August 30, 2024
(press release)
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Play Video Weekly ritual includes ordering extra biscuit to honor son For years, Brian and Angie Perry enjoyed going to Chick-fil-A for breakfast with their two sons – it was a bit of a family tradition. But in July 2020, their lives changed forever when their 12-year-old son, Ethan, was diagnosed with cancer. Even when traveling, Brian’s been able to maintain his tradition of having two biscuits on a Saturday morning. Tony even reached out to an Operator in another state when Brian and Angie were traveling through. 
“We fought for eight courageous months, and he was just a strong fighter,” Angie said.
In March 2021 after a hard-fought eight-month battle, Ethan sadly passed away. While grieving his son’s passing, Brian found comfort in Chick-fil-A biscuits and penned a piece about it for the TV station he works for.
“I went to Chick-fil-A one day and I ordered two biscuits, one for me and one for Ethan, even though he wasn’t going to get to enjoy breakfast with his dad again,” Brian shared. “And I’ve done that ever since.”
The team at Chick-fil-A Sienna Crossing in Missouri City, Texas where Brian dines heard his story and learned that he sat at the same table every Saturday morning. They began to reserve table 13.
“I like to sit at the same table. It’s table number 13 because it faces east. And when the sun is rising in the morning, there is nothing like a beautiful ray of sunshine on your face,” Brian said.
To commemorate his tradition, Chick-fil-A Sienna Crossing Owner-Operator Tony Levine joined Brian one Saturday to deliver him a special gift: a painting of the Saturday morning breakfast at table 13. 
While on a cruise ship last October, even though he wasn’t near a Chick-fil-A Brian told the dining staff of his Saturday morning ritual. They surprised him with a custom breakfast of biscuits and chicken.
Each March, Brian and Angie take a “reflection trip” on the anniversary of Ethan’s passing. In 2024, they planned a trip to Atlanta to see family – and to take a Backstage Tour at the Chick-fil-A Support Center.
Their primary host during the visit had the initials “EP,” which is what Ethan’s friends called him. This brought a smile to Brian’s face.
While in the hospital receiving treatment, Ethan was gifted a Rubik’s Cube, which he learned to solve in just three hours. His parents fondly recall how he would ask doctors and nurses to scramble the cube, then amaze them by solving it right before their eyes.
Brian and Angie continue to honor Ethan’s memory and created the nonprofit “Ethan’s Ohana,” which collects and distributes Rubik’s Cubes to children’s hospitals. The organization continues to bring smiles and a bit of joy to kids facing tough battles, just as Ethan did.
Read below for more on Brian’s experience:
How Chick-fil-A biscuits are bringing comfort to grieving father
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