Chick-Fil-A celebrates 91-year-old employee retiring after decade of service
Ms. Marie worked more than 10 years at the restaurant after driving a school bus for 33 years.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Chick-fil-A on Charlotte Pike was a packed house Thursday morning as the entire community came out to celebrate its most recognizable employee who’s retiring at the age of 91.
“Nobody in the world has more friends than I do. I don’t think! " said Marie Cothran, affectionately known as Ms. Marie.
After more than a decade of working at Chick-Fil-A, Ms. Marie was celebrated with cake, gifts and lots of hugs.
Spending most of her time tending to the dining room, she’s made connections with almost everyone who’s walked through the door.
“We have had people come in the store looking for her and when I tell them she is not here they turn around and leave,” said Wayne Baird, West Nashville Chick-Fil-A Executive Director.
Ms. Marie started her job at Chick-Fil-A after working as a school bus driver for 33 years.
“I don’t care how far away from home I go, or where I go, somebody always says ‘Hey Ms. Marie,’ and I know they met me at Chick-Fil-A,” explained Ms. Marie.
Some even call her a lifelong friend.
“We found out we had some things in common. She had lost a son some years ago, and we lost a son. I can’t explain it but it is a forever bond,” Mary Campbell said.
While it’s hard for her to say goodbye, the amount of support was a reflection of just how much she will be missed.
“Chick-Fil-A will always be one of my favorite places on earth,” Ms. Marie said.
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