Photos via: Chik-Fil-A
When Ashley Derby first started working for Chick-fil-A, she was just a 15-year-old team member trying to earn money to buy her first car. Little did she know, her first position with the company would turn into a trailblazing career path.
Derby, who grew up in Marietta, Georgia, continued to work for Chick-Fil-A while attending Spelman College in Atlanta. She began her college career as a theater major, but later changed to economics when her restaurant operator suggested she pursue a leadership role within the company – and from there, the rest was history, literally.
At the age of 26, Derby became Chick-fil-A’s youngest African American female franchise owner. With three years of Chick-fil-A management and development training under her belt, Derby went on to own and operate a Chick-fil-A near the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and was awarded the company’s Symbol of Success, an honor that recognizes high sales growth.
Now, six years after making history in 2011, it has been announced that Derby will be opening the company’s first location in downtown Los Angeles.
One of Derby’s main goals as a franchise owner is to encourage her team to never give up on their dreams.
“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.”
Congratulations, Ashley! We wish even more success at your new location.