WHO WE ARE
Our Origin Story
In 2008, Andrew T. Cathy and Blake Goodman, Executive Director of New Restaurant Growth, were expanding Chick-fil-A’s footprint across the Western United States from the California office. Andrew selected new operators, while Blake selected store locations fueling the brand’s growth into 15 new states.
Andrew asked Blake a pivotal question: “Do you ever see investment opportunities we should take advantage of that Chick-fil-A just can’t or wouldn’t?” Blake’s answer sparked their decade-long partnership in making investments in private equity and real estate. After meaningful successes and their continued desire to go further, it became clear that Blake had to make a choice on where to focus his time. Following 18 months of thoughtful transition from his team at Chick-fil-A, they launched Four Stones Group on January 1, 2020.
Four Stones is rooted in a family legacy of stewardship and guided by principles that have shaped their business journey. Four Stones continues to “Go Further” through strategic partnerships and an experienced leadership team. Today, Four Stones sponsors a continuous slate of exciting direct investment and development opportunities for Andrew, as well as for select families and groups that we advise.
WHAT WE DO
Four Stones originates and sponsors distinctive private equity and real estate investment opportunities.
Utilizing our relationships and proprietary data sources, we identify companies and properties that benefit from favorable long-term demographic trends.
We are a hands-on operator that creates value and maximizes returns through proactive asset management.
We co-invest in every transaction and share in the risk and rewards alongside our investment partners.
Four Stones is an opportunistic developer capable of handling a wide range of projects with a focus on operational excellence, programming and customer experience.
Knowing our customer is the start to every great project. Whether we’re supporting the vision of one of our clients or leading our own direct developments, we deliver results and returns.
We offer a full suite of development capabilities, including sourcing, planning, capitalizing and managing projects from concept to completion.
Through relationships with leading construction firms and service providers, we deliver high quality projects with a detailed focus on cost management.
Four Stones serves as a trusted advisor to families and companies that need development or investment expertise for large-scale projects, land holdings, or scalable platforms.
We utilize an ownership mindset to ensure we understand and achieve our clients’ objectives for land aggregation, master planning and tenant growth strategies.
Why We Do It
Our Purpose
Four Stones Real Estate is one of the “four stones” that Andrew will steward through his holding company, Four Stones Group. In the story of David vs. Goliath, David picks up five smooth stones. With the first stone he let loose from his slingshot, he hit his mark, and changed the world. Much like his grandfather Truett, who took his shot on Chick-fil-A, which hit its mark and has changed the world, Andrew’s passion is to steward “all” that he’s been entrusted with.
While Andrew’s job remains focused on growing and operating Chick-fil-A, he has learned how to create strategic partnerships to execute aligned business plans similar to how the Operator Model works for Chick-fil-A. Through Four Stones Real Estate, Andrew is developing long-term relationships with investors and partners.
Our Values
People
We cultivate a strong, unified team built on trust, collaboration, and shared purpose.
Integrity
Excellence
We pursue excellence through diligence, discipline, and a drive to deliver lasting impact.
Stewardship
We responsibly manage what’s entrusted to us, creating enduring value for future generations.