Blake Pate named Small Business Person of the Year in Florence

Blake Pate followed in his father’s footsteps on Tuesday when he was named the 2019 Small Business Person of the Year during the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s Outlook Luncheon at the Florence Center.The award, sponsored by Dedicated Community Bank for the past five years, was awarded to Pate’s father, David Pate, the first year of the bank's sponsorship.His father was in the business for about 30 years and died in 2018. He said his father received the award two years before he retired.Blake Pate, owner of Chick-fil-A West Florence, has been a Chick-fil-A operator 10 years.Pate said winning the award and following in his father’s footsteps mean a lot to him. He said there are so many others deserving of the award.Announcing the award, Jim Ivey, president and CEO of Dedicated Community Bank, said “Blake Pate was not handed a restaurant he had to stand on his own through the very difficult process of becoming a Chick-fil-A operator in Magnolia Mall. Then, he had to interview again to become the operator of the former drive-thru location, which was renovated last year into a beautiful free-standing restaurant.”