Chick-Fil-A Franchise Founder Pays it Forward

Founder and chairman of Chick-fil-A, Inc., Truett Cathy says, he always found more joy in giving when he “did not expect anything in return.” In 1946, Truett and his brother Ben opened the Dwarf Grill (later renamed The Dwarf House) in Hapeville, GA. Over 21 years later, Cathy opened the first Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Atlanta's Greenbriar Shopping Mall. Today, Chick-Fil-A is the second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the United States.

Cathy’s brag board contains a 40-year record of annual sales increases and a record of educational philanthropy that includes originating the successful 1984 WinShape Foundation, an organization that exists to support the education of young people through scholarships and other programs. The foundation awards 20 to 30 students up to $32,000 to attend Berry College, a Christian College in North Georgia. Since 1973, the Leadership Scholarship Program has given away over $23 million in scholarships to its restaurant employees.

In addition, eight foster care homes under the WinShape Homes® program have been established in Georgia, with two additional homes in Tennessee and one in Alabama. The homes hold up to 12 children with two full-time foster parents and provide long-term care for foster children within a positive family environment. Camp Winshape exists to offer a two-week summer camp program for young people on the Berry College campus that enhances participants’ Christian faith utilizing arts and crafts, camping, and relationship building activities.

All Chick-Fil-A's restaurants operate with a "Closed-on-Sunday" policy. Truett Cathy donates his Sunday time off to the community and to a Sunday school class he has taught for more than 50 years.