Father and daughter Owner-Operator duo Olivia and Glen Efford reflect on their Chick-fil-A journeys
Olivia Efford and her father Glen Efford have always had a special bond – from dance recitals and family vacations to Olivia shadowing her dad’s first Chick-fil-A® restaurant as a teenager. The two recently reflected on their individual, yet intertwined journeys to become Chick-fil-A local Owner-Operators.
Meet the Effords
The Effords’ first encounter with Chick-fil-A was when Olivia was only 10 years-old and her family made the trek from Toronto to St. Augustine, Fla. for the grand opening of her Uncle Wayne’s new Chick-fil-A restaurant (the first of three restaurants he would eventually own and operate). While Glen and Olivia were fairly unfamiliar with Chick-fil-A at the time, it would soon become a significant part of their family story.
“I was so young that I really didn’t understand what was happening at the time. I just knew that my uncle was opening a restaurant, and I remember being intrigued at how invested the local community was in the opening,” said Olivia. “Fast forward to today, that local impact is still what most inspires me to show up at my own Chick-fil-A restaurant each day.”
A Family Legacy
Several years later, inspired by his older brother’s entrepreneurial spirit and local impact, Glen decided to pursue a restaurant of his own in Ohio, just three and a half hours from the Effords’ home.
“Before Chick-fil-A, I don’t think my kids really knew what I did for work,” said Glen. “I was traveling all over the world, leaving for work before the sun was up and doing really well financially, but in the grand scheme of things, I realized none of that mattered if I wasn’t around.”
Before she knew it, Olivia’s college breaks were spent in Ohio, working alongside her dad in the restaurant.
“Initially, Olivia planned to come down to help me for a week or so when I was first opening the restaurant,” said Glen. “But soon, every break and every summer, Olivia was right there by my side and before I knew it, she was pursuing a Chick-fil-A of her own.”
A Full Circle Moment
Olivia’s senior year of college, she called her dad in tears, torn about the direction of her life and career. After a long discussion with her dad, Olivia knew that she wanted to follow in her dad and uncle’s footsteps. In 2018, Olivia joined the Chick-fil-A Leadership Development Program, traveling around the U.S. and Canada and helping establish Chick-fil-A’s first restaurants in Canada. She’s now the local Owner-Operator of her very own restaurant, Chick-fil-A Kitchener, less than an hour from the town she grew up in.
“I never take for granted the opportunity I have to learn from both my dad and my uncle in this business,” said Olivia. “Whenever I’m with them, I feel like a little kid just wanting to hang on every word they say. It’s an incredible gift to live out this dream alongside them – to equally encourage and challenge each other when needed – I’ll never take that lightly.”
With strong mentorship from her father and uncle, Olivia continues to live out her family’s legacy at her own restaurant by investing herself in her community and Team Members.
