Andrew Cathy

Chief executive of Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Andrew Truett Cathy is chief executive officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc., the Atlanta-based, family-owned restaurant company founded by his grandfather, S. Truett Cathy. The company announced on Sept. 16, 2021, that he would succeed his father, Dan Cathy, on Nov. 1, 2021. He was 43 at the time and became the third member of the Cathy family to lead the company in its 54-year history. Dan Cathy became chairman of the board.^[1]

The company's own leadership page continues to list Andrew as chief executive officer, and Fortune reported in October 2026 that he has led the privately held company since 2021.^[6][5]

From one restaurant to the executive committee

According to Chick-fil-A's announcement, Cathy began his career with the company in 2005 as the Operator of the Tyrone Boulevard Chick-fil-A in St. Petersburg, Florida, a role he held for two years. In 2007 he joined the Support Center staff as a Franchisee Selection Consultant and later led Franchisee Selection.^[1]

He became a member of the Executive Committee in 2015, was named Chief People Officer in 2016 and became Executive Vice President of Operations in 2019, before taking the top job.^[1]

Starting outside the family business

Nation's Restaurant News reported in January 2007 that Cathy spent two years teaching business skills and coaching football and track at Landmark Christian School, his high school alma mater near Atlanta, before joining the company. The article said a family rule, drafted after a 2003 Harvard seminar on families in business, requires family members to work two years outside the company before joining it.^[2]

Entrepreneur described him in October 2026 as a former high school coach.^[3]

Leading a family-owned system

Chick-fil-A reported U.S. systemwide sales of $23.9 billion in 2025, up about 5% from $22.7 billion in 2024, according to its franchise disclosure document as cited by Fortune. Fortune also reported consolidated revenue above $10.3 billion and 2,863 restaurants at the end of 2025, not counting more than 400 licensed locations such as those on campuses and in hospitals, and said it is one of only three U.S. restaurant brands with more than $20 billion in sales.^[5]

In an interview reported by Fortune, Cathy said the company receives about 150,000 franchise applications a year and opens roughly 150 restaurants annually. Chick-fil-A says its Owner-Operators must commit to full-time, hands-on operation of the restaurant, and that meeting the requirements does not guarantee selection.^[5][7]

Sundays and hospitality

Chick-fil-A has closed on Sundays since Truett Cathy opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia, in 1946. In an Oct. 14, 2026 NBC interview, Cathy said he has never calculated the sales that closure costs and that opening on Sundays is not something the company entertains, calling the policy a luxury of family ownership.^[5]

In an October 2026 CNBC interview, he said the company is not pursuing AI voice ordering in its drive-thru lanes, though it is exploring AI in less visible ways, and that hospitality should be human to human. Entrepreneur reported that he welcomes competition, worries most about moving too slowly and wants his team to keep a healthy dose of fear, with the focus on accurate orders, good food and warm hospitality.^[4][3]

Why he ranks

Cathy is No. 2 on The Executive Review's Top 100 Franchise Owners because he is the sitting chief executive of the largest franchise-based system on this list by U.S. sales, at $23.9 billion in 2025, and a third-generation leader who rose from running a single restaurant. He is ranked just behind his father, Dan Cathy, the company's chairman.^[5][1]

On the Top 100 Franchise Owners

Andrew Cathy is No. 2 on The Executive Review's Top 100 Franchise Owners 2026. The ranking is editorial and independent; placement is never sold. View the full list.