“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day.”
—Genesis 1:31
When Truett Cathy left military service, he started the Dwarf House restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. Since he lived next door to his restaurant, Truett worked virtually all day, every day—but he did not open on Sunday. Having become a Christian at the age of twelve, Truett felt that he could not be robbed of his day of rest. “If it takes seven days to make a living,” he often said, “I ought to be doing something else.”
The Dwarf House was successful, and Truett enjoyed experimenting with new dishes to serve his patrons. Some were well received, and some were not; however, there was one new idea that stood out above all the rest. It was called the Chick-fil-A, a specially prepared breast of chicken sandwich. Since it was so popular, Truett decided to try his sandwich in a fast-food location at a local mall.
He opened his first Chick-fil-A store in Atlanta, and it was every bit as successful as he had hoped it would be. By the 1990s there were over 750 Chick-fil-A restaurants in the U.S., all still observing Truett’s original “closed on Sunday” rule and many making better profits than seven-day restaurants next door.
The Chick-Fil-A business is based on two principles: Glorify God in financial soundness, and have a positive influence on employees and customers. Teenage employees of Chick-fil-A stores are given college scholarships, and many have been given the opportunity to own their own business.
Consider This: Stick to your principles, even if they go counter to popular wisdom.