A woman stands inside a Chick-fil-A restaurant, wearing a black blazer and polka dot blouse. — Kristie Bergstrom, owner-operator of Chick-fil-A Bethelview & Castleberry, stands inside the restaurant in west Forsyth County.

When Kristie Bergstrom returned to Georgia after operating Chick-fil-A restaurants in California, eight members of her team came with her.

Now, as owner-operator of the new Bethelview & Castleberry restaurant in west Forsyth County, she is building another team. Bergstrom told North Atlanta Star that the restaurant hired around 100 new employees, supported by experienced leaders from her existing Cumming location.

The restaurant opened Oct. 1 at Southard Exchange. Bergstrom also operates Chick-fil-A Larry Mulkey Memorial Road.

For Bergstrom, who grew up in Georgia and graduated from Georgia Tech, the move back was as much about family as business. After her years in California, she wanted to raise her children closer to relatives.

“Coming back to Georgia was an opportunity to return home and build the next chapter for my family and my business,” she said in written answers.

Her existing restaurant had already brought her into contact with families, schools and organizations in the Bethelview and Castleberry area. The new location, she said, gives those customers a restaurant closer to home.

The eight employees who relocated with her also became part of that next chapter. Bergstrom said her experience in California taught her to invest in employees and develop leaders, lessons she wants to carry into the new restaurant.

“Watching them grow and help lead this next chapter has been incredibly meaningful,” she said.

The hiring is continuing. Bergstrom said the Bethelview & Castleberry restaurant is looking for employees with daytime availability and people to work in the kitchen.

As Southard Exchange develops, she hopes the surrounding area will become a gathering place for people who live and work nearby. She sees the restaurant’s role in ordinary visits: families stopping after school, neighbors meeting for breakfast and local organizations seeking support.

Those expectations extend to younger employees, whom she hopes will leave with skills in teamwork, responsibility and leadership, whether they stay with the business or move into something else.

Photo: Kristie Bergstrom, owner-operator of Chick-fil-A Bethelview & Castleberry. Photo courtesy of Chick-fil-A.