Our lemonade is a customer favorite. Turns out, it's also the perfect base for making your own herbal infusions at home.
Find a Restaurant
Chicago Brothers Prove You Can Go Home Again
Sept. 30, 2024
Local Owner-Operators look forward to friendly competition in Chi-Town
The Good brothers—John and Julian—always knew they would eventually become entrepreneurs. But Chick-fil-A® restaurants weren’t top-of-mind for either of them when they went to college.
They had heard about the brand from their dad, Peter, but they didn’t grow up on Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries® and Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwiches.
“We lived in Winnetka, Illinois, before Chick-fil-A entered the market,” explains John, the eldest Good brother. “So, when I went away to Indiana University (IU) in 2009, I was thinking more about law as a career track.”
His aspirations began to change when he took a part-time job at local Owner-Operator Wes Key’s Chick-fil-A College Mall restaurant in Bloomington during college.
Part-time paved the way to full-time
“My original expectation was just to make extra money while I was away at school, but I grew to love the work and the people,” John said. “Chick-fil-A’s business approach and Corporate Purpose are centered on caring for others, which really resonated with me. Their franchise model also intrigued me as an affordable option for young entrepreneurs.”
John worked part-time during the school year for Wes and full-time in the summers for local Owner-Operator Lauren Silich at the Chick-fil-A Loyola Water Tower restaurant in Chicago. After graduation, he continued working for Lauren for a year and half before deciding to go all-in on a Chick-fil-A career.
With Lauren’s encouragement, he applied for the 2-3-year Chick-fil-A Leadership Development Program, a professional development track designed to provide participants with real-world leadership experience in Chick-fil-A restaurants across the U.S. and Canada. Upon completion, John returned to Lauren’s location for about 7 months before another Chicago-area Chick-fil-A restaurant became available and he was chosen to operate it.
From local Owner-Operator to friendly competitor
Today, John is the local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Batavia on Randall Road and is a consultant for a licensed Chick-fil-A location on the University of Chicago campus. Soon he’ll be both mentor and friendly competitor to his younger brother, Julian, who is set to open a new Chick-fil-A restaurant in St. Charles, only 7.5 miles away.
Julian, also an IU alumnus, graduated with a degree in entrepreneurial studies around the same time John’s Batavia Restaurant opened. Although Julian was committed to a management training program for a major retailer upon graduation, he started to second guess his choice, eager for a career in which he could make a greater impact.
“I couldn’t see a higher purpose in what I was doing in fashion,” Julian recalls. “The actual day-to-day was unfulfilling and emotionally draining, so I told John I’d be willing to help him out while I searched for another career.”
Within a few months, Julian realized that he was energized by the atmosphere at Chick-fil-A Batavia. He interacted with more coworkers there and felt a fun team spirit as they each competed to hit goals and serve their Guests with excellence. Pretty soon, Julian, too, embarked on his own journey across the country as part of the Chick-fil-A Leadership Development Program. He emerged from that training just as the St. Charles location—Chick-fil-A’s 50th Chicago-area Restaurant—became available.
A Good leadership legacy continues
“I’m thrilled to follow my family’s legacy of entrepreneurship in my hometown,” says Julian. “I’m most excited to invest in my Team Members and give them the tools they need to pursue their passions inside and outside the Restaurant.”
John feels certain that Julian will be a big success.
“He’s got a great business mind and an engaging, nurturing personality,” says the big brother. “Julian’s the type of person who others want to rally around and that will serve him well.”
Julian envisions friendly competition between his location and his brother’s Restaurants.
“We are five and a half years apart, so I’ve always looked up to John, but also wanted to compete with him,” says Julian. No doubt the core hospitality lessons passed on from their dad—eye contact, smiling, enthusiastic speech and personal connection—will serve them both well as they pass along those “Good vibes” to their respective team members.
Chick-fil-A, Inc. makes local restaurant ownership accessible to new entrepreneurs by keeping its initial franchise fee low. An initial investment of $10,000 enables dedicated entrepreneurs like John and Julian to launch their dreams of business ownership earlier than if they were required to make multi-million-dollar commitments.
