As most chicken lovers know, Chick-fil-a is closed on Sundays. That means they only have six days to do their work, serve their chicken, and come up with enough cash flow to pay their large staff of busy workers. Somehow, sacrificing one day in the workweek hasn’t stopped them from climbing in the ranks to making more profit per restaurant than their opened 7-days-a-week counterparts, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Subway combined.
If you look at only the initial numbers of net profit, Chick-fil-a trails behind the top three of McDonald’s Starbucks, and Subway as well as Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendy’s and Dunkin’ Donuts. So, how do the numbers add up to claim that they are more profitable than the top three restaurants combined? The answer boils down to the fact that they achieve this overall number on a little more than two thousand restaurants. Whereas, their competitors operate many more. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the actual numbers as it applies to each, individual restaurant.
According to a report published in a 2018 QSR Magazine, McDonald’s brought in a total of $2,670,320 per restaurant. Starbucks yielded a profit of $945,270 per restaurant. While Subway fell in at $416,860. Meanwhile, Chick-fil-a looked as if it was down in the ranks with their reported total profit. However, when you take into consideration that they operate a lot fewer restaurants than their counterparts, they actually come out on top with a reported whopping total of $4,090,900 per restaurant.
How can this be when the restaurant is closed one day of the week? Chick-fil-a attributes it to their Christian ethics in business that is continuously blessed. The day they choose to be closed is Sunday, the day which the original owner considers to be a day of Sabbath rest.
Additionally, closing the store one day a week stirs up a desire in their customers to crave what they miss. It also helps to attract excellent employees since they are treated well and not demanded to work on their day off. Instead, they are allowed to go to church with their family if they so desire. All of this adds up to a customer base that appreciates their values and their excellent service.
Leadership that sticks by its values while training staff the same in an attitude of how they can serve is what built the company. It is also what seems to be keeping it going strong.