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Big Bucks

Vegetarians, beware: Georgia's gone to the birds.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported not one, but two chicken chains are putting their eggs in the Peach State’s basket.

California-based El Pollo Loco has announced plans to open 50 locations in metro Atlanta within the next six years. The popular West Coast chain, known for its citrus-marinated chicken roasted over an open flame, is expanding for the first time into the Southeast with seven stores planned for this year. Not to be left out, Charlotte-based Bojangles Restaurants has announced it will open another 15 of its Cajun-themed fried chicken joints in metro Atlanta during the next three years. The new stores are part of a push to open at least 80 new locations in major Georgia cities, including Savannah and Macon, by 2012.

Despite the presence of several major fast-food chicken chains including Mrs. Winner's, Popeyes, Church's and Chick-fil-A, executives at El Pollo Loco and Bojangles insist there is room to grow in metro Atlanta because quick-serve restaurants here generally outperform their counterparts in other parts of the country.

"Other chicken chains have reported that Georgia is among ... their best markets," said Eric Newman, executive vice president of Bojangles.

A Home-Run Idea

Just think of what you love the most in the whole world. Now imagine getting paid to do that for the rest of your life. Yes, to some it’s a dream but for a select few, it’s life.

Such is the case for Rob Nash and Joe Luis. The Gloucester Daily Times reported the pair were just a couple of ballplayers knocking around in the minor leagues in the late 1980s. Released from their teams in the early ’90s, the Boston-area natives started teaching baseball clinics to local kids and dabbling in sports merchandising when they hit on an idea to combine the two.

In 1996, with less than $50,000 in seed money borrowed from friends and family, they opened Extra Innings in Danvers, Massachusetts – a facility with batting cages for coaches, kids and teams, and a store with bats, balls and uniforms. Their sophomore effort, a 17,500-square-foot facility in Middleton, opened in 1998 and followed up with a number of company-owned sites over the next five years. They had their first franchise agreement in 2004 and late last month, the Peabody residents announced a milestone: they had just signed an agreement for their 50th franchise, which will be located in Middletown, N.Y. A week or two later, they had 51. With that kind of explosive growth, the company expects gross profits of about $45 million this year, Nash said.

Greener Pastures

The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille has come out of its shell in a big way.

The Baltimore Business Journal reported the chain has opened its first-ever airport location at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The restaurant, known for its Maryland-inspired menu of wings, burgers and "Slamwiches," began serving air travelers last week as the newest addition to BWI's Airmall, a 120,000-square-foot refurbished concession space developed by BAA Maryland.

"The Greene Turtle has become a well-known establishment throughout Maryland and we are pleased to welcome this regional favorite to the Airmall," BAA Maryland vice president Patrick Walsh said in a statement. "Travelers can experience the flavors of Maryland without leaving the airport."

Founded in Ocean City, Maryland in 1976, the Greene Turtle has grown through expansion and franchising to more than 14 locations throughout the state. The company was recently acquired by JPB Capital Partners. 

Worth The Wait

Few things hold the power to coax a person out of their air-conditioned abode in 90-degree weather. In Iowa City, a burrito from Panchero’s is just that thing.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen reported the line to get into Panchero's Mexican Grill stretched almost an entire block Tuesday afternoon as hundreds of students waited for their turn. The local chain celebrated its 15th anniversary by selling $1 burritos and handing out free T-shirts at its Iowa City downtown location: in two hours, workers doled out 1,500 burritos and gave out 1,500 black-and-gold T-shirts.

"We want to make a statement and say, 'We appreciate you Iowa City, and we're ready for 15 more years,'" said Jay Hockenedel, director of operations. He said the special actually began 45 minutes early out of consideration for people who were already forming lines in the heat. The event was officially from 2 to 4 p.m. At 1 p.m., 285 people already had showed up.

Panchero's opened in Iowa City in 1992 and quickly became a staple downtown, and in particular, for University of Iowa students. He said the restaurant has always tried to cater to the student population, operating at after-bar hours for example.

"It's a staple for the college kids," Hockenedel said. "University students and Panchero's kind of go hand in hand."

Ramping Things Up

In every market, there will always be that one item that everyone needs. Think sunscreen and swimwear top Floridians’ must-have lists? Think again.

 
The Florida Times-Union reported American Ramps North Florida has found its niche: selling ramps in retiree-rich Florida is like selling heaters in Alaska. The father-and-son business, launched in April, is Florida's first franchisee of Boston-based American Ramp Systems. The Tallahassee-based franchisee has an office in Jacksonville, said Scott Greene IV, franchise president.

While the residential sector is the main market, commercial businesses also offer lucrative revenue sources. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires businesses retrofit their buildings, open to the public, to make them accessible by the disabled. Unlike the ubiquitous wooden and concrete ramps, portable steel ramps can be easily transported between locations, are more hassle-free and don't require permits to set up.

"If there's a business that is staring down a major fine for not being compliant," Greene said, "they can get one of these ramps very quickly and become compliant."

American Ramps North Florida hopes to hit revenues of about $800,000 in the first year, and see a roughly 60 percent increase in annual sales over the next three years. With ever-active baby boomers blowing out their hips and knees, American Ramps may have a ready market to tap into. Greene decided to launch into the ramp business because of its profit potential, his ramps sell for about 35 percent profit, on average. The sales-focused job also allows Greene to get out of the office and interact with customers.

"It's not a cubicle-type business," he said. "You're out in the field, you're dealing with ... mostly people who really, really need help."

Playing Footsie

At one time or another, every little girl (and some adventurous little boys) have tried on Mom’s heels and pranced about the house. For Lori Andre, that rite of passage spawned a career.

