The company's own site puts it simply: "Chick-fil-A is still a family business, with Truett's grandson, Andrew, serving as the CEO." There is no stock to buy, and the family has not disclosed how shares are split among its members.
Who owns Chick-fil-A today?
| Who | Role | What is public (date) |
|---|---|---|
| The Cathy family | Owners of Chick-fil-A, Inc. | Forbes ranked the family No. 8 among America's richest families, worth $40.2 billion as of June 2026, Tasting Table reported |
| Andrew T. Cathy | CEO since November 1, 2021 | Truett's grandson; Chick-fil-A press release, September 16, 2021 |
| Dan T. Cathy | Chairman | Truett's eldest son; CEO from 2013 to 2021 |
| Donald "Bubba" Cathy | Executive vice president | Truett's younger son |
| Trudy Cathy White | Company ambassador | Truett's daughter |
| Franchise Operators | Run the restaurants | Pay a $10,000 initial franchise fee and must run the restaurant full time, per Chick-fil-A's franchise page, October 2026 |
Operators are franchisees, not owners of the company. Chick-fil-A says most of them run a single restaurant and work in it every day. That is unusual in fast food, where big franchise groups often own dozens or hundreds of locations.
Every Chick-fil-A CEO
| CEO | Years as CEO | Relationship | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Truett Cathy | Founding to 2013 | Founder | Opened the Dwarf Grill in 1946 and the first Chick-fil-A in 1967; closed every store on Sundays; kept the company private |
| Dan T. Cathy | 2013 to October 2021 | Truett's eldest son; president from 2001 | Annual revenue grew from about $1 billion to $16 billion under his leadership, the company says |
| Andrew T. Cathy | November 1, 2021 to today | Truett's grandson, Dan's son | Joined in 2005 as Operator of a St. Petersburg, Florida restaurant; executive vice president of operations from 2019 |
Sources: Chick-fil-A press release, September 16, 2021; Entrepreneur and Meat + Poultry, September 2014.
Andrew Cathy is only the third person to run Chick-fil-A, and all three are Cathys. Truett stayed on as chairman emeritus after handing over in 2013, until his death the next year.
Chick-fil-A ownership and leadership timeline
- 1946
Truett Cathy and his brother Ben open the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Georgia, near Atlanta, and close it on Sundays
- 1967
The first Chick-fil-A restaurant opens in Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall
- 2001
Dan Cathy becomes president
- 2013
Dan Cathy becomes chairman and CEO; Truett becomes chairman emeritus
- 2014
Truett Cathy dies on September 8 at 93; the company says it will stay private and closed on Sundays
- 2021
Andrew Cathy becomes CEO on November 1; Dan stays chairman
- 2024
US systemwide sales reach $22.7 billion
- 2025
Sales grow about 5% and the chain ends the year with 2,863 restaurants, plus more than 400 licensed sites
- 2026
Forbes ranks the Cathys No. 8 among America's richest families
How big is Chick-fil-A?
| Measure | Figure | Date |
|---|---|---|
| US systemwide sales | $23.9 billion | 2025, from the franchise disclosure document via Fortune |
| Sales a year earlier | $22.7 billion | 2024 |
| Sales in 2013 | $5 billion | Entrepreneur, 2014 |
| Restaurants | 2,863, plus more than 400 licensed sites on campuses and in hospitals | End of 2025 |
| Markets | 48 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, the UK and Singapore | Chick-fil-A, October 2026 |
Sales grew almost fivefold from 2013 to 2025, while the restaurants stayed closed one day a week. Systemwide sales are what customers spend at all restaurants, not the company's own revenue.
Is Chick-fil-A publicly traded?
No. Chick-fil-A has no stock on any exchange, and Truett Cathy opposed taking it public. When he died in 2014, the company said it would remain privately owned. In October 2026, Andrew Cathy described it to Fortune as "a private business and a family business."
Who founded Chick-fil-A?
S. Truett Cathy (1921 to 2014). He opened the Dwarf Grill with his brother Ben in 1946, where he perfected the chicken sandwich, and opened the first restaurant under the Chick-fil-A name in 1967. He ran the company until 2013.
Related reading
Sources & methodology
Observations retain their source, period and definition. Uncertainty is preserved; missing values are not zero.
- Who we are (Chick-fil-A) ↗
Chick-fil-A
Accessed 2026-10-25.
- Andrew Truett Cathy, third Chief Executive Officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc. (Chick-fil-A press room) ↗
Chick-fil-A press room · 2021-09-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Franchise requirements (Chick-fil-A) ↗
Chick-fil-A
Accessed 2026-10-25.
- Chick-Fil-A Founder to Be Remembered for Vision, Values (Entrepreneur) ↗
Entrepreneur · 2014-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Chick-fil-A founder dies at 93 (Meat + Poultry) ↗
Meat + Poultry
- Chick-fil-A hit $23.9 billion in sales while closed every Sunday (Fortune) ↗
Fortune · 2026-10-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Chick-fil-A Dials Up Expansion as Sales Near $24 Billion (QSR Magazine) ↗
QSR Magazine
- The Wealthiest Family In Fast Food Owns This Beloved Chicken Chain (Tasting Table, citing Forbes) ↗
Tasting Table · 2026-08-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Chick-fil-A (Wikipedia) ↗
Wikipedia
Accessed 2026-10-25.