Chick-fil-A - a swift service restaurant chain in the United States - Research Paper Example

? Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A is a swift service restaurant chain in the United s which specializes in chicken entrees and sandwiches. This restaurant chain was founded in 1946, with its headquarters located in College Park, Georgia (Cathy, 2002). The company is well-known for promoting Christian values, just like its founder. The company is associated with the Southern United States region, where it has been identified as a cultural icon (Cathy, 1989). This article will analyze the culture and its impact on the company’s achievement by bringing out the strength of this culture. This paper will also explain how culture is conveyed to employees, and also include a brief outline on the company’s ethics. By April 2012, the company had 1,614 restaurants in roughly 38 states, including the Columbian District (Cathy, 1989). The company is also focusing its prospect growth in Southern California and American Midwest. Historically, Chick-fil-A was renowned with shopping malls, since most of its original food courts were located in trendy shopping malls. The first food court belonging to the restaurant was opened in Atlanta’s Green-briar Mall in 1967 (Cathy, 2002). Moreover, this company opened their first freestanding store in 1986. Nowadays, the chain has over 1000 such units of which some can be found in various places like universities, airports and hospitals through licensing agreements with the authorities (Cathy, 2002). The Chick-fil-A chain has grown tremendously from the Dwarf Grill (now recognized as Dwarf house); a restaurant opened in the Georgian suburb of Hapeville, Atlanta in 1946 by Cathy, who is the company’s chairman to date (Cathy, 2002). The restaurant is located a stone throw away from the recently demolished Ford plant, where workers of the plant occasionally took their meals between shifts. The company’s current trademark slogan claims that the company did not invent chicken, but just the chicken sandwich. This signifies their flagship menu-item, the popular chicken sandwich. In 1961, Cathy came by a pressure cooker which cooked a chicken sandwich in precisely the equivalent period it took to chef a fast-food hamburger. From 1994 onwards, the company which is based in Atlanta has been the label sponsor of the Peach Bowl, which is an annual college football bowl match, played in Atlanta (Cathy, 1989). In the 2006 season, the company became Peach Bowl’s main sponsor. The company is also a considerable sponsor of ACC, SEC, and Big 12 conferences of college athletics. The chain came up with a popular advert created in 1995 by The Richards Group that reads “Eat mor chikin” (Cathy, 2002). This slogan features cows wearing signs painted with the slogan in uppercase. In connection to the company’s advertising strategies, these cows have united in an effort to reform the American food industry by reducing the amount of beef being eaten. This suggests that chicken burgers are preferably better off compared to the beef burgers. This advert aims at restricting the American community from eating beef burgers, which is common in menus of Chick-fil-A’s competitors such as Burger King, Wendy’s, and McDonald’s (Michelle & Darren 2011). However, the ad campaign was halted in the interim during a mad cow disease scare in January 1, 2004. Two months later, the cow advert was put up again. This time, the cows replaced the chain’s old mascot, an anthropomorphized chicken which appears as the C in the logo and doodles (Cathy, 1989). The company has a well structured culture which enables the company to run successfully. Additionally, the company has happy employees and services. The employees are always cheerful, and some of the customers claim that their happiness has something to do with their monthly wages. This is a delightful model to any business success in America. A visit to the joint is usually welcomed by young, inevitably welcoming, smiling, helpful, quick and polite young faces. The joint runs clean restaurants based on many people’s opinions. The company has bucked their restaurants and systems, as well as their sanitary rooms in an almost immaculate manner. This depicts that the company does not lower its standards on its customers and staff. In addition, the company has created a culture of making remarkable chicken sandwiches (Cathy, 2002). Clearly they do not seem to care to have beef on their carte du jour because they are not adept at it. This is a brilliant lesson to other companies out there which try to be jacks of all trades. This shows that businesses should have their own identity, individual greatness, and niches. This company is not cheap in terms of its food prices. The joint’s food prices are a bit higher compared to prices of other fast food joints like McDonald’s and Burger King. These high prices lead to increased food quality, customers, service, and highly motivated employees earning better salaries. Ambiance is also one of the company’s cultures that have transformed the look of their restaurants (Cathy, 1989). They have lots of employee photos, quotes and