By Sadie Fowler
When Beau Noblitt was in college, he was on a track that would enable him to get into medical school. He wanted to one day become a pediatrician. Then, he met Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, and the course of his life was forever changed.
“Truett said, in reference to Chick-fil-A, ‘We’re in the people business … We got out of the chicken business a long time ago. We simply use chicken as an avenue to reach people,’” Noblitt said of that monumental encounter.
The minute he heard that, Noblitt felt inspired about a possible career opportunity where he could do exactly what he had wanted to do all along — own his own business and serve children.
“I went to work at the bottom of the organization and fell in love with the pace, the complexity, and the people,” he said. “The rest is history.”
Noblitt, who currently owns two local Chick-fil-As, began his career with the organization when he was a sophomore. He realized early on that he could indeed enjoy a challenging career there while impacting the lives of others — those with whom he works as well as those on the other side of the counter.
Noblitt has learned a great deal in his journey with Chick-fil-A over the years, but the biggest lesson he’s learned is that in order to fulfill one’s God-given calling, in any career, one must always treat others with honor, dignity and respect — in all situations.
“The second thing I’ve learned is that if you give your absolute best each day you will certainly make an impact where God has placed you,” he said. “The other big thing … Never put your family behind anything or anyone other than God. They are the only ones who will be with you and love you no matter what season your business is going through.”
Speaking of family, Noblitt has been married to his high school sweetheart Kate for 14 years. They have three awesome children; Landon, who is eight; Georgia, who is five; and Lincoln, who is two.
“They make up my world and are the most important things in my life,” he said. “We love Jesus, the outdoors, good music and lots of laughter.”
Noblitt says he loves being able to partner with Chick-fil-A’s 200-plus team members as they serve the community of Murfreesboro.
“We have great chicken, waffle fries and lemonade but the reason I choose to commit my working years to Chick-fil-A is because we have the opportunity and responsibility to serve others and treat them the way everyone should be treated,” he said.
Chick-fil-A has worked closely with local non-profit Special Kids for many years. They also partner with organizations like Fellowship of Christian Athletes, as well as multiple schools and daycares in their quest to reach the kids of the community.
“I’ve always had a soft heart for children and you will find that much of what we do philanthropically is related directly to kids or those organizations who serve them,” Noblitt said.
“Children are often not able to control their circumstances and can experience incredible pain and isolation. We want to be an organization that puts children first and makes them feel like they are the most important thing in this world.”
Noblitt has been an owner of Chick-fil-A, first with one chain and now two, for 13 years. It has been a career that has served him well on many levels. He says there’s a common misconception in society that suggests one can’t make a worthwhile career in the fast food business.
“Nothing could be farther from the truth with Chick-fil-A,” he said. “We offer a fantastic culture and incredible pathways to leadership within our Murfreesboro organization all the way to ownership of your own franchise. In the last serval years we’ve been honored to help four incredible individuals come through our leadership development program and go on to become franchisees in their towns or move on to Atlanta and work for our corporate offices there.
“Chick-fil-A is a great career opportunity. We have an incredible group of individuals who work tirelessly to serve our community.”
Beau and Kate Noblitt moved to Murfreesboro nine years ago, without knowing a soul and from day one they’ve been amazed at how well people in the community take care of each other.
“Our community is made up of some the most generous people I’ve ever had the privilege to meet and I have never seen a community come together like ours does anywhere else I’ve lived,” he said. “My hope for our community, as we experience incredible growth, is that we don’t lose that identity. I hope we will continue to be patient with each other, understanding of one another, and the biggest supporters of each other.”
Noblitt says he and his family are grateful for the support they’ve received from the local community over the past nine years. They are also thankful for the incredible team of people who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of others through the vehicle of Chick-fil-A.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience as we are learning to run two business with efficiency and excellence,” he said. “It is a privilege to serve Murfreesboro, and we will never take that opportunity for granted.”
During his downtime, Noblitt enjoys working out, playing golf at Stones River County Club with his oldest son, and simply hanging out at home with his loving family.