The Daily Herald reported Andre’s shoe infatuation turned into a full-time job shortly after graduating from the University of Wisconsin when she launched Lori's Designer Shoes in Chicago. She started with about 800 pairs of shoes but now boasts about 10,000 pairs as well as handbags and accessories. A varied price range is important to Andre so she is able to serve women of all ages and backgrounds: her shoppers will find everything from $12 flip-flops to $850 Italian boots. Over the past 24 years she has made strides, adding stores in suburbs Highland Park and Northfield. Andre began franchising three years ago, adding another four stores.

"Lori has a fantastic eye for picking out the new fashion trends. She's able to mesh the American and European styles so well," said Evelyn Schwall, who worked for Andre for 10 years and then launched the first franchise location in Naperville. Schwall, 27, opened another shop in Hinsdale five months ago.

Serious Cereal

If the Cap’n is calling, you’ll soon have no excuse but to answer.

QSR magazine announced its nationwide growth plans. The Miami-based company expects to have three new locations open and 30 stores under development by the end of 2007. As of the announcement time, the chain was just over halfway there with 16 stores under development.

"We have spent the last year developing our concept and creating unique products that can only be found at The Cereal Bowl, and are excited to have the opportunity to bring our brand to new markets," said president and CEO Kenneth Rader.

Customers at the brand's new locations will have the opportunity to enjoy trademark bowls such as Give Me S'More or to create their own bowl from a selection of over 35 cereals, 40-plus toppings and a variety of milks. In 2008, The Cereal Bowl is expected to launch a kiosk design to accommodate new locations in venues such as airports, malls and college campuses.

"The kiosk option is something we have been working on since we first created our business plan in college," said Rader. "We have had a great deal of interest from people wanting to bring The Cereal Bowl brand to their campus food courts as well as interest from major transportation hubs such as airports and train stations."

The 40-Year-Old Sandwich

Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Big Mac. Happy birthday to you.

ABCNews.com reports that while normally a 40-year-old sandwich would be something to be avoided, the McDonald’s Big Mac is as popular as ever. The triple-decker burger, which helped breed America's super-size culture and restaurants' ever-expanding jumbo meals, is turning 40.

The Big Mac was first introduced in 1967 by Jim Delligatti, a McDonald's franchise owner in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. A year later, it became a staple of McDonald's menus nationwide. To celebrate the burger's anniversary, Delligatti, 89, and his family opened a Big Mac Museum Restaurant this week in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania full of memorabilia, celebratory exhibits and "the world's largest Big Mac statue."

According to McDonald’s, people in more than 100 countries have given in to Big Mac attacks with an estimated 550 million sold each year in the U.S. alone. Do the math and that's about 17 per second.

"The Big Mac is certainly one of our most popular sandwiches," said spokeswoman Danya Proud. "There is only one Big Mac and there will only ever be one Big Mac."

Love them or hate them, the two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun has grown from its humble beginnings to become a cultural unifier, said pop culture expert and author Rachel Weingarten.

"You can live in Beijing or Brooklyn and you can enjoy as your favorite snack a Big Mac attack," she said. "Maybe you didn't grow up watching the same cartoons, maybe you didn't grow up speaking the same language, maybe you grew up next door to each other and never said hello, but you suddenly have a point of reference this warm, yummy, bad-for-you, sometimes-naughty thing."

Krispy Kreme Franchisee: Oh Krap

My, how the mighty have fallen.

Forbes reported Great Circle Family Foods LLC, once Krispy Kreme Doughnuts’ largest franchisee, has filed for Chapter 11 protection.

Despite selling off a number of shops and "significantly" cutting debt, Great Circle said it continues to have "an unmanageable amount" of debt which it's unable to pay. The company and its units own and operate nine Krispy Kreme stores, and manage three others, all in Southern California. Founded in 1998, Great Circle became Krispy Kreme's largest franchisee under an aggressive development plan that called for it to open 42 Krispy Kreme stores over six years. At its peak in 2004, Great Circle had sales of $64 million; the company said it expects sales for 2007 to total about $17 million.

Great Circle said that overexpansion, Krispy Kreme's lack of marketing, increases in costs of goods purchased from Krispy Kreme, consumer dietary changes and the absence of a "credible" coffee program were among the factors leading to its downfall. The Fullerton, California-based company said, however, that it has a "valuable going concern, which can be sold or restructured for the benefit of creditors."

Bouncing Back

As the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina looms in the future, all eyes are on New Orleans. With many businesses still struggling to get back to where they once were, AP reporter Joyce M. Rosenberg asked Gulf Coast business owners what steps they took to rebound from the devastation.

Her article, published in The Washington Post, tells the story of entrepreneur Robert Myer. At the time Katrina hit, Myer was the owner of two successful Express Personnel staffing firms in Gulfport, Mississippi and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His office in Gulfport was heavily damaged by the storm but that was the least of his worries: his customer base had been almost completely annihilated. In the week before Katrina, Myer billed 39 clients; the week after, just five. He had to quickly go out and find business, and recalled, "The only way I could literally recruit people was talking to people who unfortunately were literally on the street," with no job, and no place to live.

So Myer operated for weeks out of his sport utility vehicle – not only because of the damage to his office, but also because it was the best way to be as visible as possible. He set up signs around the vehicle with jobs that were available, and took applications right then and there. To keep the business mobile, Myer strapped gas cans to the roof of his SUV and drove to Pensacola, Florida for fuel. Eventually, he switched to a motor home, but continued working 20-hour days trying to rebuild.

Eight months after Katrina, Myer felt like his business had finally recovered. And because he is in the staffing industry, and the devastated Gulf Coast is still rebuilding, he's had huge demand for his services. The storm actually has enabled his business to expand: he's opened an office in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and "we've had tremendous growth in our Gulfport office – we're past normal."