News

5 Ways Operator Scott Reed Creates a Culture of Community
Updated: March 10, 2021 – 1:35 pm
When Operator Scott Reed was growing up, his mother lived by the philosophy, “When someone is in need, you bring them food.”

Today Scott uses that philosophy at Sprayberry FSR and Lassiter FSR in Marietta, Georgia, to create a sense of community among both Restaurants. He says his approach has not only fostered lifelong relationships with past Team Members and created loyal Customers, but a “much-appreciated” sense of purpose among his team.

How? Scott shares five pieces of advice for cultivating a sense of community.



Create a Sense of Purpose Through Guiding Principles
After more than 30 years as an Operator, Scott learned personal and professional success is about more than delivering great food at a great price—it’s also about making a positive impact. Using his mother’s philosophy, Scott found a creative way to do both.

“COVID has given us a chance to be even more intentional. If we hear about [a need], we try to respond,” he says. “There’s just something about showing up with food that’s special.”

Scott uses this philosophy—providing food to anyone in need within his community—to reinforce his Restaurants’ business model (preview pictured below), with a few principles standing apart from the others and reinforcing community:

“Be a place I’d want my daughter to work.” This is one of two of Scott’s Restaurants’ core convictions. Scott hopes to foster an environment where conversations, attitudes, work ethic, personal growth potential, and leadership opportunities are done in such a way that all parents would want to have their child work at his Restaurants.
Grow profits to give back. One of Scott’s six priorities is to be a good steward to contribute to the overall success of the business. The success of the business then allows Scott to give back even more to his community.
Intentional acts of Kindness. Scott encourages all Team Members to provide service through Intentional Acts of Kindness or doing for one what they wish they could do for all.
Staying connected. Staying connected to Customers, to each other and to the community helps Scott and his team find more and better ways to contribute and give back.

Click here to view Scott’s business framework.


Start with the Team
Scott’s first community priority is his team and their families. As such, his practice of providing food to those in need begins with his Restaurants’ over 200 Team Members.

“Being able to surprise the team is the most fun,” Scott says. “If you take food to a Team Member’s house and feed their family, it’s taking it to the next level.

For example, Scott and his team try to be aware of what’s going on in each other’s lives, good or bad. Whether a Team Member is sick, injured or celebrating a milestone, Scott and his team make a point to deliver food, a simple way to show they care. Sometimes, this also means doing the same for Team Members’ loved ones. Scott says, showing Team Members care in this way not only reinforces their value to the organization but also demonstrates to their families they are part of a larger, caring community.



Impact the Sphere of Influence
Using his and his team’s social networks, Scott routinely delivers food to what he refers to as his “sphere of influence,” or anyone in need they may hear about, from loyal Customers to other community members.

He doesn’t have a system in place to hear about community members in need, but Scott does encourage his Team Members to always be on the lookout. Similarly, when Scott is attending church or going about routine daily activities, he always encourages those with influence to let him know about the sick, the tragedy-stricken and the downtrodden.

Scott’s Restaurants have provided food for families suffering from recent tragedies, staff at assisted living facilities and more. Throughout 2020, Scott made it a point to help those responsible for helping others amid the pandemic, including first responders, nursing staff, grocery store employees and pastors in the Marietta area.

“I really think this helps build a sense of community at the restaurants,” Scott says. “Any time you’re not just about making money as a business owner, it’s a game changer. When you do things just because you care about people and you’re a generous person, it affects your culture. It affects how they feel about working for you—they like helping and being the go-to people to help.”



Reinforce the ‘Why’
A quote from one of Scott’s favorite authors and preachers, Andy Stanley, has become part of his internal philosophy and a major “why” in his life as an Operator: “Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.” Being an Operator, Scott says, is the vehicle he uses to do all the things he cares about.

Scott reinforces this “why” with leaders and Team Members at every opportunity. He hopes his charitable practices resonate with the team and provide a similar sense of fulfillment. Scott’s aim is to demonstrate, especially to a younger workforce craving a greater impact on the world at large, that work doesn’t have to be just about making money.

“I want them to know it’s about them—changing their lives, changing Customers’ lives, caring about our community and making physical demonstrations of our hearts,” Scott says. “That’s what we’re really about.”

Scott’s favorite moments are when Team Members seem to understand the mission. He loves that the “light bulb being flicked on” often turns into suggestions for further acts of kindness and a real ownership of the Restaurants’ mission.



Sow the seeds for Future Success
Scott’s influence is already taking hold on some of his young leaders and is sowing the seeds for future community influencers.

He regularly offers advice to Team Members looking to expand their knowledge, including a Team Member who expressed an interest in investing. Without batting an eye, Scott purchased a book on the topic for the Team Member knowing it could potentially be a turning point toward something amazing.

Scott can recall a former Team Member who reached out just to say how much working at Chick-fil-A positively impacted her life. Scott didn’t know it at the time, but this Team Member wasn’t doing well. Working at Scott’s Restaurants helped put her on track to lead a productive and purposeful life.

It’s interactions like these, both big and small, that make the biggest difference, Scott says. “It’s just the Chick-fil-A way to have folks like that in your life, to keep them there and help them along the way.

“We don’t just teach people how to make chicken faster,” he says. “We lead by example. We teach leadership principles. We’re teaching translatable skills you can take with you wherever you go and have a positive impact on others.”