Behind Chick-fil-A’s Unconventional Franchise Model | WSJ The Economics Of 

When they get my order wrong, I just assume that they know what’s best for me.

When I was in college I used to do cross-country bike rides every summer to raise money for a charitable cause. The local Chick-fil-A would always give me enough free meal cards to get one meal per day from them while out on my ride. No questions, no strings attached, and no expectations of me. As a broke college student trying to make a positive change in the world, I always appreciated the gesture. I think I'll always support them because of that.

People just want to be treated with respect and get the items they ordered. CFA does that at pretty much any location you go to. It’s a likable food chain

I currently work at Chick-fil-a and this is all very true. never have i ever been mistreated by another team member or director. My dream is to become an operator one day. My boss always says "we're in the people business that just happens to sell good chicken.

Chik fil a is what McDonald's used to be. They have people walking around asking if you need extra sauce, extra napkins, getting you refills. It is a nice experience. The workers seem like they like their job. Its awesome.

I worked at CFA for three years and it was by far the best job experience I have had to date. It may sound silly but it prepared my for my other "real" job down the road. I gained so many leadership skills that have transferred to every other area in my life. I was cared for as a person and not just an employee. Our operator would treat all the employees to regular movie outings, amusement park trips, and Christmas parties. If you need a job, no matter what stage of life you are in, this is the place to go. And if I still lived near a CFA location, I would work there in a heartbeat.

In-N-Out and Chick-fil-A are my go-to’s. Their menu is simple and affordable. The long drive-thru lines says that people will go no matter what and my order is always right.

More than once I have come through a Chick-fil-a drive through for comfort food and had an employee ask if they could pray for me as I was visibly upset. I am not religious, but am so grateful for the kindness when I needed it most.

Just judging by their customer service, you know why they're successful.

I mean their drive through is crushing it. They encourage you to use the app, it works, and makes the process faster. They have lines longer than macdonalds but are faster or feels faster. Its frankly stunning.

Working there all summer and it has made me break out of my shell and made me an even more of a leader. I’m only a team member, but the way Chick-fil-A is structured is great. It’s an amazing first job for me, i got another Chick-fil-A job at the college i’m going to attend away from home. Im glad to be a part of it for this little part of my life :)

I would hire any worker that used to work at Chick-fil-A. They value customer service.

I work at ChickFilA. When you clock in it’s game on, those drive thru lines do not have an end. More like a sports team than fast food!

"The service in the drive-thru may be slower"????? I think not. Chick-fil-a has the most streamlined drive-thru process in the fast food industry.

I first had chick fil a 2 years ago. They are super fast. Beyond polite. Great quality. It's by far the best fast food place out there. I forgot my wallet once & they had my take my food anyway. I went back 15 minutes later & paid for my food as well as the next person in line to show my appreciation. Such an amazing place with even better people. I like a few things on the menu, chick fil a nuggets , mac & cheese , mix it together with bbq sause. Amazing. But i continue to go back because of the employees & how amazing it's ran. Keep doing amazing work !

Im a new employee at chik fil a and honestly they're amazing, theres so many little things that just make it so lovely and nice. I love the company with all my heart, honestly its more than a job at this point, it just feels good to be seen and cared for as a person and to help :)

I work at Chick-fil-A as a delivery driver. It’s nice, everyone that works there likes each other and talks all the time. Love getting free food

Having those sundays off for rest really helps the employee morale i think, because in other foodservice industries working weekends is almost a must.

My favorite! Something I notice at Chick-fil-A is that they always have plenty of staff. That is one of the reasons they're so efficient and the employees can sincerely be cheerful. Go to any other fast food in my area and the same person working the drive thru is also making drinks for a cashier who has to wipe the tables (sort of), which makes me wonder who has to clean the restrooms.

I do some work with CFA HQ as an outside vendor, and there’s something overwhelmingly positive and warm about the place and the people there. And that goes for everybody involved, from executives down to The security guards. It truly leaves you feeling a desire to treat your fellow man better. I don’t know what to say, I have tremendous respect for that company and their culture.

It got me through grad school so I will always have a soft spot for Chic-fil-A.

International viewer here. I would love to try a Chick-Fil-A.

Did she say chick fil a can be slower?! It’s the fastest place around. At McDonalds they hardly even talk to you, at Chick fil a, they make you feel like they want you there.

