What will the cows think?

Truett Cathy, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Chick-fil-A, is opening a pizza place.

Cathy, 87, has made his name selling chicken sandwiches, backed by a popular set of advertisements that feature cows urging people to "Eat Mor Chikin."

But in an interview Friday, Cathy said he was looking forward to opening a new venture called Upscale Pizza.

The restaurant, located on Highway 314 in Fayetteville, will have its grand opening Thursday. It's taking the space of a vacated McAlister's Deli.

"Any sensible person would say 'Why get involved with this? You've got your lap full as it is,'" said Cathy, who's privately owned Chick-fil-A chain now has almost 1,400 outlets. "But it's more of a challenge for me."

He said he wanted to try something new.

"I'm afraid to slow down," said Cathy, in between tasting some trial slices of the pizza from his new restaurant. "I'm afraid if I do, that I'll quit. I don't want to quit."

Chick-fil-A will continue to be his primary focus. Cathy isn't ready to relinquish his role as Chick-fil-A CEO.

"Why would I?" Cathy asked. "I'm only 87."

He also has no plans to turn Upscale Pizza into a chain. He said his goal was to create an affordable family restaurant for the local community.

Cathy has many ties to the southside. He opened his first restaurant, the Dwarf Grill, in Hapeville in 1946 and Chick-fil-A headquarters is on the southern outskirts of Atlanta.

Upscale Pizza will not carry Chick-fil-A sandwiches. It will feature pizza, hot dogs, soups, sandwiches, salads and shakes.

The hot dog has been under-appreciated by the restaurant industry, Cathy said. He fondly remembers eating hot dogs, not hamburgers, as a child and has always liked the Varsity's hot dogs.

"We've dwelled on hamburgers all this time," he said, lamenting the lack of attention to hot dogs.

The restaurant will have a self-serve section and a section where customers can be waited on.

Like Chick-fil-A, Upscale will be closed on Sundays and will not serve alcohol. The staff also will be instilled with the same attention to customer service, Cathy said.

"Courtesy is very cheap, but it pays great dividends," he said, repeating one of his basic tenets for business.

Success, though, is not guaranteed, Cathy said. Two years ago, he closed a higher-end restaurant, Marko's, in Port Orange, Fla. It was hard to compete in that category and stick to his rule of not serving alcohol, he said.

"People came into eat," said Cathy, who gave the restaurant five-and-a-half years. "The first thing they ordered was a beer. We had to tell them we didn't serve alcohol. It hurts you when they get up and leave, but you can't talk them out of it."

Upscale Pizza should have a better chance because it's aimed at families, Cathy said.

Pedal cars, scooters and a model motorcycle hang from brightly colored walls of red, yellow and blue.

Model cars are in cases throughout the restaurant. The decor reflects the personality of Cathy, an avid car collector.

"We like to 'wow' people when they come in," he said.

Upscale Pizza represents a new chapter in his life, Cathy said. He doubts he'll launch another restaurant concept after this one.

"I think this is it," Cathy said. "This is my tribute for years to come. I hope to make it right."