It started with one small diner.
Truett Cathy opened a 10-seat restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia in 1946. Much of how Chick-fil-A operates today traces back to decisions he made in that building.
The Dwarf Grill opens
S. Truett Cathy and his brother Ben open a 10-seat diner in Hapeville, Georgia, near the Ford assembly plant. It later becomes the Dwarf House.
Closed on Sunday, from day one
Truett decided the restaurant would close every Sunday so his team could rest and worship if they chose. Every Chick-fil-A still does.
The Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich
After years of experimenting with a pressure-cooked boneless breast, Truett lands on the sandwich: two pickles, a buttered bun, and a seasoned filet. He trademarks the name “Chick-fil-A.”
The first Chick-fil-A restaurant
S. Truett Cathy founds the first Chick-fil-A in Atlanta, Georgia — in the Greenbriar Mall food court, one of the first mall food-court restaurants in the country.
Team Member scholarships begin
Truett starts awarding scholarships to Team Members. Chick-fil-A has since given more than $175 million to Team Members pursuing education.
The first freestanding restaurant
Chick-fil-A moves out of the mall and onto the corner lot — the format most restaurants use today.
“Eat Mor Chikin”
Three cows and a paint roller appear on an Atlanta billboard. The campaign runs for decades and becomes one of the most recognized in American advertising.
Truett Cathy passes away at 93
He had taught Sunday school for more than 50 years and supported hundreds of children through the WinShape Foundation.
Chick-fil-A Lehigh Acres opens
“Nearly every moment of every day we have the opportunity to give something to someone else.”
— S. Truett Cathy, Founder