Men of God Spotlight
S. Truett Cathy

Commercialism and the desire to accumulate for oneself have led to a watering down in business ethics in our world today. Many of the leaders in the business world have compromised on their original principles for starting their business. People have become of less importance in the business, falling behind the dollar bill on the ladder of importance. For one man, the Christian principles that defined his business from the beginning are still in place today over 35 years later.

S. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-Fil-A restaurants, has been a man of conviction who has let those beliefs shape his business affairs since the beginnings of his restaurant in 1946. A man, whose company has been a staple in our society for decades, has never wavered from what he felt was proper business etiquette in the eyes of the Lord.

How it started

Truett and his brother opened a small diner in Atlanta, Georgia in 1946. The diner, named The Dwarf Grill, became a popular place for people to stop and eat and eventually opened the opportunity for Truett to expand into other business ventures which would have an impact on the United States for decades to come.

In 1967, the first Chick-Fil-A opened its’ doors in Atlanta, Georgia and what started as a single restaurant has blossomed into a 1,200 franchise restaurant giant in 38 states here in the United States. For 37 years, the Chick-Fil-A Corporation has posted 37 consecutive years of annual sales increases, a record for businesses of this type. He built the empire on Christian and biblical principles and God has blessed that devotion and has given Truett that chance to become a world changer for the cause of Christ.

Who he is

A generous and giving man, Truett was born in Eatonton, Georgia in 1921. His family struggled throughout Truett’s childhood after his father’s farming business was damaged by a boll weevil attack on the cotton fields. His father moved the family to Atlanta, where he began to sell insurance and the family began to take in boarders for extra money. Truett was a young entrepreneur, who started at the age of eight by buying six packs of Coke for 25 cents and then reselling the Cokes for 5 cents each. He eventually landed his own newspaper route at the age of 12. He enjoyed the challenges that the route brought to him and enjoyed earning a profit. After he graduated from high school, Truett began working for the United States Civil Service and eventually managed over 200 mechanics. He was discharged in 1945 and then began his life in the restaurant business.
His business

Truett credits two major influences in his life. One was a Sunday School teacher by the name of Theo Abby. Mr. Abby gave young Truett the love and support that was lacking in his life. He once said that he reached a point in life where he had to decide the type of model that he would follow and in he chose to model his behavior and decisions after the Sunday School teacher who had spent time with him and grounded him in the biblical principles that would be the staple of his business.

Another influence in Cathy’s life was a book that he read from Napoleon Hill. He had to read it in class while he was in high school and the book motivated him. He believed from that point forward that he could do anything that he set his mind to, thus leading Cathy to be more venturous in his goals and ambitions for life.

After achieving great success with the Chick-Fil-A franchise, many would think that Cathy would back down on his stances and ethics in the drive to make more money. It hasn’t happened. Even in the face of criticism from some for his biblical principles in business, Cathy stands firm to what he believes, knowing that all that he has been blessed with was a gift from God, to be used for the glory of God. He has said that his policy of closing on Sundays was the best business decision that he had ever made. Results from his business agree with this statement. Most businesses open on Sundays, seeing it as an extra day to make a profit. Cathy uses the six days during the week and his sales increases every year. He gives Sunday to his employees to rest and attend church activities and God blesses his business because of this decision. Though most businesses disregarded this practice years ago, Cathy holds true to his conviction of upholding biblical principles.

Truett has faced challenges in his business over the years, once from a rise in inflation and a second major one when a promotional campaign during a recession left Cathy with a decision to make about cutting employees salaries. Rather than cutting the salaries of his employees, Cathy opted not to take a salary for himself that year. Rather than thinking of himself and letting the other employees suffer, Cathy held to Christ’s biblical principle of elevating other’s needs above your own. One of the four tenets for his business states that the people were to be the chief emphasis of his business. He valued the person more than he valued the money or power, a foreign concept in our society today.

His Faith

He is open about his faith, not afraid that this will cost him business. The Chick-Fil-A purpose statement is, “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all this is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-Fil-A.� It is a powerful statement showing strong leadership under the direction of God, but could it be lived up to?

Being a steward of money is very tough today, especially if you have a great deal of money to be the steward of. We see celebrities with multiple million-dollar estates and overly lavish lifestyles. Would Cathy do the same thing if he found success? The answer is no.

Cathy has been one of the leaders in the business world of giving money to those who needed it the most. He offers scholarships to college and gives generously to the WinShape Centre Foundation, an organization that he started in 1984, which helps youth succeed in life, striving to become all that they can become. This foundation has also started 14 foster care homes. Cathy took the purpose statement of his company and applied it not only to Chick-Fil-A but also to his own life. He loves to give, realizing the reward that comes when we give and expect nothing in return.

The slogan for Chick-Fil-A is one that will always stick in our minds with the cows holding signs that read “Eat Mor Chikin�. Hopefully, Truett Cathy and his example will stick to our lives and to our business practices everyday.

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