You can learn more about franchise opportunities with Chick-fil-A, Inc. here.
Local Owner-Operators look forward to friendly competition in Chi-Town
The Good brothers—John and Julian—always knew they would eventually become entrepreneurs. But Chick-fil-A® restaurants weren’t top-of-mind for either of them when they went to college.
They had heard about the brand from their dad, Peter, but they didn’t grow up on Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries® and Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwiches.
“We lived in Winnetka, Illinois, before Chick-fil-A entered the market,” explains John, the eldest Good brother. “So, when I went away to Indiana University (IU) in 2009, I was thinking more about law as a career track.”
His aspirations began to change when he took a part-time job at local Owner-Operator Wes Key’s Chick-fil-A College Mall restaurant in Bloomington during college.
Part-time paved the way to full-time
“My original expectation was just to make extra money while I was away at school, but I grew to love the work and the people,” John said. “Chick-fil-A’s business approach and Corporate Purpose are centered on caring for others, which really resonated with me. Their franchise model also intrigued me as an affordable option for young entrepreneurs.”
John worked part-time during the school year for Wes and full-time in the summers for local Owner-Operator Lauren Silich at the Chick-fil-A Loyola Water Tower restaurant in Chicago. After graduation, he continued working for Lauren for a year and half before deciding to go all-in on a Chick-fil-A career.
With Lauren’s encouragement, he applied for the 2-3-year Chick-fil-A Leadership Development Program, a professional development track designed to provide participants with real-world leadership experience in Chick-fil-A restaurants across the U.S. and Canada. Upon completion, John returned to Lauren’s location for about 7 months before another Chicago-area Chick-fil-A restaurant became available and he was chosen to operate it.
From local Owner-Operator to friendly competitor
Today, John is the local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Batavia on Randall Road and is a consultant for a licensed Chick-fil-A location on the University of Chicago campus. Soon he’ll be both mentor and friendly competitor to his younger brother, Julian, who is set to open a new Chick-fil-A restaurant in St. Charles, only 7.5 miles away.
Julian, also an IU alumnus, graduated with a degree in entrepreneurial studies around the same time John’s Batavia Restaurant opened. Although Julian was committed to a management training program for a major retailer upon graduation, he started to second guess his choice, eager for a career in which he could make a greater impact.
“I couldn’t see a higher purpose in what I was doing in fashion,” Julian recalls. “The actual day-to-day was unfulfilling and emotionally draining, so I told John I’d be willing to help him out while I searched for another career.”
Within a few months, Julian realized that he was energized by the atmosphere at Chick-fil-A Batavia. He interacted with more coworkers there and felt a fun team spirit as they each competed to hit goals and serve their Guests with excellence. Pretty soon, Julian, too, embarked on his own journey across the country as part of the Chick-fil-A Leadership Development Program. He emerged from that training just as the St. Charles location—Chick-fil-A’s 50th Chicago-area Restaurant—became available.
A Good leadership legacy continues
“I’m thrilled to follow my family’s legacy of entrepreneurship in my hometown,” says Julian. “I’m most excited to invest in my Team Members and give them the tools they need to pursue their passions inside and outside the Restaurant.”
John feels certain that Julian will be a big success.
“He’s got a great business mind and an engaging, nurturing personality,” says the big brother. “Julian’s the type of person who others want to rally around and that will serve him well.”
Julian envisions friendly competition between his location and his brother’s Restaurants.
“We are five and a half years apart, so I’ve always looked up to John, but also wanted to compete with him,” says Julian. No doubt the core hospitality lessons passed on from their dad—eye contact, smiling, enthusiastic speech and personal connection—will serve them both well as they pass along those “Good vibes” to their respective team members.
Chick-fil-A, Inc. makes local restaurant ownership accessible to new entrepreneurs by keeping its initial franchise fee low. An initial investment of $10,000 enables dedicated entrepreneurs like John and Julian to launch their dreams of business ownership earlier than if they were required to make multi-million-dollar commitments.
You can learn more about franchise opportunities with Chick-fil-A, Inc. here.
