Shannon’s Chick-fil-A career began in marketing. She served as an Area Marketing Director for the Charlotte market for approximately five and a half years.
Becoming an Owner/Operator was not originally part of her plan. In fact, when the same marketing consultant who had hired her eventually asked whether she had considered becoming an Operator, Shannon initially said no. Operations were not what drew her to Chick-fil-A; the people were.
But the opportunity to invest deeply in the lives of others changed her perspective. She entered the Operator selection process, spent approximately a year in the queue, and ultimately became an Owner/Operator. Today, Shannon has spent 22 years with Chick-fil-A and is entering her 18th year as an Operator.
She spent eight years leading Chick-fil-A Davis Lake before opening the Denver, North Carolina restaurant in 2016. At the time, Chick-fil-A had little presence in the immediate Denver community, giving Shannon and her team an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with local families, schools, and organizations from the ground up.
At the heart of Shannon’s leadership is a simple vision:
To be Lincoln County’s most caring company.
For Shannon, care begins inside the restaurant. She believes skills and systems can be taught, but a genuine desire to serve others has to be present. Her goal is to surround herself with people who want to contribute to something bigger than themselves and who are willing to work alongside one another.
Her own leadership reflects that philosophy. Shannon is a highly present Operator who works alongside her team and is willing to step into whatever role is needed. Her leaders describe her as someone who knows her Team Members personally, invests in their futures, and wants them to succeed beyond their day-to-day responsibilities.
That commitment extends throughout Lincoln County. The restaurant is active with local schools and youth athletic programs and supports efforts addressing hunger and homelessness through initiatives such as Shared Table, fundraisers, golf tournaments, and 5Ks. The team also supports Shining Hope Farms and programs serving individuals with special needs.
While Shannon’s restaurant earned Chick-fil-A’s Symbol of Success in 2012, she measures success differently. Her proudest moments come when Team Members enjoy coming to work, grow through the people around them, and later recognize the influence their Chick-fil-A experience had on their lives.