It appears that Chick-fil-A operates in the exact same manner as In-N-Out. Both were started in the 40's, are privately held, have a limited, clear menu, and own all the locations.

Plain and simple: it’s better than other food chains by a long long mile in just simple customer service, and on top of this, the chicken sandwich is amazing. Good food and good service is all you need. Wonder why other companies can’t seem to nail down a simple concept begs another question...

"Can be slower" ... Umm their lines are longer but their wait time are quicker than other fast food businesses. At least in my experience.

I work at Chick-fil-A! Every time I walking in the manger greets me and smiles and thanks me for coming in! As an employee I just try and carry that same positive energy to the customers! Very positive family like environment!

One of the best jobs I ever had. Chick fil a took me in as a 15 year old and made me a team leader over the next 4 years. I credit Chick fil a with my developed work ethic.

Not mentioned, CFA has long term vendors that go the extra mile for them because they are loyal customers. Many of their vendors have been there since the beginning and can attribute their financial success and growth to this rare and true partnership

As a former employee of two separate stores in the separate regions, the overall experience is heavily dependent on the Operator. The first store I worked at, also my first job, was a great experience and made me love the company, sadly the second Operator I worked for ruined that mode for me and made me seek out other opportunities. Overall I love the company and the service they provide.

There's a reason why people (such as myself) prefer In-N-Out and Chic-Fil-A: simple menu. They have real ingredients, a consistent recipe, and good quality. I KNOW people are actually cooking/preparing it inside that store rather than reheating it.

"... Even though the service in the drive thru may be slower" Heather has definitely never been to a chick fil a. The drive thru is quick and seamless. They handle 5x the people of other fast food joints in half the time.

As a Chick-fil-A worker getting paid $20 has helped me succeed!

Dude. this was a great highlight on this company. Their continued focus on the values that matter most to them. People and Service. Their thoughtful approach to expansion and how they treat their employees. I respect their strong branding game. They really uphold their mission statement and their standards of engagement are always consistent no matter in what state i've gone to. Stay private Chic-fil-a. Be beholden to only your mission statement, not shareholders.

I went to a grand opening of CFA when I was 19. They did a drawing of 100 people (200 showed up) and mine was the second name drawn! You had to stay overnight, and they fed you 5 meals. The next morning you were rewarded with 50 free meal coupons! Sandwich fries and a drink! At 19, those meals went a long way! Thanks Chick-fil-a!

My father’s chain of restaurants in the Southeast helped launch Chick-fil-A in the late 60s. As far as I know, my father‘s Hasty House restaurants were the only other restaurants that offered Chick-fil-A. I loved Chick-fil-A from the beginning and enjoyed meeting Truett Cathy and his wife, having dinner in their home as a young teenager, and could tell they were down-to-earth, practical, hard-working ‘restaurant people’ like my father and our family.

I have NEVER seen so MANY positive comments like these about any business before...you cant buy that amount of goodwill!

There's an Arby's right next to a Chick-fil-A by me. Arby's may have 5 cars in the drive through, Chick-fil-A may have 20. You'll still be done faster at Chick-fil-A every time.

Their customer service just blows every other fast food restaurant out of the water. Several times, my mom was like, "the line is too long." I convinced that we would breeze through. I can be 20 deep in line at Chik-fil-A and get my food faster than if I was just two deep at the nearby Wendy's.

I LOVE Chick-fil-A. Great that they are closed on Sundays.

As a Canadian with some Chick-fil-As around here now, I've really enjoyed it. I don't go often, but it's always a treat when I can go & it's always so so busy, yet they handle the crazyness with great expertise. I hope they can continue growing and not lose the values & work ethic that got them this far!

Seeing how CFA has optimized its operations during COVID, while so many other organizations have floundered, I just wonder what we need to do to convince them to run a government agency. Good quality, excellent customer service.... they are getting a lot right that others simply won't.

Thank God Chik-fil-A is spreading everywhere. Now I can move where ever I want and still be close to a Chik-fil-A.

Great post. Unique company. Ultra-successful companies like this one know they must make money; but really focus on what's more important. The customer. It works. As a customer, my interaction and satisfaction experience with Chick-fil-A is 100% better than any of their competition (any "fast food" spot). The competition should logically follow. For example, I love Whataberger, and they should totally copy Chick-fil-A's drive through methodology, as it is their pain point.

