Infusing Fast Food with Gospel, Why Not?

I believe some of you have seen the writing of “John 3:16” on the Forever21 yellow bag or “Rev 3:20” on the In-N-Out burger wrapper. These are a few examples of how certain large business organizations display their foundation on biblical and Christian values. As a group of young students and professionals, some of us aspire to own / start a new business venture on our own. These are great dreams to pursue, however, money and profits are not the only goals in a business. As follower of Jesus, we need to learn to marry our business goals with mission to spread the Gospel. The following are a couple of examples of successful Christian-based companies that we all should take learning from:

It’s hard not to love In-N-Out Burger! Their tasty offering of freshly served burgers and fries has made many fans to crave over them – including those outside California. This family-owned business are famous for their boldness in declaring their Christian faith. Most of their food packaging contains bible scriptures (i.e soda cup bears the writing of John 3:16). Not only did they reach out to their customers, the In-N-Out management is also known for great employment benefits for their employees. In-N-Out is one of the only fast-food chains who provide above minimum wage, medical insurance benefits, as well as paid vacations.Their excellent execution at both food quality as well as employee appreciation exemplify their pursue of serving other under Christian value and it has taken them them to become one of the most successful fast-food business who runs very well for many years.

Some of us in California might not have heard about Chick-Fil-A and their famous chicken nugget or chicken sandwich. Chick-Fil-A is famous for their consistency in using real chicken meat in their products. The company is also listed to have one of the best customer services by BusinessWeek because the company promotes the family value. The restaurants are also famous for its tradition to close on Sundays to provide opportunity for their employee a day of worship. Both the executive and owner of Chick-Fil-A believes that the business existed to glorify God. They personally treat their employee like family, for example inviting a new store manager to their residence for a dinner. The owner, Mr&Mrs Cathy, is also a devoted Christian and has an active involvement in local and international mission. Chick-Fil-A also becomes a financial sponsor for two Christian-based foundation, WinShape and LifeShape. Both of these foundation provide helps and trainings for young leaders and they have been equipping many young teenagers with solid foundation in  Christianity.

As we can see, many of these Christian-based business shows an excellent example that a business can thrive even with practicing Christian values. Not only do they generate profits for the company itself, they also serve their customer, employees, and communities with Godly business principles. These show that secular business and Gospel can go hand in hand to create more impact and spread the good news to many people. If we believe God is the owner of everything, He himself can turn anything, including business, to His glory.