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From International Business to Local Ownership
June 23, 2025
Cincinnati Owner-Operator leads with care for team, community
Garth Truter grew up in a coastal town in South Africa with his parents and five siblings. While pursuing business and legal degrees in college, he became involved with a campus ministry, which took him and several friends to a week-long conference.
There he met his future wife, Erin, originally from Ohio and spending a year in the country as a missionary. The two dated long distance for years before eventually marrying in 2001, when Erin relocated to South Africa.
Garth learned as much as he could about sales, marketing and distribution, working for companies like Coca-Cola and its bottling partner. With a toddler, the couple decided to move back to the States in 2007.
A desire to be an entrepreneur
In Washington Township, Ohio, just outside of Dayton, Garth made his first visit to a Chick-fil-A® restaurant.
It started a journey of going more and more, even as the couple moved to Mooresville, North Carolina and found Chick-fil-A Mooresville.
“I always had this desire to do my own thing,” Garth said, who was also inspired by his dad’s successful career working for himself in construction. “And if you’re going to do your own thing, why not join someone who’s really successful at doing it?”
Impressed by Chick-fil-A’s business model, he decided to express interest in becoming a local
Owner-Operator.
After he was told “no” the first time, he was encouraged by his sister to apply for a second time. He formed a relationship with Chick-fil-A Mooresville Owner-Operator Darin Wiggins, who sponsored meals for a nonprofit Garth was involved in.
“I asked Darin if I could work for him,” Garth said. He spent 120 hours working in different parts of the restaurant learning as much as he could. In November 2016, he was selected to be an Owner-Operator following his final interview at Chick-fil-A’s Support Center in Atlanta.
His sister who still lived in Johannesburg was in the States on business, splitting time between Indianapolis and Atlanta. Hours after his selection, Garth and Erin saw his sister in the Atlanta airport and delivered the exciting news – near a Chick-fil-A.
Cincinnati Owner-Operator leads with care for team, community
Garth Truter grew up in a coastal town in South Africa with his parents and five siblings. While pursuing business and legal degrees in college, he became involved with a campus ministry, which took him and several friends to a week-long conference.
There he met his future wife, Erin, originally from Ohio and spending a year in the country as a missionary. The two dated long distance for years before eventually marrying in 2001, when Erin relocated to South Africa.
Garth learned as much as he could about sales, marketing and distribution, working for companies like Coca-Cola and its bottling partner. With a toddler, the couple decided to move back to the States in 2007.
A desire to be an entrepreneur
In Washington Township, Ohio, just outside of Dayton, Garth made his first visit to a Chick-fil-A® restaurant.
It started a journey of going more and more, even as the couple moved to Mooresville, North Carolina and found Chick-fil-A Mooresville.
“I always had this desire to do my own thing,” Garth said, who was also inspired by his dad’s successful career working for himself in construction. “And if you’re going to do your own thing, why not join someone who’s really successful at doing it?”
Impressed by Chick-fil-A’s business model, he decided to express interest in becoming a local
Owner-Operator.
After he was told “no” the first time, he was encouraged by his sister to apply for a second time. He formed a relationship with Chick-fil-A Mooresville Owner-Operator Darin Wiggins, who sponsored meals for a nonprofit Garth was involved in.
“I asked Darin if I could work for him,” Garth said. He spent 120 hours working in different parts of the restaurant learning as much as he could. In November 2016, he was selected to be an Owner-Operator following his final interview at Chick-fil-A’s Support Center in Atlanta.
His sister who still lived in Johannesburg was in the States on business, splitting time between Indianapolis and Atlanta. Hours after his selection, Garth and Erin saw his sister in the Atlanta airport and delivered the exciting news – near a Chick-fil-A.
Meeting his team in practical, tangible ways
Garth took over Chick-fil-A Kenwood Towne Center in a popular Cincinnati-area mall in 2017. Most of his restaurant leaders have been with him since.
“We’ve chosen to lean into some things with caring for people, caring for their future and caring for their development,” Garth said.
Participating in Chick-fil-A Remarkable Futures™ Education, an optional program that helps equip Owner-Operators to design their own education assistance offering for their Team Members’ unique needs, was one of those ways. Garth works with InStride, an education benefit partner, to help offer support to his Team Members, including upfront tuition coverage toward thousands of programs and courses.
“We try to have unique solutions to meet people where they’re at. People have different needs, desires and motivations,” Garth said. “Some want money for school, others want a wage rate. We meet them where they are.”
Chick-fil-A also has a Remarkable Futures™ Scholarship program, which has awarded more than $215 million in scholarships to Restaurant Team Members since 1973.
In 2024, Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew T. Cathy surprised Chick-fil-A Kenwood Towne Centre Team Member Yazmeen George with a $25,000 scholarship. Garth coordinated a local high school marching band to attend the surprise, in addition to dozens of Yazmeen’s family members and friends.
Meeting his team in practical, tangible ways
Garth took over Chick-fil-A Kenwood Towne Center in a popular Cincinnati-area mall in 2017. Most of his restaurant leaders have been with him since.
“We’ve chosen to lean into some things with caring for people, caring for their future and caring for their development,” Garth said.
Participating in Chick-fil-A Remarkable Futures™ Education, an optional program that helps equip Owner-Operators to design their own education assistance offering for their Team Members’ unique needs, was one of those ways. Garth works with InStride, an education benefit partner, to help offer support to his Team Members, including upfront tuition coverage toward thousands of programs and courses.
“We try to have unique solutions to meet people where they’re at. People have different needs, desires and motivations,” Garth said. “Some want money for school, others want a wage rate. We meet them where they are.”
Chick-fil-A also has a Remarkable Futures™ Scholarship program, which has awarded more than $215 million in scholarships to Restaurant Team Members since 1973.
In 2024, Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew T. Cathy surprised Chick-fil-A Kenwood Towne Centre Team Member Yazmeen George with a $25,000 scholarship. Garth coordinated a local high school marching band to attend the surprise, in addition to dozens of Yazmeen’s family members and friends.
That year, $42,000 in scholarships were awarded to Garth’s Team Members.
Caring for the Cincinnati community
Garth’s care extends to his community, too. In 2025, he was honored as a “Caring for Communities” Operator Champion during Chick-fil-A’s annual Celebration of Impact Awards.
Through Chick-fil-A Shared Table® he donates surplus food to City Gospel Mission, supporting the nonprofit’s mission of reducing hunger and homelessness. The nonprofit’s chef, Eric, uses ingredients to make dishes like chicken pot pie, chicken à la king and pineapple chicken.
“That’s my passion, to really give back to those who are in need. And when I talked to Garth about the food insecurities, he kind of ignited me all over again about what we were doing here,” Chef Eric said.
Garth also partners with a local school district to offer Chick-fil-A Leader Academy™, a national high school leadership program focused on impact through action.
