Photo via: Chik-Fil-A
Do you remember Ashley Lamothe? She’s Chick-fil-A’s youngest Black woman franchise owner who opened the company’s first downtown Los Angeles location. Well today marks the official grand opening of her newest addition to her chain of stores in the downtown Los Angeles area.
A native of Marietta, GA, Lamothe’s relationship with Chick-Fil-A began at the age of 15 when she served as a team member. What originally started as a way for her to make some extra money turned into a significant opportunity for her to create a long-term career path for herself. Once she became a student at nearby Spelman College in Atlanta, she continued to work part-time at Chick-Fil-A and eventually became a director on the leadership team. After a pivotal suggestion from one of her supervisors, she changed her major from theatre to economics and set out to one day own and manage her own restaurant. In 2011 at the age of 26, Lamothe became Chick-fil-A’s youngest Black woman Franchise owner.
After graduating from Spelman and then completing Chick-Fil-A’s management and development programs, Lamothe became the owner of her first restaurant located near the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Today, she will open her second restaurant at the corner of Figueroa and 7th in downtown Los Angeles.
This location will be the first of its kind in that area. “I cannot wait to become a part of this growing neighborhood, and I look forward to welcoming our guests with hand-crafted food and hospitality,” shared Lamothe in a press release. This sizeable new location will employ about 80 part-time and full-time employees and host seating for about 80 patrons.
What an inspiration to young black entrepreneurs around the world! Congratulations, Ashley! We’re rooting for your continued success!