Ground Round is a brand folks in Rochester know and welcome back to the area, and when they visit, they discover a restaurant design and menu that’s come a long way from what they remember years ago! Located on Airport View Drive SW, the owners of this new eatery and sports bar are also familiar faces and active, experienced members of the community. Andy Chafoulias, Joe Powers and Todd Klees have come together as partners in this new venture, and they also own the nearby Americ Inn hotel, Rochester Event Center, and the well known Canadian Honker restaurant downtown. “We’re excited to bring Ground Round back to Rochester and couldn’t be more pleased with the local owners of this venture, who serve as a perfect fit and franchise partner for our brand,” offers Jack Crawford, President & CEO of Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative, LLC (Ground Round IOC). “While this new restaurant was a conversion, it captures many of the same design elements and ambiance of our newest prototype restaurants.” Ground Round has other restaurants nearby in Winona, Worthington, Grand Rapids, Bemidji, and another new location soon to open in Waconia, MN.
The Rochester Ground Round opened on October 1st, and has quickly become a busy, popular spot for many locals. The restaurant offers a separate dining room for families and quieter dining, and a dynamic sports bar lounge with multiple flat screen TV’S, a large bar and lots of flexible seating for parties of any size. The same great menu is available in both rooms and the restaurant is open for lunch, dinner and late night every day, with an outdoor patio that will greet guests again next Spring. “We have a great staff and facility that’s second to none in the area, with a menu and brand guests know and enjoy,” states Joe Powers, experienced restaurateur and local owner. “We’ve opened five new Ground Rounds in the past year, and Rochester’s team, execution, and community support has been among the strongest we’ve seen,” adds Crawford. “We look forward to continued success here in Rochester and expect to see this local and talented ownership team develop more Ground Rounds in the area in the years ahead!”
Ground Round IOC represents a group of independent franchise owners who purchased the Ground Round Franchise Rights and Trademarks, and have owned and led their own brand since 2004. They offer a unique franchise model whereby franchisees can own their own restaurant independently and also own an ownership/membership share in the overall future and growth of the brand. Ground Round IOC operates restaurants in 12 states spread across the Midwest and Northeast areas of the United States, with headquarters based in Freeport, Maine. For more information, visit www.groundround.com.
