At 80, Truett Cathy still actively manages Chick-fil-A and participates in several charities. "My initials are T.C.," he said to an enthusiastic audience at the Kenan-Flagler Business School. "Some say that stands for tough chicken, others say tender chicken, but I say top chicken."
Cathy explained how he developed Chick-fil-A into a business that made more than $1 billion in sales last year, and shared how his religious convictions have influenced his life.
He began his career at age 8, reselling six-packs of Coke for a five-cent profit. He later started a roadside magazine stand, he said. "I sold the Saturday Post and made a cent and a half, and then I sold The Ladies Home Journal and made 4 1/2 cents," he said. "You can imagine which one I tried to sell first."
After graduating from high school and serving in the Army, he opened a restaurant called the Dwarf Grill with his brother Ben in 1946. The grill's success allowed him to open a second in 1951. Cathy attributes that success to his dedication to the company. "Oftentimes, the difference between success and failure is this one word -- commitment."
Despite his devotion to the business, Cathy said it was difficult to run the two restaurants after the death of two of his brothers in the late 1940s. He said he occasionally even wished to only have one restaurant again.
"So the Lord took care of that," he said. "After operating two restaurants for 10 years, one burned to the ground."
In 1967, he opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta, he said. Today, Chick-fil-A has more than 967 locations in 34 states and South Africa.
The company has had success with its popular "Eat Mor Chikin" advertising campaign. He said it plans to paint eight Lincoln Continentals with cows and the slogan, and drive them around.
Cathy said his success was aided by the strong role his religious faith has played in his life. "All of our places are closed on Sunday. I started out in 1946 doing that," he said. Cathy said it was a great business decision because the employees have a day off every week, and the customers respect the decision.
