I love Chick-fil-A, and over 27 years of working for them, you can imagine the many misconceptions I have heard about being one. But now, I am about to divulge the mysteries of Chick-fil-A.
Q: Does the corporate office only hire Christians?
A: The answer is NO. There are operators and staff from a variety of backgrounds working at Chick-fil-A. I actually get this question quite often. It is astonishing how many perplexed looks I get when I tell them this secret that we call – discrimination. It is illegal to only hire people due to their religion.
As an owner of Chick-fil-A for over 23 years I have noticed this; You have heard it before, and perhaps even said it. Birds of a feather flock together. I have seen people come, and people go, because of the type of people you have working for you.
Q: Do they actually require you to close on Sundays?
A: The answer is, yes. It is a requirement that if you work for a Chick-fil-A, your store must be closed on Sunday.
Q: Do they require you go to church on Sunday?
A: The answer is no. Though, I would highly encourage it.
Q: If I have enough money, can I build a store?
A: The answer is no, the corporate office has a real estate team. The real estate team has a growth strategy. They find the locations they best suited for the company, and then look for the best candidate.
Q: Do they only hire from within?
A: The answer is no, a majority of the franchisees do come from working inside Chick-fil-a locations. However, many times they will bring someone in from outside the system.
Q: I heard it only costs $10,000 to be an owner!
A: The answer is yes. Although this statement is true, Dan Cathy often says, “it’s easier to get into the CIA than it is Chick-fil-A.” When I started, I had no money, was 22 years old and had to get a signature loan @ 19% to get in. (I would not suggest that)
Now here is the ultimate mystery:
Q: Does Chick-fil-A put Crack in their food?
The answer is… unmistakably, No! Now, there IS a secret formula in the coater and with the addictive habits people have with Chick-fil-A, it sure appears that way. Yet, if this were the case; you would have to say it is also in our Chick-n- Minis, Sweet Tea, and our Chick-fil-A sauce.
Now that I have unearthed a few mysteries of Chick-fil-A, you should know it’s a very rewarding career. In our next blog of this series I will answer the questions on how to hire the right people for your business and KEEP them.