Skift Take
While we may differ with Chick-fil-A's owners on politics, as owners of our own self-funded business we understand why you don't want entitled clowns messing with your legacy. Running a restaurant business is tough, and entitled government officials and their families only make it tougher.
For the last two days the extra-curricular activities of the staff of the Environmental Protection Agency's Secretary Scott Pruitt have touched on the specialties of Skift.
On Monday it was Pruitt's use of taxpayer-funded staff to search for a used Trump Hotel mattress (professional tip: Don't). Yesterday it was his use of taxpayer-funded staff in pursuit of a Chick-fil-A franchise for his spouse, because, according to the Washington Post, "he was eager for his wife to start earning a salary."
Why would anyone risk their Cabinet-level government position to get their spouse a franchise of any kind? Especially one for which, based on what we understand of Chick-fil-A and how it operates, the Pruitt family seems totally unsuitable for?
To better understand what it's like to be a franchisee, we reviewed Chick-fil-A's 267-page Franchise Disclosure Agreement.
Here are a few takeaways.
First note: It's pretty competitive. According to Business Insider, less than one half of one percent of franchise applicants are accepted each year. The Atlanta-based chicken sandwich specialist wants franchisees who are hands-on, community centered, and f