One of the few fast food restaurants I'm still willing to go to. Their employees are actually not rude, and that's not something any mcdonalds, wendys, subway, .... can ever say.

The customer service seems to be the foundation of this business. This requires extensive training and investment in good staff, something many companies today sacrifice…

Me and my family visit a local CFA 1-2 times a month. We are still frequently astonished at the customer service, and the food quality is high and very consistent. I would be more than happy for either of my two daughters to work there as their first job.

For me as a kid, it was their marketing. That cow telling us to eat more chikin was so creative and fun.

I'm not right-wing, I'm not left-wing, I'm the whole chicken! NICE

My wife and I fell in love with Chick Fil A when living in Texas. We really wish that they would expand into Korea. They make the best chicken sandwiches, and we love their sources. It plus Texas BBQ are the only things we miss from the U.S.

As a Brit who moved to the US in 2018 (and never been a fan of fast food), I've gotta say, I like Chick-fil-A. As I type this, my wife is picking up our order from there. The drive-thru is well organized. I always comment on how efficient they are. And their sandwiches are good. Any time I drive past a Chick-fil-A, the drive-thru is always packed.

the employees is what makes Chick fil a so great.

I'm Irish and I don't know much about Chick-fil-A but before this video even started I knew its the good chicken place thats closed on sundays and pays good wages. So if I know that all the way in Ireland they must be doing something right.

Loved working at CFA! Learned more about customer service and quality business practices than in all the other organizations I’ve worked with combined.

Their drive through is really incredibly fast. I typically hate drive throughs but during the pandemic I was forced to go through theirs. There was a double line with 10 to 15 cars in each in front of me. I timed it and I got through and received my food in 5 minutes. Amazing.

I start working at Chick-fil-A this Friday :) can’t wait!

Not mentioned in the video, but if you pay close attention, you'll notice that they will always reply to your "Thank you" with "My Pleasure", not "You're Welcome". It's one small thing that they instill on their associates to do.

Chick fil a was my first ever job. Learned a great deal about myself in that season of life and work.

It's carnival food you can get every day... the service and attention to lobby customers is on par with other chains, they focus on drive thru more than lobby customers, but the food is different so when they reach saturation they will decline, I've already seen it start in my area.

Closing on Sunday is old school and also an extremely clever business move

Well I can tell you, at most other fast food joints the customer service is almost never good and often borders on bad but I can honestly say that at Chick-fil-A it is always a pleasant experience which is something this world needs more of.

You can tell the employees are happy. Actually happy. It's nice knowing that I'm being taken care of and my food is being made by someone who likes their job. The consistency from chic fil a is amazing and I know what I'm getting regardless of location. Fast food restaurant with dine in service. It simply outshines any other fast food restaurant.

I work at cfa and its honestly the best entry-level job ever.

Good service and consistency. That's it.

Chick-fil-A is to chicken sandwiches what In-N-Out Burger is to burgers. Both are excellent!

Love CFA…my kids work there. Positivity from management and from customers as well. To be greeted by a friendly face, please and thank you, and the ever popular “My pleasure” is terrific. Also, the people who there are naturally friendly as well.

Watching this while digesting a deluxe chicken sandwich. Love chick fil a!

The service and general ease of access is beyond anything else. It’s literally more difficult to order other places. I can put a chick foil a order in on my phone, pull into a parking spot 1.5 minutes later, and my food is being brought to my window in minutes and I get updates on my phone along the way. Low contact, I get rewards for using my app. It’s overall brilliant. Other restaurants are trying similar approaches but don’t hit the mark with efficiency.

Chick-fil-A's employees are very NICE. I love their sauces!

I listened to a talk from a franchise attorney on the topic of CFA. he said he gets asked about getting a franchise, he tells the person to get a job at a restaurant because they want people who have come up in the system. It also contrasts with McDonald's, where a corporation can own huge bundles of franchises (50, 100, even 200) under their umbrella.

The speed of service they have in NYC is incredible. We’re a fast paced city and I figured they wouldn’t be able to keep up but it was actually more streamlined because of the tablet system.

I have never seen a fresh CFA sandwich look like the one on the opening shot. Clearly that sandwich was seating in a bag for a long time.

Each operator also can only have a single franchise so they focus on it.

Reminds me of a quote a friend of mine told me: "take care of your people and your bottom line will take care of itself."

