08/24/2026
Traveling across North America for work, I’ve had the opportunity to eat at A LOT of restaurants—and, for the sake of efficiency, probably more fast food than I’d like to admit. 😅
One thing I learned quickly: Southerners love their biscuits and fried chicken. And when you combine the two, you get one hell of a breakfast sandwich. (Pro tip: add the strawberry jelly. Trust me.)
While traveling in Alabama, I was introduced to Chick-fil-A, and I made it a point to stop whenever I could. For whatever reason, I had it in my head that this masterpiece was something I could only get down South.
Then I learned Chick-fil-A serves them everywhere.
The problem? We didn’t have one near us.
Until now. 👀
Meet John Weaver, Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A Mankato. Amanda and I had the opportunity to meet John before the grand opening, and after stopping in today, I’m glad we did.
As both a corporate leader and business owner, there are a few things I pride myself on: being hands-on, recognizing employees, engaging with people, and never asking someone to do something I wouldn’t do myself.
Standing in line today, I found myself watching John do many of the same things I try to do when I travel to facilities across the country.
In corporate life, you sometimes see the “suits” walk into a facility, shake a few hands, observe from a distance, and leave.
Not John.
This man was in a suit, sweating, running around delivering orders, talking with customers, helping wherever he was needed—and what stood out to me most was hearing him consistently give his team members positive recognition and feedback for their performance.
That says a lot about a leader.
John isn’t just another person with a title. He’s a leader who genuinely cares, and you don’t need him to tell you that—you can see it through his actions.
Today didn’t feel like stopping at another fast-food restaurant. It felt like somewhere I’d bring my family, sit down, and enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Congratulations to John and the entire Chick-fil-A Mankato team on the opening. You’ve built something special, and I’m excited to have you in the community.
Now I just need to figure out what excuse I’m going to give my boss when I’m late because I drove from St. Peter down to Mankato before heading to Lakeville just to get my chicken biscuit with strawberry jelly…
Maybe I’ll just bring him one.
That should buy me some time. 🤣
