ONE ingredient that has made the Cathy family billionaires -- chicken.
Back in 1967, Samuel Truett Cathy started the popular fast-food chain Chick-fil-A.
Over the years, the business has remained in the family as Samuel’s sons Dan and Bubba were at the helm.
Dan and Bubba each have a net worth of $6.6billion while the family as a whole is worth a whopping $14.2billion, per Forbes.
Dan’s son Andrew is now the third member of the Cathy family to head up the billion-dollar business as the company goes into its 54th-year history.
Andrew grew up learning the business and prepping for leadership with the help of his grandfather and father.
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“The most successful chief executive officer transitions are made when the next leader is ready to lead. I have every confidence Andrew is ready,” said Dan in a statement.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Andrew wasn't just handed the business, he had to work for it.
He began working for Chick-fil-A back in 2005, spending two years as an Operator of the Tyrone Boulevard Chick-fil-A in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Then in 2007, he joined the Support Center Staff as a franchisee selection consultant.
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Andrew then became a member of the Executive Committee in 2015 and was named chief people officer (head of human resources) in 2016.
This is where he was responsible for international strategy up until he rose up in the ranks again in 2019.
He then moved into the role of executive vice president of operations.
Shortly after, in 2021, the company announced that Andrew would be named the third chief executive officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc.
A LITTLE HISTORY
Chick-fil-A founder Samuel used to stand at his mother’s side to help her in the kitchen of the boarding house she ran.
“I spent many days alongside her shucking corn, shelling peas, setting the table, and washing dirty dishes," he said in a statement.
He recalled that she would never use a recipe, but instead had an instinct or an intuition.
As World War II ended, Samuel, Truett, Cathy, and his brother Ben founded a diner in Atlanta, Georgia in 1946.
They called it The Dwarf Grill, which was later renamed The Dwarf House.
The diner had just four tables, and 10 counter stools, and made a total of $58.20 on its first day.
While the restaurant did quite well, it led Samuel to start the now-popular Chick-fil-A in 1967 with the first restaurant in Atlanta’s Greenbriar Shopping Center.
CHICKEN FORTUNE
Before Andrew, Cathy was at the helm of the company.
During Dan’s tenure, the annual revenue at Chick-fil-A jumped from roughly $1billion to $16billion, according to the Chick-fil-A website.
The company has put together a timeline of its successes detailing $1.4billion sales in 2001.
Nine years later, the chicken chain had 1,537 restaurants with a recorded $3.58billion in sales.
During the pandemic, Chick-fil-A brought in $14.1billion in sales while having a total of 2,627 restaurants.
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