OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Clarence "C.T." Taylor III spent 29 years in the military, often as one of the only Black people in the room. Now, he's making history in a different kind of uniform.
Taylor is the only Black Chick-fil-A owner/operator in the state of Kansas.
“A lot of things I got to do in that realm of being the first, so this is no different here at Chick-fil-A,” Taylor said. “People are people.”
He took over the Oak Park location on April 3, 2008 — and he didn't do it alone.
"Can't get there without her," Taylor said.
His wife, Harriett, has been by his side throughout the journey.
The two are junior high sweethearts who have been married 47 years.
"Young African Americans or any young people looking back at us to say that 'I can also be successful' and dream big," Harriett Taylor said.
Taylor's roots run deep in Kansas City, Kansas, where he was born and raised.
A 1974 graduate of J.C. Harmon High School, he went on to play four years of football at Washburn University, earning a bachelor's degree in business management.
He was commissioned into the Air Force in 1978 and credits God for his success.
"I can’t swim, I went through water survival," Taylor said. "I’m scared of heights, I flew for a living. See what I’m saying? So you reach for that extra power that gets you through those kind of things."
Taylor went on to earn a master's degree in public administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco and a master of science in national resource management from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C.
"I didn’t have an African American in my chain in command for almost my first 17 years in the Air Force," Taylor said. "Whole lot of folks that didn’t look like me took care of me."
He retired as a colonel after 29 years of service and 14 relocations.
The Taylors bought a retirement home in Maryland and thought they would end up there long term — that's until C.T. came across a Chick-fil-A ad in the back of a book.
"I was telling my wife, I said, ‘If only half of what Truett is describing is true, I would be happy,'" Taylor said.
Before they knew it, they were moving back home as the Oak Park Plaza location was opening.
"I put my name in the hat for it, and God took care of the rest," Taylor said. "I took a leap of faith to come out here, and I try to go where God tells me to go."
Among his many accomplishments, Taylor was the first Black training instructor for the B-1 Bomber and flew the first B-1 Bomber into McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas.
He is a Master Navigator with 2,458 flying hours in the B-1 Bomber, B-52H, and B-52G bomber aircraft.
He is also the recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal and numerous other military decorations.
The couple credits faith and family for their success.
"We had God to fall back on at the end of the day," Taylor said. "When it looked rough, that’s who you called on."
For Taylor, his name carries special meaning.
"I'm the third Clarence,” Taylor said. “So Proverbs 22:1 is always real special. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.”
Taylor says the work goes beyond running a restaurant.
"The fruit of our labor here as an operator, we're still raising America's kids," Taylor said.
That includes two of their own.
Their daughter, Christina, joined her father when the store first opened.
"That was 18 years ago, she's still here," Taylor said with a laugh. "That’s a God thing. You can’t plan that."
The Taylors also have a son, Clarence E. Taylor IV, and five grandchildren.
But the family affair doesn't stop there.
Taylor's younger brother worked for him for 18 years, and his mother worked at the restaurant helping with samples for 15 years.
He's also had nieces and nephews work for him at some point.
"Everything I’ve ever tried to do in life, make them proud," Taylor said. "You know, make the entire village proud that helped raise us."
Taylor's military family, biological family and Chick-fil-A family are all intertwined.
"I have about eight people on my staff, been with me for 18 years," Taylor said.
Since opening, Taylor has earned several awards, including two wins of Chick-fil-A's prestigious Symbol of Success award, Chick-fil-A's Regional Game Changer of the Year, the Reasons to Believe recipient for the Kansas City, Kansas Public School System, and the Kappa Alpha Psi Community Service Award from the Wichita Alumni Chapter.
Christina says her father's example has shaped how she carries herself.
"Making sure that I represent myself with dignity and respect in anything and everything that I do," Christina Taylor said.
Taylor says his seat at the table — literally and figuratively — is something he doesn't take lightly.
"Once a month, we meet as operators, and I integrate the table, bottom line," Taylor said.
And while the word may carry weight, Taylor says that's not a bad thing.
"The word integration, I didn't mean for it to be that important, but if it hits like that, that's good," Taylor said.
Taylor says its his personal stamp on the experience that makes all the difference.
"I put CT Taylor on it," Taylor said. "I put my flavor in there. Wake up in the morning, get to do it all over again."
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