Applause for S. Truett Cathy
June 23, 2006 by kate baggott
Filed under Finances
S. Truett Cathy, above, the 85 year-old founder of Chick-fil-A is picking up an award from the Smart Marriages Conference in Atlanta. Cathy isn’t winning the award for his own 57 year-long marriage, but for creating a family-friendly workplace.
- “Cathy has implemented all sorts of marriage-friendly policies and programs for the 600 employees at his 39-year-old company’s Atlanta-based headquarters, as well as for the 900 franchise operators who run its 1,250 fast-food restaurants across the country,” reported USA Today. “Offerings range from seminars and marriage retreats to lunchtime sessions and counseling from on-call psychologists.”
What struck me about the article is that Cathy is not a philanthropist, he’s a businessman and, like any American capitalist, business is what drives his actions.
“You can’t expect people to do well in their business if they’ve got problems at home,” Cathy told the newpaper.
At a time when all parents are looking for a little more balance in our lives, I think it’s time the world started to recognise people like S. Truett Cathy who know that there is no business, no revenue and no economy without family.
…AND he makes a mighty fine chicken sandwich!
How is Bald Man always beating me to the comments? Oh yeah, he’s up earlier. But thanks so much for sharing this story. We were soooo excited when Chick-fil-a started making its way into our neck of the woods (though disappointed once or twice to have driven to it only to forget they’re closed on Sundays). It’s a great family environment, and we always have a great experience with the employees. He’s doing something right!
You know, Bald Man, I had never even heard of Chick-fil-a until reading about the award! Just when I think I know everything there is to know about American fastfood, the culture presents another layer…
Kerri- Closing on Sundays is the most family-friendly thing I have heard yet!
Chick-fil-a are all over the US southeast, and have made it to Ohio in the last couple years. They do freestanding restaurants as well as mall food courts.
Good for breakfast, too… and SWEET TEA!!!
I’m pretty sure that we don’t think we have them up here, but I will be looking the next time we travel south!
I truly enjoy eating at Chick-fil-A! My son loves the playground and I noticed that they are one of the only companies with indoor playgrounds (Chuck E. Cheese/Jeepers) that actually CLEAN them! Not only do they clean/care about the children’s well being that visit. The company takes it a step further by not offering any and every Disney toy that becomes available.
I look forward to purchasing one of Mr. Cathy’s books.
Dear Mr. Cathy,
I was reading the news where two girls broke into your home and vandalized it. You did not bring charges against them, so they would not have a record for the remainder of their life. You are a kind and caring person to let them write 1,000 times about not vandalizing again and read a good book.
God Bless you!
Mr, Cathy is A wonderful example, of how an employer should treat employee’s, and bumps in the road with vandalism. I have had many deep belly laughs at his advertizing along the American highways. Those signs cannot be cheap! They must provide a smile to many visitors of our country as well. Although I’m pleased he takes his sundays serious for his employee’s sake, I do not see why, he ties it with a sabath that is no longer a law we are under since Jesus death. This is an example of how inaccurate these faiths have become. Six days of work is plenty, and one day of rest is goood for everybody, but it doesn’t need to be a sunday. I wish though, that all bussinesses were in line with his leadership, and generousity. It seems more and more, the business leaders/investors are pushing for more and more profits at the expense of everybodys health/solid family structure/wrecked marriages. Don’t get me wrong! Some of the employee’s could shape up their imature acts of selfishness/laziness/temperment/ & bias’s towards other emplyee’s as well! The whole system is poised to crash, because everybody seems to be out to take advantage of everybody, while trying protect of get something for themselves. It’s a truly dog eat dog world out there. Thansk Mr. Cathy for showing unscruplous businessmen, how it should be done.