Executive Spotlight: Who Is Andrew Cathy, Chick-fil-A's CEO? (2027)
Andrew Cathy is the chief executive officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc., the privately held restaurant company based in Atlanta. He took the CEO role on November 1, 2021, after a company career that began in 2005 as the operator of a single restaurant in St. Petersburg, Florida, and later ran through franchisee selection, the Executive Committee, Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President of Operations.
This page covers public professional information only, drawn from Chick-fil-A's own announcements and published coverage.
Current role and company
Chick-fil-A's website lists Andrew Cathy as CEO. In its August 2024 announcement the company said he would keep setting its overall strategic direction and culture while a new President, Susannah Frost, led the Executive Committee and Cliff Robinson became Chief Operating Officer. Dan Cathy serves as the company's Chairman. Chick-fil-A was founded in 1967 and describes itself as family-owned and privately held.
- CompanyChick-fil-A, Inc. (Atlanta, Georgia)
- TitleChief Executive Officer, per Chick-fil-A's website.
- CEO sinceNovember 1, 2021, the third CEO in the company's history.
- Leadership teamSusannah Frost, President; Cliff Robinson, Chief Operating Officer (named August 2024).
Career path
Chick-fil-A's September 2021 announcement lays out his career at the company step by step.
- 2005: restaurant operator. He began his Chick-fil-A career and spent two years as the operator of the Tyrone Boulevard restaurant in St. Petersburg, Florida.
- 2007: Support Center. He joined the corporate Support Center staff as a Franchisee Selection Consultant and later led the Franchisee Selection function.
- 2015: Executive Committee. He became a member of the company's Executive Committee.
- 2016: Chief People Officer. He was named Chief People Officer.
- 2019: Executive Vice President of Operations. He took the operations role that he held until becoming CEO.
- 2021: CEO. The company announced on September 16, 2021 that he would become CEO on November 1, 2021, with Dan Cathy remaining Chairman of the Board and Tim Tassopoulos continuing as President and Chief Operating Officer.
What he is known for as CEO
- Adding a President role. In August 2024, after three years as CEO, he said the timing was right to expand the company's leadership capabilities. Susannah Frost became the sixth person to hold the President title since 1967, and Cliff Robinson became COO.
- International expansion. Chick-fil-A's 2024 announcement notes that the company announced plans in 2023 to expand into Europe and Asia by 2030.
- Keeping the Sunday closure. In an October 2026 Fortune interview he said opening on Sundays is not under consideration, saying it is too important to the company, and that he has never calculated what the closure costs.
- A private, owner-operator model. Chick-fil-A says its restaurant team members are employed by independent owner-operators, and Fortune reported his view that private ownership lets the company make investments in its team even when they cost money.
Leadership style and philosophy
His own public statements stress working closely with the people who run the restaurants. At the time of his appointment he said he looked forward to continuing to work closely with the company's operators and staff and to having a positive influence across the communities they serve, as reported by Nation's Restaurant News. In Fortune in 2026 he tied the company's private ownership to its ability to invest in team members, and on the Sunday closure he said: "It's just too important for us." This page found no longer interviews or talks of his own to quote beyond these.
Key numbers
Figures for Chick-fil-A, with the period shown. Chick-fil-A is private, so most figures come from company announcements or press reports of them, and they describe the company rather than Andrew Cathy personally.
- U.S. systemwide sales, 2025$23.9 billion, up about 5% from $22.7 billion in 2024, per Fortune (October 2026).
- Consolidated revenue, 2025More than $10.3 billion, per Fortune (October 2026).
- Restaurants, end of 20252,863, a net gain of 179 over the year, per Fortune (October 2026); Chick-fil-A's own 2024 announcement cited more than 3,000 restaurants in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
- Team members, August 2024More than 200,000, per Chick-fil-A's announcement.
- Median sales, 2025About $9.1 million for roughly 2,300 freestanding, drive-thru-only restaurants open all year, per Fortune.
What to watch next
Worth tracking: how the leadership team of CEO Andrew Cathy, President Susannah Frost and COO Cliff Robinson carries out the Europe and Asia expansion, and how restaurant sales per location develop as the chain keeps opening new units. Dan Cathy remains Chairman.
Questions people ask
Who is Andrew Cathy?
He is the CEO of Chick-fil-A, Inc. He became CEO on November 1, 2021 after roles that included restaurant operator, Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President of Operations.
When did Andrew Cathy become CEO of Chick-fil-A?
Chick-fil-A announced on September 16, 2021 that he would take the role on November 1, 2021.
What did he do before becoming CEO?
He joined in 2005 as a restaurant operator in St. Petersburg, Florida, became a Franchisee Selection Consultant in 2007, joined the Executive Committee in 2015, was named Chief People Officer in 2016 and became Executive Vice President of Operations in 2019.
Who is the President of Chick-fil-A?
In August 2024 the company named Susannah Frost President and Cliff Robinson Chief Operating Officer, with Andrew Cathy remaining CEO.
Does Chick-fil-A plan to open on Sundays?
Not according to Andrew Cathy. In an October 2026 Fortune interview he said it is not under consideration because the closure is too important to the company.
How large is Chick-fil-A?
Fortune reported 2,863 restaurants at the end of 2025 and U.S. systemwide sales of $23.9 billion for that year; the company said in 2024 that it had more than 200,000 team members.
Sources
- Chick-fil-A: Andrew Truett Cathy named third CEO (Sept 16, 2021) · Career path, CEO transition, hero photo
- Chick-fil-A: Susannah Frost named President (Aug 15, 2024) · His role, leadership team, restaurant and team member counts, international plans
- Chick-fil-A: Is Chick-fil-A family-owned? · Current CEO and Chairman titles
- Nation's Restaurant News: Chick-fil-A names Andrew Cathy new CEO (Sept 2021) · Career summary, his statement on the appointment
- Fortune: Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy on Sunday closures (Oct 22, 2026) · 2025 sales and restaurant figures, his statements
Facts were read from the linked pages on October 31, 2026, partly through a fetch tool that returns summaries, so confirm details on the original pages. The hero photo comes from Chick-fil-A's September 2021 CEO announcement on its press room page; its photographer or copyright holder is not stated there. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: Chick-fil-A, Inc. (chick-fil-a.com press room, Sept. 2021 CEO announcement)