Get the Edge - Click here to view an archive of investment education, daily musings, book recommendations and more.
_________________
Less is more: Chick-fil-A (Link)
Founded in 1967 by entrepreneur Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A’s signature item has been its breaded chicken-breast sandwich and its relatively simple menu is what makes it stand out. Five decades later, the closely held company this year is poised to become the third-biggest U.S. restaurant chain by sales. Sales from Chick-fil-A’s restaurants have tripled over the past decade, reaching $10.2 billion in 2018.
What’s their secret? It's their slow and steady, quality over quantity approach. This combined with their focus on ensuring all customers, employees, and restaurant operators are treated with care and respect. Among U.S. restaurants that serve chicken, Chick-fil-A’s market share rose to 33% last year from 18% in 2009, while the market share of Yum Brands Inc.’s KFC chain fell to 15% from 29% in that time.
Since, 2015, Chick-fil-A has been the top-rated fast-food restaurant on the American Customer Satisfaction Index. This is in large part due to their restaurant operators who help assure consistent food quality and service. The average McDonald’s franchisee owns half a dozen stores while most of Chick-fil-A franchisees own one.
America's favorite supermarket: Wegmans (Link)
Wegmans Food Markets is a Rochester-based regional grocery chain with just over 90 stores and reported $8.3 billion in sales. Founded in 1916, this family-owned company is under the leadership of the 3rd and 4th generations of the Wegman family. The spirit of family extends to its customers, employees and into the community. It's not surprising that it's the most beloved supermarket in the US. According to the Harris Reputation Ranking survey, Wegman’s has the best corporate reputation among visible US businesses. In 2019 Wegmans beat out # 2 ranked Amazon.
Founded in 1967 by entrepreneur Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A’s signature item has been its breaded chicken-breast sandwich and its relatively simple menu is what makes it stand out. Five decades later, the closely held company this year is poised to become the third-biggest U.S. restaurant chain by sales. Sales from Chick-fil-A’s restaurants have tripled over the past decade, reaching $10.2 billion in 2018.
What’s their secret? It's their slow and steady, quality over quantity approach. This combined with their focus on ensuring all customers, employees, and restaurant operators are treated with care and respect. Among U.S. restaurants that serve chicken, Chick-fil-A’s market share rose to 33% last year from 18% in 2009, while the market share of Yum Brands Inc.’s KFC chain fell to 15% from 29% in that time.
Since, 2015, Chick-fil-A has been the top-rated fast-food restaurant on the American Customer Satisfaction Index. This is in large part due to their restaurant operators who help assure consistent food quality and service. The average McDonald’s franchisee owns half a dozen stores while most of Chick-fil-A franchisees own one.
America's favorite supermarket: Wegmans (Link)
Wegmans Food Markets is a Rochester-based regional grocery chain with just over 90 stores and reported $8.3 billion in sales. Founded in 1916, this family-owned company is under the leadership of the 3rd and 4th generations of the Wegman family. The spirit of family extends to its customers, employees and into the community. It's not surprising that it's the most beloved supermarket in the US. According to the Harris Reputation Ranking survey, Wegman’s has the best corporate reputation among visible US businesses. In 2019 Wegmans beat out # 2 ranked Amazon.
There are many things that Wegmans does well but
most of all they believe in putting employees first. They believe that in order to be a great
place to shop, they must first be a great place to work.