Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy sat down for his first broadcast interview this week, speaking with NBC News co-anchor Craig Melvin about the chain’s growth, faith and future, NBC News reported. The full interview is on NBCNews.com and the NBC News app.
Cathy took over as CEO in 2021 from his father, Dan Cathy. He is the third member of the family to lead the company.
What Cathy said
- The sandwich: The original chicken sandwich recipe has not changed.
- Portion sizes: He rejected the idea of making portions smaller to offset higher costs. Cathy said Chick-fil-A plans to keep the portions and the experience customers expect.
- Sundays: The company’s decision to close restaurants on Sundays is a family tradition that has shaped its business practices.
The company’s history
Chick-fil-A’s roots go back to 1946, when Andrew Cathy’s grandfather, Truett Cathy, and his brother Ben opened a diner in Georgia. The first Chick-fil-A restaurant opened in 1967. The company has stayed privately held and family-owned.
The controversy Cathy was asked about
The chain’s values have drawn criticism over the years. In 2012, Dan Cathy publicly expressed opposition to same-sex marriage. Asked about that history, Andrew Cathy emphasized the company’s focus on serving customers. In 2019, Chick-fil-A announced that it was changing its charitable giving priorities to focus on education, homelessness and hunger.
Why it matters
Food prices are a concern for many customers, and restaurants have been balancing higher costs against what diners will pay. For more on how inflation is shaping the economy, see our report on the Fed chair’s inflation warning.
Chick-fil-A has not announced any menu or pricing changes tied to the interview.
