Chick Fil A (Berry Farms)

It’s the fast-food restaurant known for chicken sandwiches and so much more. Chick-fil-A has a longstanding reputation for making everyone feel welcome.

"Of course, we have great food, but more than that, we have a great heart," says Jeanne Hammontree, who operates a Chick-fil-A franchise in Berry Farms and South Franklin. "We love our customers, and we love our employees. We want the business to be more about people than chicken. And that starts from the top on down. Our corporate support is amazing. At Chick-fil-A, we are a family."

She and her husband, Richard, became franchise owners twenty-three years ago and have enjoyed every minute of it. 

Founder S. Truett Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta in 1967. A man of strong faith, he followed biblical principles to guide him as the business grew. Nearly six decades later, Chick-fil-A restaurants remain closed on Sunday to allow employees to spend time with their families or worship, should they choose to do so.

Hammontree says someone approached her with the idea of buying a Chick-fil-A franchise. 

"I'm from Calhoun, Georgia, and I worked in a Christian school. And the people who owned the local Chick-fil-A had a child in our class. They were so insistent, saying you and your husband should do this; you’re the perfect couple.”

They submitted an application, then happened to run into the founder’s son.

"We were at a local event and met Dan Cathy, who was CEO at Chick-fil-A at the time. And he put in a recommendation saying y'all need to look at them, they're great people. So, Dan Cathy was instrumental in getting us into the company." 

But even with a nod from the CEO, getting approval to buy a franchise wasn’t easy. The company sets the bar pretty high when approving new franchise owners.

"My interview process took four years," Hammontree says with a laugh. "But you don't give up if you really want a Chick-fil-A. You keep doing what you're doing, but you keep interviewing."

Once you become an owner, Chick-fil-A sets the tone early on about what's expected in every one of its restaurants. 

“When we go through training, the first thing we learn is winning hearts. We don’t learn how to cook chicken first, we learn how to win hearts, and have a great hospitality atmosphere.”

Making sure every customer feels welcome is a top priority. It’s the first thing Chick-fil-A teaches its frontline employees.

“We don’t come in and start teaching you how to use a register, we teach you how to make eye contact, how to talk to customers, how to speak enthusiastically to people.”

While corporate sets the guidelines for the way each restaurant operates, each franchise owner has the freedom to add his or her own personal touch.

“They set the standards for the way we make chicken and other things, but we’re individual operators, so we can do a lot of things the way we want to do them,” Hammontree says. “So, we’ll decorate the way we want to. And we try to make our atmosphere fun, so you’ll see me in the drive-thru dancing in a chicken or cow costume. Or like on April 15th, I ordered a dollar bill outfit and danced in the drive-thru saying you better pay your taxes or they’re going to get you.”

Every day is a new opportunity to make people feel special, whether it's a customer or employee.

“We want everyone to feel welcome. We want it to be a great place to eat, work, and play. If it’s a great place for you to come eat, that’s wonderful. But we also want the work to be amazing. 

The Hammontrees operate the Chick-fil-A franchise in Berry Farms, as well as the one in Franklin at 2016 Columbia Avenue. You’ll see Jeanne and Richard moving back and forth between both restaurants