As construction moo-ves right along on the Chick-fil-A in Bremen, a name possibly familiar to some locals has moo-ved back home to the west Georgia region to be the owner/operator of the franchise location.
The City Menus recently interviewed Josh Prichard, who will be managing the restaurant at US 27 and I-20 next to Jack’s Family Restaurant. He was born and raised in Tallapoosa and after graduating from Haralson County High School stayed local and attended the University of West Georgia in Carrollton where he also played on the baseball team as a walk-on. Josh graduated from UWG in 2011 with a degree in Geography. However, after graduation it was the restaurant business that beckoned as a career path. He began working for Waffle House where he spent six years overseeing stores anywhere from Fulton Industrial Boulevard to the Alabama state line.
In 2017 Josh left Waffle House and his hometown area to become an owner/operator of a Chick-fil-A franchise in Kansas City, Kansas, where he’s been the last four years. “It’s been fun, but we’ve been watching the west Georgia area for a while now, really ever since we took the Kansas City location. We had our eyes open to see what, if anything, was going to open in the west Georgia region,” he said.
After David Daniels opened Carrollton’s second Chick-fil-A location on Bankhead Highway, the company started looking at where to go next. According to Josh, “Bremen was the next dot on the map, if you will, and it was a long-term strategy point for Chick-fil-A. There’s been a lot of folks talking that it would be a great spot for a location. And I think as the town has continued to grow and as more folks have moved out to the suburbs, especially Bremen and that area, Chick-fil-A felt this was a viable option. So, Bremen was converted from a long-term strategy to a go.”
The restaurant chain began actively looking for real estate in the area, and although it wasn’t being publicly marketed, the Marathon gas station property at US 27 and I-20 was looking to sell to the right company, and Chick-fil-A fit the bill.
CDM Systems, LLC CDM Systems, LLC
Once the property was purchased, Josh saw an opportunity to return to his roots and began the process to become the owner/operator of the location. “ We went through the interview process with Chick-fil-A and got selected for this Bremen location, and we’re super excited about it. It’s a homecoming,” he said. “We know the area. There’s a hunger for it. David Daniels does a great job at both of his Carrollton locations.We are really just trying to continue the service and hospitality that he does in Carrollton,” he added.
According to Josh, the Bremen Chick-fil-A will actually be one of the larger locations in the state featuring a double drive-thru that can hold up to 54 cars at one time without modifications and a sizable dining room. Originally the location was slated for an October opening; however, some favorable weather conditions have put the project ahead of schedule, and Josh said they are now projecting a mid-to-late September opening. While some hiring efforts have already begun, he stated that the “boots to the ground” hiring efforts for all the needed team members will begin in August after he wraps up his time with the Kansas City location at the end of July.
When asked what he’s looking forward to most about being back home and opening this location, Josh replied, “For me, it’s the opportunity to bring the Chick-fil-A brand, service, hospitality, culture, environment to Bremen. We’re really excited to bring what we offer to the community.”
Stay tuned to The City Menus for updates on the progress of this project as they become available.