paintings from local children on the restaurant’s walls. This makes the customers who visit the store appreciate such efforts put up to maximize sales. Further research shows that other than the fast-food company, this company does promos for youth teams within the community. This culture prevails in the company in order to respond to customer demands efficiently. This company is a wholly-owned family business with strong values based on their religion (Cathy, 1989). This presents an explanation as to why all stores and restaurants of the fast food joint are not opened on Sundays. Perhaps, they have the strongest culture of any familiar company. This culture can as well be observable through products, prices, promotion, and individuals in the organization. Chick-fil-A interacts with its employees through the digital media like social networks. The Social Advertising, Media and Marketing Awards (SAMMYS), named this food joint as the best company in promoting a product launch which had nearly three million fans and won a SAMMY. Facebook is also another platform that has enabled the business to sustain its customer growth (Michelle & Darren 2011). Other platforms of communication may include YouTube and Twitter among others. Amidst all these factors, this enterprise created a stunning website aimed at increasing its global market presence. Lastly, the food offered in the restaurant is extremely delicious. Nothing offered by this joint is of poor quality. They are all proud of their meals and their business at large as a success which comes from these cultural practices. All these factors strongly depict the success of this business in relation to their staff. Implementation of their culture and values has chiefly supported the business to grow significantly (Cathy, 1989). This has also come about from the way the company has sustained its organizational culture basing on the opportunity to enjoy a really good chicken sandwich, or lemonade. Lastly, it is notable that all Chick-fil-A locations are closed on Sundays, Christmas, and Thanksgiving days. This results from Cathy’s strong religious beliefs which have also impacted on the company’s operational scheme (Michelle & Darren 2011). The Cathy family is comprised of strong Christians, but no religious icons embellish their restaurant’s wall. No Christian tracts are given out with waffle fries, and while the employees walk past their tables, no one encourages them to say grace for their meals. In an interview carried out with ABC News’s night line, Cathy told reporter Mabrey that the restaurant also closes on Sundays because his father opened the first restaurant on a Tuesday and Sunday was not a trendy trading day at that time. Chick-fil-A has also promoted religion through compact discs and toys which are included in children’s meals. The joint was and still upholds its strict ethical rules and values. Though each food joint is separate from each other, they share a cultural bond. The company is anti-gay. However, viral stories are on the rise at a breathtaking speed. Most people claim that the company hires its workers discriminatorily and supports the gay community (Cathy, 1989). All these accusations have been put in the contrary as false. The charitable Win Shape which is an organization funded largely by the joint gave more than $2 million to anti-gay groups and led the Northeastern University on February 28, 2012 to cancel plans set up an on-campus restaurant. Crowther claims that the business tried to sterilize itself through the university, and they are still trying to bring a homophobic business onto campus and publicize its beliefs. Cathy claims that when looking at the famous fast food chains, it proves difficult to note who is outdoing who in ethics. This enterprise might raise the ethical issues regarding treatment of animals, concerns about food quality, and carbon emissions (Michelle & Darren, 2011). The values of Christianity are still upheld by the company and have proven successful in numerous fields. Values like humility, willingness to serve a healthy generation, and compassion are chief in such a company’s success. In conclusion, the company has reported double-digit sales despite the economic recession during the past four years. According to Cathy, the food joint’s business strategy is aimed at maximizing end profits with a desire to glorify God by acting like obedient stewards in the society. Moreover, describing the policies of the company in terms of the Christian faith in the family sounds like savvy business (Cathy, 2002). This incorporation of Christian values and a sound business mind has undoubtedly facilitated the company’s growth despite the background that Cathy originated. This should pose a challenge to all other businesses related to food to uphold such morals for a success in their businesses. References Cathy, T. (1989). It’s easier to succeed than to fail. Atlanta: Thomas Nelson Inc. Cathy, T. (2002). Eat mor chikin: Inspire more people. Atlanta: Looking Glass Books Publishers. Michelle, M., & Darren, D. (2011). Sunbelt rising: The politics of place, space and region. 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