Why are restaurants closed on Sundays

The biggest Chick-fil-A fans know very well that on Sundays their favorite restaurant is not open for business! The chain is most famously known for its doors staying closed on Sundays. Many would say that they would get so much more business by opening on Sundays like other chains, but there’s actually a method to the madness.

Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy has explained the reason why Chick-fil-A remains closed on Sundays. “Closing our business on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is our way of honoring God and showing our loyalty to Him.”

Chick-fil-A storefront / Wikimedia Commons

“My brother Ben and I closed our first restaurant on the first Sunday after we opened in 1946, and my children have committed to closing our restaurants on Sundays long after I’m gone. I believe God honors our decision and sets before us unexpected opportunities to do greater work for Him because of our loyalty,” Cathy continues in his book Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People.

While the original reason for no Sundays is behind religious inspiration, experts say it’s a great business decision. Kalinowski Equity Research founder Mark Kalinowski spoke to Business Insider about why this strategy is so successful for business.

People eating at Chick-fil-A / Amanda Lucier for The Virginian-Pilot

Boost in sales instead of loss

“Initially people might think, well, they’re going to do less sales because they closed one day every week,” says Kalinowski, “But, there are a lot of benefits to being closed on Sundays.”

Having at least one day off at the end of the week/weekend helps employees know when their day off is going to be. It also helps them to rejuvenate and be able to do their job at a high-quality pace. This also drives customers to visit the chain when it’s actually open since they know on Sundays, it won’t be.

People waiting in line for Chick-fil-A / Kevin Wexler/NorthJersey.com

It provides a sense of urgency – you better get to that restaurant today, because they’re going to be closed on Sunday,” he explains on the business strategy. “I don’t think the company designed it that way at all. But it’s a call to action every single week.” John Hamburger, the president of Franchise Times has also said that this strategy is more of a sales-booster than losing out on Sunday sales.

“Being open six days a week provides benefits to both the operators and the customers,… The owner-operator gets the time off. Closed on Sunday conveys a sense of caring and community to the customers.”

Chick-fil-A closed on Sunday sign / James R. Martin / Shutterstock

Chick-fil-A is an undeniable fan-favorite… why not take a look at this piece and find out which one is the worst? What are your guesses?

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MF EXPLAINS IT ALL

Aug 3, 2021

Lots of restaurants are closed on Mondays, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. / amstockphoto/iStock via Getty Images

For many people, the weekend signals a time to take a break from cooking and get something to eat at a nice restaurant. You get free refills, you don’t have to get up, and you don’t need to do any dishes.

But if you’re one of those people who want to start your week off with a visit to the service industry, you’re often out of luck. A lot of independently owned restaurants greet potential customers with a “Closed” sign on Mondays. This was true even before the COVID-19 pandemic rearranged business practices. Why would a restaurant shutter their doors?

Simply put, opening on Monday doesn’t make a lot of financial sense.

In the restaurant business, Monday has traditionally been the slowest day of the week. While no one’s done an extensive survey, the reason is likely attributable to people indulging themselves from Thursday through Sunday and using the weekend as a cut-off point for the kind of rich foods and expensive wine that a trip to a nice restaurant (or delivery) brings.

It wasn’t always this way. Depending on the era or region, a restaurant would—and still might—stay open on Mondays to make a small profit margin as well as avoid any talk of doing poorly. Other restaurants might try to strategize and run events like art exhibitions or bring-your-own-wine specials to boost business.

While there are ways to nudge toward profitability on Mondays, it’s not the only reason restaurateurs close up shop. Most locally-owned establishments have a small staff, so remaining closed on a slow day allows everyone a chance to decompress. It also saves costs in owners hiring more part-time staff to cover more time spent open.

Chain restaurants, which have a larger staff, don’t need to worry about that kind of thing and are usually open seven days a week. These businesses are also often dependent on shareholders that demand maximized profitability. Small business owners don't typically have that worry.

There may be some inadvertent benefit for the customer for eateries to close at the beginning of the week. Many restaurants may not get fresh food deliveries on weekends, meaning items served on a Monday could have been made from ingredients carried over from the previous Friday. The late chef Anthony Bourdain famously implored people not to order fish on Mondays, as it stood a greater chance of being leftover from the previous week, though he later walked it back, saying the restaurant business had evolved since he first delivered the advice in 1999.

But there’s additional cause to skip Mondays even if your favorite place is open. Some restaurants may use the slowest day of the week to break in new managers, waitstaff, or chefs. Customers may not necessarily be getting a restaurant’s best service when occupied tables are few and far between.

In the end, having a well-respected and admired restaurant gives owners some leeway. Granted, a customer might be annoyed to find a locked door on Monday. But if the food is good, they’ll probably be back on Tuesday.