Chick-fil-A History: From a 1946 Diner to 3,000+ Restaurants
Quick answer
Chick-fil-A began as the Dwarf Grill, opened by S. Truett Cathy and his brother Ben in Hapeville, Georgia, on May 23, 1946. Cathy perfected the chicken sandwich in 1964, opened the first Chick-fil-A in Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall in 1967, and the chain now has more than 3,000 restaurants in five markets.
On this page
Chick-fil-A is one of America's biggest restaurant chains, but it started as a tiny 24-hour diner near the Atlanta airport. Here's how it got from there to here.
Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1946 | S. Truett Cathy and his brother Ben open the Dwarf Grill (later the Dwarf House) in Hapeville, Georgia, on May 23. It closes on the first Sunday — and every Sunday since. |
| 1949 | Ben Cathy and another brother die in a plane crash; Truett carries on. |
| 1951 | Truett and his wife Jeanette open a second Dwarf House in Forest Park, Georgia. |
| 1961 | Cathy finds a pressure fryer that cooks a chicken breast about as fast as a hamburger. |
| 1963–64 | Cathy trademarks and perfects the Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich — the recipe still used today. |
| 1967 | The first Chick-fil-A restaurant opens in Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall food court on November 24. |
| 1981 | First locations in Canada (Ontario malls). |
| 1982 | Nuggets join the menu. |
| 1985 | Waffle Potato Fries join the menu. |
| 1986 | First freestanding Chick-fil-A opens on North Druid Hills Road in Atlanta (April 16). |
| 1993 | First drive-thru-only restaurant opens in Greenville, South Carolina. |
| 1995 | The "Eat Mor Chikin" cow advertising campaign launches. |
| 2010 | The Spicy Chicken Sandwich goes national. |
| 2013 | Dan Cathy succeeds his father as CEO. |
| 2014 | S. Truett Cathy dies at age 93. |
| 2016 | Grilled Nuggets launch nationally. |
| 2019 | Chick-fil-A opens in Toronto (September). |
| 2020 | Mac & Cheese joins the permanent menu. |
| 2021 | Andrew T. Cathy, Truett's grandson, becomes CEO. |
| 2022 | First restaurant in Puerto Rico. |
| 2025 | Full-service UK restaurants open in Northern Ireland and England; Singapore's first restaurant opens December 11. |
| 2026 | More than 3,000 restaurants and 200,000+ team members across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, the UK and Singapore. |
How the chicken sandwich was born
Cathy's breakthrough was speed. In 1961 he found a pressure fryer that could cook a boneless chicken breast in roughly the time it took to grill a hamburger, keeping it juicy. He spent the next few years refining the seasoning and pairing it with a buttered bun and two pickles. Before opening his own Chick-fil-A restaurants, he licensed the sandwich to more than 50 other eateries.
The mall era
For about two decades, Chick-fil-A was mostly a mall food-court brand. The chain didn't open a freestanding restaurant until 1986. Its move to standalone stores with drive-thrus in the late 1980s and 1990s set up the growth that followed — today, Chick-fil-A drive-thrus are famous for double lanes and team members taking orders on tablets.
The Operator model
Chick-fil-A's business model is unusual. The company builds and owns each restaurant and selects a local Owner-Operator to run it. The initial investment for an Operator is famously low — US$10,000 — but the selection process is highly competitive and can take months. Operators typically run one restaurant and hire their own team members. That's why prices and hours can vary between restaurants.
Sunday closing
The Dwarf Grill closed on its first Sunday in 1946, and every Chick-fil-A restaurant has followed suit. Read why Chick-fil-A is closed on Sunday.
Growth and reputation
Systemwide sales passed $2 billion in 2006 and reached about $22 billion in 2024, according to Wikipedia's summary of company figures, making Chick-fil-A one of the largest U.S. restaurant chains by sales despite being closed one day a week. It has also ranked at or near the top of customer-satisfaction surveys for fast-food chains for years.
The company has also faced controversy, most notably in 2012 over then-CEO Dan Cathy's comments on same-sex marriage and the charitable donations of its foundation. In 2019, the company said it would change its giving approach and stop donating to certain organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Chick-fil-A founded?
Its roots go back to May 23, 1946, when S. Truett Cathy opened the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Georgia. The first restaurant named Chick-fil-A opened in 1967.
Who founded Chick-fil-A?
S. Truett Cathy, together with his brother Ben at the original Dwarf Grill.
Who owns Chick-fil-A today?
Chick-fil-A is a privately held, family-owned company. Andrew T. Cathy, the founder's grandson, has been CEO since 2021.
Where was the first Chick-fil-A?
In the food court of Greenbriar Mall in Atlanta, Georgia, opened November 24, 1967.
How many Chick-fil-A restaurants are there?
More than 3,000, across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, the UK and Singapore, according to Chick-fil-A in 2026.