Chick-fil-A will keep its doors closed on Sundays, CEO Andrew Cathy said, reaffirming a policy that has defined the fast-food chicken chain since its founding in 1946. In an interview with NBC's «Today» co-anchor Craig Melvin, Cathy said the company has never seriously considered abandoning the practice, which gives employees a guaranteed day off each week.
Cathy traced the decision to the chain's early years, when founder S. Truett Cathy operated a 24-hour restaurant six days a week. Closing on Sunday was common in the 1940s, he said, and the founder wanted workers to have time to rest, attend church or simply take a break. Cathy said employees appreciate the certainty of having one day off every week.
The CEO said he has never calculated how much revenue the company forgoes by staying closed on Sundays. «I never have because it's never something that we're entertaining. It's just too important for us,» he said. He described the policy as a benefit of Chick-fil-A's status as a private, family-owned business, which allows it to prioritize something other than maximizing sales.
That choice has not held the company back commercially. Chick-fil-A recorded an average annual sales volume of $9,161,239 per location in 2025, outpacing several major fast-food chains including Wendy's and Burger King despite operating only six days a week. The company opened 179 franchised and company-operated locations in 2025, according to QSR Magazine, bringing its total to 2,863 restaurants. It also receives about 150,000 franchise applications each year, Cathy told «Today».
The Cathy family's Christian faith has long shaped the company's practices. Cathy said the corporate purpose is to «glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that's entrusted to us» and to have a positive influence on everyone who comes into contact with Chick-fil-A. He called that mission the company's anchor.
While the Sunday policy remains fixed, other parts of the business are changing. Chick-fil-A recently announced its first new sauce in a decade, Spicy Chick-fil-A Sauce, available at restaurants beginning Nov. 16. The chain has used the same recipe for its classic chicken sandwich since 1967, when the founder created it.
The Sunday closure has become one of the most recognizable features of the brand, setting Chick-fil-A apart in an industry where extended hours are the norm. For the company, the arrangement reflects a deliberate trade-off: accepting one day of lost sales in exchange for a workplace benefit and a public identity tied to its founding values. Cathy's comments suggest that trade-off will remain in place under his leadership.