Ecclesiastes 3:1 says: “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven”
It was almost two years ago that JUST TRUETT began. A simple idea. An idea that, two years later, I would have never believed would have reached so far and impacted so many. But that was my purpose for it. I wanted something simple, yet tangible. Something that would cause the 16 year-old new hire to ask, “What does ‘JUST TRUETT’ mean?” And in that moment, you have the opportunity to share the life and legacy of a man who not only mastered the chicken sandwich, but someone who also impacted lives. Thousands and thousands of lives.
When he passed in the fall of 2014, everyone knew who he was. Then, as time went on, I began to walk into stores and ask random employees about Truett Cathy. Sadly, many of the younger ones would respond that they didn’t know who he was – though his likeness in the form of a cardboard cutout was standing over near the playground. It was then that I really saw the importance of the JUST TRUETT t-shirt. A simple, yet perfect way to explain who he was and how he served. To the young new hire, “Do you know what you do when a guest comes back into your restaurant incredibly upset because you forgot to place a straw in their bag at the drive-thru window? You ‘JUST TRUETT’! You do what Truett would have done. You treat them and serve them how Truett would have treated them and served them.” And right there, that opens up the conversation of who Truett was, and you not only teach them the correct response in handling a tough situation, but you also get the opportunity to tell his story at the same time.
Right from the beginning, I wanted to do things the right way. I asked Dan Cathy for permission to use his dad’s name on the t-shirt, even though ‘Truett’ is a first name used by many throughout the years. I also did not add the CFA logo, the Cathy name, or CFA font. Why? Because I wanted it to be a simple shirt that only those “inside” CFA would understand the meaning. A shirt where it was “understood” that it was associated with CFA without being technically a CFA shirt.
It took off immediately. Operators and staff across the country were catching my vision. From Dan Cathy, to Mark Cathy, corporate staff, operators, team members, and even raving fans and NFL players – they loved and appreciated the mission and mindset behind the shirt. Operators were messaging me with stories of how they used the shirt to teach classes on leadership. Friends had me ship the shirt to England to wear during the overseas pop-up events. And during the floods in Houston, shirts were shipped down to a local store to use while serving the community. It was making an impact and it was serving the purpose for which I had prayed it would serve.
To this day, as promised to Dan Cathy, I never made a dime off the t-shirts in profit. If anything, I took a loss and it was worth it to me. I loved this! It was a fun mission and it served its purpose well.
Today, I was asked by the family, through the CFA legal team, to discontinue the shirts. They expressed their gratitude and the efforts made to continue Truett’s legacy, and even though the shirt is technically not a CFA shirt, they need to be careful with their name and I completely understand that.
So as of today, I will be shutting down the Just Truett facebook page, the instagram page, and discontinuing production of the shirts. Those who have the shirts, please continue to tell the story – it must still continue to be told.
To all of who who have used these shirts to create a REMARKable experience for your team and your guests, and to all of you who have made a positive impact on those you have been in contact with because of the shirt, I thank you. Thank you for getting behind me, knowing my motives and heart were pure in this effort and for supporting JUST TRUETT throughout the past two years. I am forever grateful.
I humbly and respectfully bow out, knowing that I love the Cathy family, the brand, and the raving fans. And you never know. Maybe I’ll be adding to his legacy by owning and operating my own CFA restaurant one day. Only the Lord knows. To Him be all the honor and glory. Amen.
HOUSE OF PRAIN 