The Cobb Chamber of Commerce named Otter’s Chicken as the 2019 Small Business of the Year at the Chamber’s First Monday Breakfast, presented by LOUD Security Systems and S.A. White Oil Company.
Otter's Chicken is a family-friendly, sports-themed restaurant that strives to serve the absolute best chicken around, at a fair price and in a fun atmosphere. Since opening their doors nine years ago, every menu item is hand-breaded and prepared to order. All of Otter’s ingredients are sourced locally and are prepared fresh. Signature items, such as their batter and popular Otter Sauce, are homemade. Otter’s mission is to serve high-quality food at a reasonable price, while making lasting connections within their community.
“We believe that if we treat our employees the right way, they will treat our customers the right way,” said Will Peterson, owner. “We use that basic philosophy to make all of our decisions regarding our team.”
One way Otter’s Chicken outshines its competition is through its partnerships with local schools and non-profits, such as Still, Kemp and Cheatham Hill Elementary Schools; youth sports programs and community clubs; and numerous other local schools and organizations. Through these non-profit contributions, Partners in Education programs have benefited from sales percentage gifts, homeless mothers and children at Cobb Street Ministries have received meals and numerous elementary, middle and high school groups and teams have been served.
As the Chamber’s 2019 Small Business of the Year, Otter’s Chicken will compete in the state’s small business of the year competition.
Competitive Application and Selection Process
To be considered for the Top 25 Small Businesses of Year, each hopeful submits an application to the Cobb Chamber. The applicants must prove an increase in sales or unit volume, provide examples of innovation, discuss adversity and challenges, and thoroughly detail their community involvement. Applications are analyzed and considered by a group of independent community business leaders and affiliates of the Small Business Administration.
After all of the submitted applications are judged and rated, five finalists are selected based on their numerical score. The five finalists are then put through a second step in the application process – a 30-minute site visit by the judges. The visit is meant to be a fresh, in-person opportunity to present to the panel of judges the ideals, practices, values and day-to-day operations discussed in the initial application.
2019 Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year
Throughout May, the Cobb Chamber will celebrate each of the Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year on its blog, Chamber Ink at cobbchambermembernews.wordpress.com. Each day, a new post will share more information about each recipient’s impact in the community. The Cobb Chamber honored the following Top 25 Small Businesses at the May First Monday Breakfast:
- AquaGuard Foundation Solutions
- Artisan Custom Closets
- Assured Comfort Heating Air & Plumbing
- Brookwood Christian School
- Deluxe Athletics
- DeNyse Companies
- DynamiX
- Elder Law Firm
- The Employment Law Solution: McFadden Davis
- Fulfillment Strategies International, Inc.
- Georgia Trade School
- InPrime Legal
- The Marietta Local
- Mills Specialty Metals, LLC
- North Georgia Staffing
- Otter's Chicken
- Poole's Pharmacy
- RE/MAX PURE
- Roam Innovative Workplace
- SpeedPro Imaging Marietta
- Three-13 Salon, Spa & Boutique
- Tom + Chee Kennesaw
- Vertisys
- Williamson Bros. Bar-B-Q
- Yalo!
Small Business Hall of Fame
2018 Small Business of the Year, The Service Fort, was also honored at the May First Monday Breakfast. The reigning small business of the year was inducted into the Small Business Hall of Fame, which includes all county and state winners of the Small Business of the Year award from Cobb County since 1982. The full list of Small Business Hall of Fame honorees can be found at www.cobbchamber.org/sboy.
2019 Businesses to Watch
In order to recognize the impressive accomplishments of many new Cobb businesses, the Cobb Chamber expanded its Small Business of the Year program to include the Businesses To Watch awards presentation. These are businesses that have launched less than three years ago and have already achieved substantial growth. The 2019 Businesses To Watch are:
- About You Family Medicine
- Afonza
- Gator Pizza, LLC
- Governors Gun Club Kennesaw
- Little Red Bird Gifts
The Presenting Sponsors of the 2019 Small Businesses of the Year awards are LOUD Security Systems and S.A. White Oil Company. The Award Sponsor is Wells Fargo. The Business To Watch sponsor is InfoMart. The Hall of Fame Sponsor is the UGA Small Business Development Center at Kennesaw State University. The Gold Sponsor is The Service Fort. Silver Sponsors are Corporate Environmental Risk Management and Gaskins Surveying & Engineering Company, Inc.