Chick-fil-A generated $10.3 billion in revenue in 2025, a 14 percent increase, while maintaining its position as the third-largest U.S. restaurant chain by sales behind McDonald's and Starbucks. CEO Andrew Cathy told CNBC that the chain has weathered industrywide traffic challenges better than competitors like McDonald's, Popeyes and KFC.
Cathy, who became chief executive nearly five years ago, emphasized that the company plans to remain privately held with no initial public offering on the horizon. He credited franchise operators for executing fundamentals and delivering hospitality that have insulated Chick-fil-A from the downturn affecting other restaurant stocks. "This has been a good year," Cathy said in Manhattan before an event promoting the chain's Shared Table hunger relief program.
The chain opened 179 restaurants last year and expanded into markets including Canada, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Cathy characterized this growth as "calculated" and "conservative" while pursuing longer-term strategic bets like a $1 billion international expansion plan and Daybright, a beverage-focused restaurant concept from its venture arm.
Staying private provides operational freedom, Cathy said. "We're able to plan for the quarter century, and we don't have to plan for the quarter," he stated. This contrasts sharply with public restaurant peers. Jersey Mike's shares have fallen nearly 28 percent since its July IPO, while Inspire Brands, which owns Dunkin', reportedly will not pursue a public listing this year without improved sector performance.
Cathy signaled that tradition and evolution must coexist. The chain will maintain certain practices like remaining closed on Sundays, while adapting to changing customer behavior around ordering and service. On technology, Cathy rejected voice AI ordering in drive-thru lanes despite competitor adoption. McDonald's plans to test its Archy voice system for English and Spanish orders, but Cathy said Chick-fil-A prioritizes human-to-human hospitality. "We're not gonna substitute that interaction with technology, because we feel like that hospitality is so important to create that warm environment for consumers," he explained.
The company is exploring artificial intelligence for back-of-house operations and future food delivery methods, including drone delivery. Chick-fil-A has led the American Customer Satisfaction Index for fast-food for more than a decade, though Jersey Mike's topped the 2026 ranking with Chick-fil-A's score unchanged.
Menu expansion follows a measured approach. The chain tests seasonal items and adds permanent offerings only if they perform exceptionally, like its Pineapple Dragonfruit drink line. Cathy said the strategy preserves Chick-fil-A's identity. "We want to keep it really focused on unique Chick-fil-A items that they can only get at Chick-fil-A," he said.