In the aftermath of the tragic mass shooting in Last Vegas, Nevada, Church’s Chicken found its company values put to the test. For a brand that has always believed in Celebrating Differences, Stepping Up, Working Together, Showing We Care, and Doing the Right Thing, the events of October 1 became a chance for one of the world’s largest fried chicken brands to lead by example—through the generosity and compassion of one of its franchisees, Tony Lufti.
A Las Vegas resident himself, Lufti hand delivered over 200 meals to University Medical Center and more than 100 meals to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in the hopes of providing some comfort and support to those impacted by the incident. His actions did not go unnoticed by Church’s Chicken or its executive leadership.
“When someone like Tony does something so selfless for his fellow neighbors and visitors, that’s the kind of spirit we can’t help but admire,” says Joe Christina, Chief Executive Officer for the brand. “No one asked this of Tony, and no one expected it—he just knew that it needed to be done. It’s a flawless example of walking the walk behind our most important company values.”
Lufti owns five Church’s Chicken restaurants in the Las Vegas area and 120 total restaurants nationwide. He said that in making the donation, he wanted to remind people that the act of coming together in unity will always be more powerful than those who seek to divide. “Being there for each other means letting people know they’re not alone,” he explained. “During difficult times that communities are suffering, we all need to step up for each other. That’s a company motto at Church’s but it’s also one of the best ways we can make a difference in our communities. I’m very proud of the managers and employees that stepped up to make the delivery of approximately 400 meals possible.”
In a letter to the entire Church’s Chicken system, Christina echoed Lufti’s sentiment, doubling down on the brand’s 65-year-long commitment to building communities one guest and one experience at a time.
“While many of us are still struggling to wrap our minds around this tragedy, some members of team Church’s sprung quickly into action to show we care,” read the statement. “Franchisee, Tony Lufti, and his team did the right thing last week, and have proven that we can counter even the most unimaginable acts by focusing our efforts on acts of kindness.”
