Quick context: leadership, inflation and a tougher consumer
Andrew Cathy stepped into the CEO role nearly five years ago, succeeding his father, Dan, and continuing the legacy started by his grandfather, S. Truett Cathy. He took charge as elevated inflation squeezed the industry and a wave of chicken rivals chased Chick-fil-A's lead. He says the brand hasn't experienced the same downturn in traffic that's hit many chains.
"This has been a good year," the Atlanta-based Cathy said in downtown Manhattan ahead of an event promoting the chain's Shared Table hunger-relief program. He credited franchise operators for nailing the basics and bringing the service touch to match: "Our operators have done such a good job executing on the fundamentals and adding the hospitality to it."
Scale, finances and why staying private matters
Chick-fil-A does not report quarterly results, but franchise filings offer the snapshot: revenue climbed 14% to $10.3 billion in 2025 and net income rose 1% to $1.05 billion. Across about 3,000 units, system sales reached $23.92 billion last year, placing the chain third in the U.S., behind only McDonald's and Starbucks.
Cathy says the company currently isn't planning an IPO or other avenues for outside investment, sticking with "calculated" and "conservative" growth. That stance looks comfortable in a rough year for restaurant stocks.
"We're able to plan for the quarter century, and we don't have to plan for the quarter," Cathy said.
How a private company chooses to grow says a lot about where consumer spending is heading. Market Briefs reads the consumer economy free every weekday.
Expansion, menu and the chicken wars
If the tone is cautious, the buildout is not. Last year, Chick-fil-A debuted 179 new locations and, in the past few years, pushed into international markets including Canada, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Alongside a $1 billion international expansion plan, the company is careful with its famously simple menu, testing seasonal items such as chicken and waffles and the Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich. If an item is a "home run," Cathy said, it can earn a permanent spot, as happened with the Pineapple Dragonfruit drinks.
Some traditions are nonnegotiable, like closing on Sundays. Others evolve with how people order and eat, including the brand's take on Southern hospitality.
The competitive set is lively. Restaurant Brands International's Popeyes kicked off the chicken sandwich wars in 2019. As of 2024, Barclays estimates Chick-fil-A holds about 43% of the U.S. chicken chain market, with Popeyes around 11%. A move by McDonald's to pilot hand-breaded chicken strips and sandwiches could reignite the battle.
Cathy is fine with that. "I'm grateful that there's competition in the chicken space, because that means we're in a good space to be," he said. "Competition just makes us better .... What little details can we do to make that environment even more welcoming for customers?"
Tech, hospitality and the long view on your money
Chick-fil-A is modernizing while keeping the service feel. Cathy calls it a "human plus" approach to technology: tools help in the background, people handle the hospitality. The company is exploring behind-the-scenes uses for AI and is interested in what delivery could look like in the future, including drones.
But it is not pursuing AI voice ordering at the drive-thru, even as peers test it. For example, during its September investor day, McDonald's said it intends to trial Archy, its voice AI, to take orders in English and Spanish.
"From our experience, we really want that hospitality to be human to human," Cathy said. "We're not gonna substitute that interaction with technology, because we feel like that hospitality is so important to create that warm environment for consumers." Rivals are also leaning into hospitality: Starbucks bought about 200,000 Sharpies so baristas can add friendly messages to cups, Burger King refashioned its manager role into a "Your Way Champion," and McDonald's is launching its "Make It Golden" training program focused on hospitality and food quality.
That long-running service edge has made Chick-fil-A the fast-food leader in the American Customer Satisfaction Index for more than a decade. In the 2026 study, Jersey Mike's topped the list, though Chick-fil-A's score held steady year over year.
Innovation extends beyond restaurants, too. In 2017, the company formed Red Wagon Ventures, named after the wagon S. Truett used to sell Coca-Cola at age 6. The group piloted Little Blue Menu, which served Chick-fil-A staples alongside burgers, pizza and onion rings; its final location will convert into a traditional Chick-fil-A next year. In addition, Red Wagon Ventures launched Daybright - a beverage-forward concept featuring coffees, smoothies, juices and doughnuts - and, last year, unveiled Acrew Home Professionals, a maintenance-and-repair venture built to mirror the brand's ethos of "service with a smile."
The takeaway for your wallet: a private owner, steady cash machine and hospitality moat can cushion a brand when diners get picky, which helps explain why Chick-fil-A keeps opening stores while many chains wrestle with traffic.
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