Chick-fil-A continues to buck trends in the quick-service industry. While many top brands are seeing traffic and same-store sales slip, the chain expects sales to surpass the $3 billion mark sometime in the next several weeks and to end the year up 9 percent compared to last year, according to a story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Company founder and CEO S. Truett Cathy and his son Dan, the company's president, spoke at a National Press Club luncheon in Washington on Friday to share some of the company's highlights.
Chick-fil-A plans to add nearly 70 stores next year, including its first in Chicago, and begin expanding internationally within the next 10 years. The company also plans to be debt free within the next three years.
Dan Cathy attributed the company's success in part to its customer service model, including a new program called "second-mile service."
From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
The service improvements can be subtle, such as fresh flowers and fresh pepper grinders on every table. Employees are trained to pull out chairs to seat female guests. When it rains, they're supposed to run out and greet customers with an umbrella. And every thank-you is supposed to be answered with "My pleasure."
