SCOTTSDALE ARIZ. —McDonald’s franchisee Coaxum Enterprises, the El Pollo Loco fast-casual chain and Greg Flynn, chairman and chief executive of Apple American Group, an Applebee’s franchisee, have been named winners of the 2007 Nation’s Restaurant News Franchise Excellence Awards.
The awards honor companies and individuals for superior leadership and performance in franchise management. The awards will be presented March 28 by Nation’s Restaurant News in partnership with the Restaurant Leadership Conference during the RLC’s event here. —McDonald’s franchisee Coaxum Enterprises, the El Pollo Loco fast-casual chain and Greg Flynn, chairman and chief executive of Apple American Group, an Applebee’s franchisee, have been named winners of the 2007 Nation’s Restaurant News Franchise Excellence Awards.
Coaxum Enterprises Inc., under president Henry Coaxum, earned the Franchisee Star Award for attaining profitability, operational excellence and food and service success in a short period of time. The owner-operator of seven McDonald’s restaurants in the New Orleans area, Coaxum Enterprises was recognized for its efforts to reopen restaurants after Hurricane Katrina. —McDonald’s franchisee Coaxum Enterprises, the El Pollo Loco fast-casual chain and Greg Flynn, chairman and chief executive of Apple American Group, an Applebee’s franchisee, have been named winners of the 2007 Nation’s Restaurant News Franchise Excellence Awards.
After the massive storm hit, three of Coaxum’s restaurants were damaged and closed. Responding swiftly, the company bought and reopened the St. Charles Avenue restaurant in February 2006 in time for the city’s Mardi Gras celebration. In January 2007, Coaxum acquired and reopened four full-service McDonald’s restaurants in five months. —McDonald’s franchisee Coaxum Enterprises, the El Pollo Loco fast-casual chain and Greg Flynn, chairman and chief executive of Apple American Group, an Applebee’s franchisee, have been named winners of the 2007 Nation’s Restaurant News Franchise Excellence Awards.
Irvine, Calif.-based El Pollo Loco captured the Leadership in Franchise Management Award for leading a group of franchisees to success while upholding the franchisor brand, concept and experience. In recent years, the chain has grown to 360 restaurants, including 208 franchise locations and 152 company-owned units. As El Pollo Loco continues to open restaurants around the country, it has created a Franchise Restaurant Opening Group, or FROG, dedicated solely to supporting new franchisees. —McDonald’s franchisee Coaxum Enterprises, the El Pollo Loco fast-casual chain and Greg Flynn, chairman and chief executive of Apple American Group, an Applebee’s franchisee, have been named winners of the 2007 Nation’s Restaurant News Franchise Excellence Awards.
“We are committed to helping our franchise partners introduce El Pollo Loco in new markets,” company president Steve Carley said. “FROG’s main objectives are to establish and nurture strong partnerships with our franchisees, expose them to the El Pollo Loco brand and culture, and address their needs and challenges.” —McDonald’s franchisee Coaxum Enterprises, the El Pollo Loco fast-casual chain and Greg Flynn, chairman and chief executive of Apple American Group, an Applebee’s franchisee, have been named winners of the 2007 Nation’s Restaurant News Franchise Excellence Awards.
Greg Flynn, chairman and chief executive of Apple American Group LLC in Petaluma, Calif., was named Franchise Entrepreneur of the Year. The award honors an individual who owns and operates multiple franchises with consistent gains through entrepreneurial marketing and management strategies. —McDonald’s franchisee Coaxum Enterprises, the El Pollo Loco fast-casual chain and Greg Flynn, chairman and chief executive of Apple American Group, an Applebee’s franchisee, have been named winners of the 2007 Nation’s Restaurant News Franchise Excellence Awards.
AAG owns and operates 135 Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants in California, Delaware, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington and West Virginia. With $370 million in sales and 9,000 employees, AAG is the largest franchisee in the Applebee’s system. The company’s sales grew 17 percent in 2006, and officials expect to open 14 new units this year. AAG also has been named Franchise Developer of the Year by Applebee’s International for the past four years. —McDonald’s franchisee Coaxum Enterprises, the El Pollo Loco fast-casual chain and Greg Flynn, chairman and chief executive of Apple American Group, an Applebee’s franchisee, have been named winners of the 2007 Nation’s Restaurant News Franchise Excellence Awards.
“Franchising is a vital part of the restaurant industry because of its ability to trigger growth and spark innovation by entrepreneurial-minded individuals,” said Alan Gould, publisher of NRN. “We congratulate Coaxum Enterprises for responding magnificently to community needs in the wake of Katrina. We salute El Pollo Loco for its innovative, far-sighted franchise programs, and AAG for brilliantly leading a large and diverse group of franchised restaurants to continued growth.” —McDonald’s franchisee Coaxum Enterprises, the El Pollo Loco fast-casual chain and Greg Flynn, chairman and chief executive of Apple American Group, an Applebee’s franchisee, have been named winners of the 2007 Nation’s Restaurant News Franchise Excellence Awards.
The 2007 Franchise Excellence Awards recipients were selected by the editors of Nation’s Restaurant News. —McDonald’s franchisee Coaxum Enterprises, the El Pollo Loco fast-casual chain and Greg Flynn, chairman and chief executive of Apple American Group, an Applebee’s franchisee, have been named winners of the 2007 Nation’s Restaurant News Franchise Excellence Awards.