To reach our editorial staff with questions or comments please write to: editor@businessworldmag.com Coming to a restaurant space near you... the Hooters girls? A significant slice of the February issue is devoted to items gleaned from an exclusive interview with Mark Whittle, who was recently named the Adlanta based company’s senior vice president of global development —meaning he’ll play an instrumental role in where the iconic symbols wind up. Whittle spoke at length about the company’s renewed initiative to grow through franchising, a drive that’s put him on the front lines when it comes to identifying the right owners and the right markets to help expand the company into what it expects will be 150 new stores. Hooters has taken what Whitdle labels “a more proactive approach” when it comes 10 identifying partners, which means a large part of bis new role is researching appropriate markets and taking the lead when it comes to establishing contact with the appropriate potential operators. That drill-down process takes a number of ctor into account, including a prospect’s restaurant experience and financial wherewithal, bus Whittle says it’s not simply about the cash flow. “This is a people business, he says. “Introverts don’t seem to be successful, or, if you’ve an introvert by nature, you need to have the outgoing sort of people working with you. If Warren Buffet called me tomorvate, the frst question Id ask hin is ‘Wha is going to operate the restaurant?” And while some elements of the brand may change from place to place, some others will surely not. “The Hooters girls are certainly part of the concept and will continue 10 be part of the conceps” Whittle says. “Having pretty girls around the world offering exceptional service to the customer is just part of hotw we do things. Some things never get old.” When it comes to companies anticipating grotth in the coming years, Hooters is not alone. Also included in this months magazine is a story on Golden Rock Commercial Park, a sprawling $76 million, five-phase development in Basseterre, the capital and largest city in St. Kitts and Nevis, a two-island nation that’s home to 40,000 people and located 1,200 miles off the Florida coast. Scott Caines, managing director of the company that initiated the project, says it was conceived amid an atmosphere of optimism and expansion tha enveloped the country in the last two or three years. Phase I construction began one year ago and the entire operation is scheduled for completion in 2018. “Five years ago, wed not have been ready for a project like this he says. “In the last three years, we’ve had quite a significant amount of new hotel properties on the island. There are facilities that have the ability and the potential to bring peaple and other things to the island.” Tike a look at those items and others included in our February offering, as well as supplemental content in the form of interesting business-related Top 10 lists and our newest interactive feature — “One Last Question” — located on the issue’s final page. As always, please fel fee to contact me with any comments or critiques, as well as suggestions for ways we can continue to provide a publication that’s pertinent, educational and entertaining All the best, The Editorial Team
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