Hopefully more companies in the future will use this model that's based on real values. People of all ages absolutely CRAVE authenticity like that. Could be applied to much more than just a restaurant chain.

My one and only favorite fast food restaurant. Service and foods itself says all!!!! Just love it

My chick-fil-a sandwich has never looked as depressing as the one you show at the beginning. Thanks for the video, I enjoyed it. Not as much as them chick-fil-a nuggets though!!!!

has 100% outstanding service every time.

Has nothing to do with recipes or some business model, their success is rooted in their moral compass.

Best fast food chain ever. I love their food and I love that they care about their employees enough to give every Sunday off regardless of their religion. They have amazing service and amazing values and thats why they will outlast any competition

Dare I say, I admire the founder's values and ability to stick to them despite the success! Godspeed

Just went here today and was wondering what makes this business stand out like it does, thank you for this information. And it's also surprising that while other popular fast food restaurant add to their menu , chick fil A keeps the same amount.

It’s amazing how well companies can do when they treat their employees well and ensure there are standards and quality to uphold in their product

Every time I go to Chik Fil A, my food is the same high quality, packed exactly the same, no mistakes, and the service is quite good. A+

I'm a HS teacher and I know a lot of my former students have worked their way through college with the help and support of Chick-fil-A. Many graduated debt-free.

I think there is something to be said about how Chick-Fil-A is raising the bar on customer service. I'm from the Upper Midwest and if you ever go to a Culver's it's the same thing. Smiles and good service. Makes you feel good about eating there.

The CFA closest to my house had such such a crazy line (with 2 lanes) for the last 2 years that they actually had to change the parking lot/complex around them to hold all of the people. Good for them

What they don't tell you is how hellish the backroom is. Can't believe those fryers are legal. It's not as rosey as they want you to believe.

So thankful they’re finally in Canada. I tried them while visiting Atlanta and I fell in love. I hope with them expanding that their quality stays the same.

Regardless of their political and religious views, you have to admit that Chick-Fil-A is a sturdy, well-run company. There's a lot to like about the way they operate: Privately held, so they don't feel any pressure from shareholders telling the board what to do. And I don't blame Chick-Fil-A for being closed on Sunday, either. When I worked in the bar/restaurant business, we were always closed on Monday. (Sunday was actually our busiest day.) And we always looked forward to that guaranteed one day off to rest, relax, and recover. (Many of us, particularly chefs, also had Tuesday off as well.) And then there's the humility/hospitality factor. And that's where the founder's Southern Baptist faith comes into play - treat your guests the way THEY would like to be treated, with dignity and respect, REGARDLESS of one's background. Biggest thing I've learned going to Sunday school/church is that GOD LOVES EVERYONE. You don't have to be a Christian to eat or work at Chick-Fil-A. Nor will supporting Chick-Fil-A make you a devout Christian, either. (Yes, many of its supporters actually believe that it will, but it won't. And going to church on Sunday won't make you a Christian, either.) They're going to be a major player in the restaurant business for a long time.

I went inside a Chick Fila last year and I had never seen a fast food store so packed inside and outside. The chicken nuggets are incredible, but the mobs of people in there seemed to be an example of waaaay too much enthusiasm for some fast food.

They over estimate the importance of “the recipe.” Chick Fil A is about quality and service. Even though service isn’t fast, it’s good. That is mind blowing, a new way to look at service.

In-N-Out Burger and Chick-fil-A have great staffing while the other fast food chains look like there staff is a prison gang.

Good chicken, fast, great customer service. Literally all anyone could ask for from a restaurant chain. Especially a fast food restaurant chain. Chick-fil-A elite!

This is like In-N-Out - a small menu but a focus on quality over quantity, as well as service...and not expanding too quickly, unlike Subway.

In n out and chik fil A both have my vote and business!

It's just not a franchise, they just hire "owners" to run it full time but if they leave they don't keep the Chick-fil-A they don't pay for the restraunt. It's just a good management structure with the illusion of a franchise.

Signature member. We love CFA and have been loyal customers since the first store opened in our area. My son's first job was at the local store and gave him a good foundation to enter the workforce with great training and people skills.

Luv them. They stand for their values and don’t apologize for it. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I love their smart slow growth business model. Wish more American businesses understand the intelligence of using your own capital, not rushing expansion, and maintaining a high level of quality. I hate the long lines but people love it so they wait. They could add 500 stores but instead they open 145 new highly profitable stores.