Key facts
- Chick-fil-A generated nearly $24 billion in US systemwide sales in 2025.
- The chain operates over 3,200 restaurants in the US.
- Chick-fil-A faced backlash in 2012 over its then-CEO's opposition to same-sex marriage.
Chick-fil-A has grown to become the third-largest restaurant chain in the US, generating nearly $24 billion in systemwide sales in 2025, according to Technomic's Top 500 chains report. The family-owned company, founded by Truett Cathy in 1946, now operates over 3,200 locations. The chain's expansion has been accompanied by controversy, including backlash in 2012 when then-CEO Dan Cathy opposed same-sex marriage and criticism for the company's foundation's donations to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations. Current CEO Andrew Cathy recently declined to directly address the company's stance on LGBTQ+ equality, stating a focus on hospitality for all. The first official Chick-fil-A restaurant opened in Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall in 1967, followed by the first stand-alone location in 1986 and the first drive-thru-only restaurant in 1993.