SAN MARCOS, Calif. — Chick-fil-A Inc. founder Truett Cathy, 85, will attend a grand opening in California Dec. 6 when his grandson opens a stand-alone Chick-fil-A restaurant here.
According to a news release, the San Marcos Chick-fil-A restaurant is the second opening this year to have a third-generation Cathy member enter the family business.
"When you look at statistics, 80 to 90 percent of the 24 million U.S. companies are family owned or managed, and of those, only 40 percent survive to the second generation and only 12 percent to the third generation," said Truett Cathy, who is credited with inventing the award-winning boneless breast of chicken sandwich.
"Seeing the first two grandchildren to enter the business in the same year that I am celebrating the 60th anniversary of the opening of my first restaurant has brought comfort to me that the future of Chick-fil-A will continue to be strong with our third generation," he said.
A University of Georgia graduate in business management, Mark Cathy's experience in the hospitality field includes working at the Montage Resort and Spa in Laguna Beach. He will be assisted in the business by his wife Amy, who will be functioning as the restaurant's assistant manager.
