The smiling employee works in the dining room each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and has developed a rapport with many of the restaurant’s customers.
“She’s very friendly, and our customers love her,” said Justin Day, the store’s owner. “She brings a lot of hospitality to the restaurant and people like the way they can interact with her and she interacts with them.”
Aside from her job at the restaurant, Amber has competed in the Special Olympics since the age of 8 in cheerleading and gymnastics.
Her co-workers know how important it is to her, and to show support they often travel to her events. Last weekend, a group traveled to the Cobb County Civic Center to watch her compete in gymnastics. Even the store’s sign out front was dedicated to her, reading “Best wishes Amber on your Special Olympics!”
“Amber works her heart out and performs almost every day,” said Christy Peterman, Chick-fil-A’s local marketing director. “She went to nationals in 2010 and is hoping to make it again this year.”
Shrewsberry didn’t disappoint at her first meet of the year, bringing home three gold and two silver medals after competing in balance beam, vault, floor, uneven bars and the all-around competition.
“It was a lot of fun,” Amber said. “It’s my pride and joy.”
Amber has been at the store for years, building a reputation as a smiling face and friendly helper. A picture of Shrewsberry sporting her medals from last weekend has generated nearly 1,000 Facebook likes and dozens of posts congratulating her.
“I just love her and her enthusiasm when I come into Chick-fil-A,” read one congratulatory post.
Day said Amber is well-respected in the store and has years of experience there.
“There’s a group that does placements for people like Amber, who have Down syndrome,” said Day, who has been with Chick-fil-A since 1995. “They approached me and I talked to her and decided to bring her in. She’s been here a long time now and it has been a positive experience.”
Shrewsberry performs tasks such as clearing trays and refreshing beverages at the restaurant, and enjoys the work.
“I like being helpful to all the customers,” Shrewsberry said. “And we have really good food, too.”
This week Shrewsberry was proudly showing off her medals in person for the local patrons.
“One of her proudest things is when she goes back her first day and she wears all the medals she won,” Day said. “We stop and we talk about what she got her medals in.
“She’s a great team member, and she’s always in a good mood.”
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