24-Hour Restaurant Franchise Hires Jonathan Benjamin to Guide Unit Growth
Huddle House, the nearly 400-unit restaurant franchise best known for its comfort food, warm atmosphere and value pricing, named Jonathan Benjamin today as its new Chief Development Officer. Benjamin, a talented veteran sales and franchising executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience, will spearhead expanded unit growth in underserved markets and will play in integral role in improving current Huddle House facilities.
With a proven track record of exceptional performance and sales activity, Benjamin most recently held the title of Vice President of Franchise Sales with Corner Bakery Cafe. It was here that Benjamin created a new franchise sales department, and then rapidly implemented new sales systems and processes that led to record-shattering franchise growth of the brand. Prior to his tenure at Corner Bakery Cafe, Benjamin was instrumental in leading the growth of several brands of industry-leading companies within the portfolios of Wyndham Worldwide and Global Hyatt.
“Jonathan’s knowledge, track record and passion for the franchise industry is what sets him apart from others in the sector, and his experience translates perfectly to our present and long-term needs,” said Huddle House CEO Michael Abt. “Jonathan comes to us at a time when Huddle House is currently positioned for major growth in the Southeast and Texas, and with his help, we’ll make the brand a relevant driving force in these regions and beyond for decades to come.”
Benjamin joins Huddle House at a pivotal time as the 24-hour, family-friendly restaurant chain is expected to add 135 new franchised restaurants over the next four years. Moreover, Huddle House is in the midst of remodeling existing restaurants to incorporate a new prototype design that features a signature tower entrance, plush seating and contemporary colors. Redesigned restaurants have already experienced significant sales increases of 15 percent or more. To expedite the upgrades, the company recently offered a $25,000 financial incentive to the first 100 franchise partners who complete a remodel by July 31, 2014.
The decision to name Benjamin Huddle House’s new CDO comes on the heels of other recent leadership changes for the Atlanta-based company. Huddle House received a major boost in October 2012 after naming Michael Abt, an industry veteran with extensive experience building out brands, as its new CEO. Huddle House also recently appointed longtime Tim Horton’s executive Tyrone Counts as COO to build on the company’s growth momentum and improve overall sales and profitability.
To learn more about franchising opportunities or the Evolution incentive, please visit www.huddlehousefranchising.com.
Huddle House, Inc., a full-service family restaurant chain, is well-known for serving “Any Meal. Any Time.” in communities around the country. The Huddle House menu has a wide variety of comfort food items and features signature Big House breakfast and sandwich platters, as well as favorites such as country fried steak with green beans and marinated grilled chicken with sweet potato fries. The core values on which Huddle House was founded in 1964 – serving quality food in a warm, friendly environment that brings the community together – remain intact today. Typically open 24-hours, Huddle House serves breakfast, lunch and dinner all day. In 2011, Huddle House implemented a new and fresh design with flexible seating so even larger groups can come and enjoy ‘Our House’. The Atlanta-based, 400-unit franchise is located in 21 states, primarily in the Southeast, Central, Midwest and Southwest U.S. For more information, please call 1-800-868-5700 or visit www.huddlehouse.com.
