The opportunity to own and operate a Chick-fil-A restaurant first presented itself to Lois Ann (it’s a double name) Murphree 20 years ago. She was a newlywed and a recent Auburn graduate, and while the prospect appealed to her, the timing wasn’t right.
“Chick-fil-A owner-operators must be open to living wherever a restaurant is located, and we did not think we could do that at that point in our lives,” Murphree explained.
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