
We don’t expect every operator to be Christian, but we tell them we do expect them to operate on Christian principles. S. Truett Cathy