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EMPOWER ATLANTA MAGAZINE
Melissa Winkfield’s Journey from a Chick-Fil-A Team Member to Owner/Operator: 20 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP AND GIVING BACK
By Jada Alexis
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n this inspiring interview, an accomplished Chick-fil-A operator takes us through her incredible journey, from starting as a parttime team member to becoming an owneroperator. She shares valuable insight into leadership, teamwork, and the vital qualities required to succeed as a Chick-fil-A operator. Furthermore, she discusses the network and resources available to Chick-fil-A operators, the impact of her role on her personal and professional life, and her aspirations for the future. Could you share your personal journey from starting as a part-time team member to becoming an owner-operator at the Chick-fil-A Camp Creek Parkway, Atlanta location? Yes, I sure can. I started many years ago. Lost count, but I started as a team member learning how to cook food, preparing Chickfil-A sandwiches and nuggets. While I was working part-time from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., I was also managing another fast-food restaurant. Within two years, I decided to stay with that operator full-time. I spent eight years with him, and I became his general manager. One of our business consultants asked me if I was interested in becoming an owner. And I was like, yes, considering I’m going to be here for the rest of my life because I love what Chick-fil-A is about and who we are. So, I told him, yes. After that, I went to school and got my bachelor’s degree. A month before I graduated, they asked me to go and work an interim position at Greenbrier Mall Chick-
fil-A. I spent two years there. However, I think it was six months into being an interim that they offered me Greenbrier Mall Chick-fil-A, and I ended up spending two years there. Then, this location became available, I was selected, and it’s been 20 years since. What are some of the benefits of being an operator? Can I say Sundays off? (laughs) First and foremost, for me, it’s the partnership. The partnership between the franchisees and Chick-fil-A Inc. provides the support you need to assist with becoming successful. As entrepreneurs, we are in business for ourselves. With Chick-fil-A, you’re not by yourself. So, I’m in business for myself, but I’m not by myself. I have tons of support from the corporate office with the resources provided for us. I also have an operator community, and I wouldn’t have that anywhere else where I can call up anyone, any operator, or someone who has been through what I’ve gone through, someone who has done things better than what I’m doing to where that I can learn from. That’s more of a personal benefit. The professional benefit is that it gives me the ability to balance my life. To have a quality life outside of Chick-fil-A. I have a husband and three kids. I can be there when they need me to be there, even when they don’t. Also, I have been able to manage my time better so that I can live my life the way I want to. So, it’s a great balance of my work and family life.
Can you describe the supportive network and resources available to operators? At Chick-fil-A, we have what we call business consultants to where they come in, and they support you with your needs. You can request business assessments, where they can do a deep dive with you on your business numbers, where you’re thriving, and areas of opportunity. That’s a general assessment. But we also have what we call individual consultants, such as in marketing. For example, if I need assistance with brand awareness within the community and have tried everything and nothing has worked, I can ask them why I am missing the mark in this area. I can ask, can you come and show me what my opportunities are? How can I be better so that I can teach my team how to perform better? If I’m leaving money on the table, not making the money that I would want to make, and not meeting my goals, we have a financial consultant who will come out and provide us with needed resources to assist with overcoming financial obstacles and challenges. Also, as an operator, we don’t have to worry about the process of creating new products. We can come up with an idea and present it to Chick-fil-A, but Chick-fil-A has tons of people who are constantly coming up with new ideas. They market and test it for us. They also provide and select vendors that are vetted to make sure we have everything we need. Can you discuss the role of leadership, teamwork, and maintaining day-to-day operations at your Chick-fil-A Camp Creek, Atlanta location? That is where I spend probably 80% of my time, with my leadership, setting the vision for the store and helping coach them to execute. But most important is effective communication on a daily basis. They have to be able to communicate with me and with one another. They need to be able to know the systems that are in place within the store. They need to be able to talk with each other to tell each other the systems because every day is not the same thing. A prime example is everything that has been happening this morning. I’ve had
