WEST PALM BEACH Fla. Industry veteran Martin O’Dowd has been named president of Hurricane AMT LLC here, parent of the 30-unit Hurricane Grill & Wings chain.
O'Dowd returns to the industry after leaving his role in 2003 as president chief executive of Famous Dave's of America. Prior to that post, O'Dowd had been president and chief operating officer of Rainforest Cafe from 1995 to 1999 and assisted in that company's initial public offering. He also has held positions with Elephant & Castle Inc., Hard Rock Cafe International, Steak & Ale and Holiday Inn Worldwide.
John Metz, chairman and chief executive of Hurricane AMT, said: "Martin has an immense expertise and knowledge of the business, and he has a proven track record of building highly successful organizations. He is a key addition to our executive team and will be instrumental in fast-tracking Hurricane Grill & Wings' expansion plans."
Hurricane Grill & Wings, which has 30 franchised units in Florida, first opened in Fort Pierce, Fla., in 1995. The menu offers five categories of wings with a choice of more than 30 sauces. It also features salads, burgers, grilled fish and microbrew beers and wine.
In a statement, O'Dowd said Hurricane Grill "has a superior product, a proven track record, systems with proven sustainability and unit economics where ROI [return on investment] are very achievable in today's economic environment."
O'Dowd lives in Atlanta with his wife and two children.
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].