Chick-fil-A generated $23.9 billion in US systemwide sales in 2025, approximately 5% more than the $22.7 billion recorded in 2024, while continuing to close on Sundays. Chief executive Andrew Cathy says he has never calculated the sales forgone through that policy, since abandoning it is not under consideration. The chain is one of just three US restaurant brands exceeding $20 billion in sales; the others, McDonald's and Starbucks, have considerably more outlets and operate every day.
The Sunday closure dates back to 1946, when Cathy's grandfather, S. Truett Cathy, opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia. Having previously worked seven days a week, the founder wanted both himself and his employees to have time for rest, family or worship. Andrew Cathy, who succeeded his father as chief executive in 2021, argues that private family ownership gives the business freedom to prioritise employees rather than maximise every possible source of income.
Although the policy is longstanding, exceptions have occurred: in 2017, restaurants opened on a Sunday to feed travellers stranded by a power outage at Atlanta's airport. Cathy nevertheless regards a guaranteed weekend day off as an important benefit for restaurant operators and staff. The company receives about 150,000 applications annually from prospective franchise operators while opening roughly 150 restaurants a year. Opening on Sundays would require teams to surrender a break the business has maintained for eight decades, something Cathy says he is unwilling to request.
