S. Truett Cathy Quotes

In most cases we perform better when we're busy than when we're not busy. When we're slow, our mind wanders. We're not as attentive to our business. When we're on the firing line, we're sharper. We move more quickly and get the job done right.

To take advantage of unexpected opportunities, we must leave ourselves available.

It's OK to have wealth. But keep it in your hands, not in your heart.

Putting people before profits is how we've tried to operate from the beginning.

If it takes seven days to make a living, you ought to be doing something else.

If a man can't manage his own life, he can't manage a business.

I had to create some good work habits and attitude.

The one thing I take more joy in than anything else in the world is seeing young people develop

If you wish to enrich days, plant flowers; If you wish to enrich years, plant trees; If you wish to enrich Eternity, plant ideals in the lives of others.

We should be about more than just selling chicken: we should be a part of our customers' lives and the communities in which we serve.

We tell applicants, 'If you don't intend to be here for life, you needn't apply.'

It's better to build boys than mend men.

Whatever you do ... put your heart and soul into it!

As Christians, we have an obligation and responsibility to abide by the principles of the Bible.

Learn to love your work and you'll never have to 'work' again.

In the Great Depression, you bought something if you had the cash to buy it.

Food is Essential to life, therefore make it good.

I had a low image of myself because I was brought up in the deep Depression.

I was not so committed to financial success that I was willing to abandon my principles and priorities. One of the most visible examples of this is our decision to close on Sunday.

I have people say, 'I'll come to work for you for free,' and I tell my employees they have to compete with that.

I'd be resentful if shareholders who don't know the business tried to tell me what to do.

I've experienced poverty and plenty, and there's a lesson to be learned when you're brought up in poverty.

I have always encouraged my restaurant operators and team members to give back to the local community.

I struggled to get through high school. I didn't get to go to college. But it made me realize you can do anything if you want to bad enough.

People want to work with a person, not for a company.

My riches are my family and my foster children. I try to store any material wealth in my hand, not my heart, so that I always feel free to give it away when the opportunity arises.

If we get better our customers will demand we get bigger.

Why would I retire from something I enjoy doing? I can hardly wait to get here.

You don't have to make the headlines to make a difference.

I'm planning to be here forever, but I know at some point I'll probably have to give it up. If you live to 100, there's a very good chance you'll live forever. Because very few people die after 100.

I lost two brothers in an airplane crash, both of them leaving a wife and kids. When I get to Heaven, that's probably the first question I'd like to ask: 'Why was it necessary?'

Chick-fil-A is what it is today because of its people, purpose and product.

Opportunity presents itself sometimes in unusual situations. What you think is the worst thing turns out to be a good thing. Different circumstances challenge people to do things they didn't know they could do, and in those times when the outlook appears the worst, we find new reasons for optimism.

We don't expect every operator to be Christian, but we tell them we do expect them to operate on Christian principles.

If you're excited about what you're doing, it's a lot more likely that your employees will also be excited. People want to work for a person, not a company. It's about relationships.

If it took seven days to make a living with a restaurant, then we needed to be in some other line of work.

It's a silent witness to the Lord when people go into shopping malls, and everyone is bustling, and you see that Chick-fil-A is closed.

I believe no amount of business school training or work experience can teach what is ultimately a matter of personal character. Businesses are not dishonest or greedy, people are. Thus, a business, successful or not, is merely a reflection of the character of its leadership.

Ringing the cash register is not the name of the game. It's only the scorekeeper, and it's not what motivates me. I'm motivated in my business by the compliments I receive about our people, our service, and the quality of our food.

Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business.