GoKawiilChick-fil-A CEO Cites 'Healthy Dose of Fear' Amid Rising Chicken-Chain Competition
Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy told Restaurant Business he welcomes growing competition in the chicken segment, including McDonald's new push to gain 1.5 points of chicken market share by 2030 as part of an $8.5 billion modernization plan. Technomic data cited in the report shows chicken chains grew 5.3% in sales in 2025, outpacing the broader restaurant industry's 3% growth and burger chains' 1.5%. Cathy said his focus remains on order accuracy, food quality and hospitality, and that Chick-fil-A has no plans to replace human order takers with AI.