Kareem Edwards, an African American entrepreneur, is making history as the first Black Chick-fil-A owner-operator in Chicago after years in corporate roles across Wall Street, consulting, and tech. He eventually left that path and opened his Chick-fil-A South Loop restaurant during the pandemic in 2021.
He grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens, raised by a mother with Trinidad and Tobago roots. She focused on discipline, structure, and education over big dreams. That foundation led him to a Posse Foundation scholarship and DePauw University, where he studied mathematics and took on leadership roles on campus.
After college, he started his career on Wall Street and worked at Lehman Brothers until the firm collapsed in 2008. He later earned recognition on Crain’s Chicago Business “20 in Their 20s” list, but still felt unfulfilled and decided to return to school for an MBA at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
After graduating, he moved into corporate leadership roles at Kraft Heinz, where he helped launch the “Just Crack an Egg” product, then later joined Google. Even with career success, he began questioning his long-term direction and started exploring franchising as a new path. He studied different business models and eventually focused on Chick-fil-A because of its hands-on owner-operator system
His wife, Janelle, played a key role in his decision. The two met at DePauw University after a dorm move-in day encounter that later turned into a relationship. She encouraged him to take the risk and step into business ownership instead of staying in corporate roles.
“I’m going to be resentful to myself for not taking the chance of me and betting on myself,” he told Essence.
In 2021, he opened Chick-fil-A South Loop at 1106 S. Clinton St. in Chicago during the height of the pandemic. He managed a team of nearly 100 employees while handling constant operational challenges, from staffing gaps to fast-changing daily demands.
“One day I could be legit the counselor, the father figure, babysitter, semi-doctor,” he said.
Outside of work, he stayed active in the local community through partnerships, including Just Roots Chicago, an urban farming nonprofit near his store. He also leaned on a close circle of friends while balancing family life with the demands of running a busy restaurant.