Quotes from S. Truett Cathy

Why would I retire from something I enjoy doing? I can hardly wait to get here.

We should be about more than just selling chicken: we should be a part of our customers' lives and the communities in which we serve.

I have people say, 'I'll come to work for you for free,' and I tell my employees they have to compete with that.

Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business.

You know what ego stands for: Edging Out God!

I'm planning to be here forever, but I know at some point I'll probably have to give it up. If you live to 100, there's a very good chance you'll live forever. Because very few people die after 100.

I've experienced poverty and plenty, and there's a lesson to be learned when you're brought up in poverty.

I cook chicken for a living.

A business, successful or not, is merely a reflection of the character of its leadership.

If you have debt, you have to worry about it. I would challenge each of you to try to be debt-free.

I had a low image of myself because I was brought up in the deep Depression.

Every child I know who overcame long odds and grew into a responsible adult can point to an adult who stepped into his or her life as a FRIEND, a MENTOR, and a GUIDE.

You don't have to be a Christian to work at Chick-fil-A, but we ask you to base your business on biblical principles because they work.

We don't expect every operator to be Christian, but we tell them we do expect them to operate on Christian principles.

Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done.

I lost two brothers in an airplane crash, both of them leaving a wife and kids. When I get to Heaven, that's probably the first question I'd like to ask: 'Why was it necessary?'

Chick-fil-A is what it is today because of its people, purpose and product.

It's a silent witness to the Lord when people go into shopping malls, and everyone is bustling, and you see that Chick-fil-A is closed.

Food is Essential to life, therefore make it good.

Sometimes, but not often, I am thoroughly convinced that the decision I have made is the right one, even though it differs from the others, and I will exercise my authority to approve or reject a decision against their wishes. In most cases, though, if we can't agree on something, a better idea is to table the decision rather than to exercise the power.

Opportunity presents itself sometimes in unusual situations. What you think is the worst thing turns out to be a good thing. Difficult circumstances challenge people to do things they didn't know they could do, and in those times when the outlook appears the worst, we find new reasons for optimism.

If you really aren't interested in serving others, you don't need to be in the restaurant business in the first place.

If we get better, our customers will demand we get bigger.

In the Great Depression, you bought something if you had the cash to buy it.