Ashley Lamothe, a Spelman graduate, made history in 2011 when she became the youngest African-American female franchise owner in the history of Chick-fil-A at 26 years old. Lamothe is an Atlanta native who started working at Chick-fil-A as a teenager to save money for a car. She stuck with the company through her undergrad years at Spelman. Because of her boss’ advice, Derby switched her major to focus on economics and applied for leadership roles at the restaurant.
Lamothe says her passion is to help her team grow. “I want to help them get to where they want to go, whether it’s a career with Chick-fil-A, or studying law or medicine, or anything. I want to help them make that next step, just like so many have done for me,” says Lamothe.
Lamothe's hard work is paying off. Most recently, she was awarded the company’s Symbol of Success, an honor reserved for Chick-fil-A Operators whose businesses experience particularly high sales growth. “It’s humbling to be honored. But I feel like I’m just getting started,” says Lamothe. The company announced that Lamothe is the owner of the downtown Los Angeles location. #BlackHistory
