Checkers featured on NBC 15 Mobile

Checkers was recently featured in a segment with NBC 15 in Mobile called “Checkers Unveils New Restaurant,” which aired on Saturday, Nov. 11. The segment was built from an interview with Marc Mediate who spoke about this restaurant being the pathway for Checkers moving forward. It discussed the unveiling of the very first single lane brand prototype as well as the first 100 customers in line getting free food for a year. Below is the segment in its entirety.

Checkers featured in Newsday

Checkers was recently featured in Newsday in an article titled, "Bohemia brothers opening another Checkers". Newsday reporter Jim Bernstein compiled an article about the past and present careers of brothers Pete and Mike O’Hara and why they decided to get back into the franchise after selling their 10 locations in 2001. The article also discussed how the development of the location opening on November 17th and plans for additional expansion will help the Patchogue Village community. A portion of the article is included below and can be read in its entirety by clicking here.


Bohemia brothers opening another Checkers

The Checkers Brothers -- Pete and Mike O'Hara -- are back.
The O'Haras are the Checkers Brothers because in 1995 they brought the first Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc. fast-food eatery to Long Island, in North Babylon.

By 2001 they had opened 10 of the 1950s-style eateries in Nassau and Suffolk counties, making them the Tampa, Fla.-based company's largest franchiser in the region. That same year they sold all of the restaurants to another franchisee. Two years ago the O'Hara brothers built a 63-unit condo complex, Bay Village, in Patchogue.

Now they are going back to being the Checkers Brothers.

Their Bohemia-based company, Capital Management Development Llc, is about to complete a strip shopping center at Main Street and Route 112 in Patchogue, which will include a 7-Eleven, a Bethpage Federal Credit Union branch and a Checkers. There are 15 such restaurants on the Island, according to Checkers chief development officer Jennifer Durham. But the O'Hara brothers plan to open more in the next year or so.


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Rall'ys featured in Toledo Free Press

Toledo Free Press reporter Zach Davis came down to the Rally’s grand opening in Toledo on October 15, 2011 to see what all the buzz was about. There, he spoke with Marc Mediate, Rally’s VP of Company Operations, about the new look and feel of the West Central Ave. location. Mediate said that the Toledo market has been strong for Rally’s over the past several years so the company decided this was the prime location to undergo the reimage. A portion of the article is included below and can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

New Rally’s exterior revealed in Toledo
Written by Zach Davis || zdavis@toledofreepress.com

Doritos tacos aren’t the only exclusive in the fast-food industry around Toledo. On Oct. 15, Rally’s unveiled its new image at 5855 W. Central Ave., the first store in the nation with the new look.

“We are excited,” Rally’s Vice President of Company Operations Marc Mediate said. “This is our first Rally’s restaurant that will be getting the new imaging process. It’s a whole facelift for our brand, especially our Rally’s brand, which is 26 years old.”

The company chose Toledo because of the success that Rally’s has had during the past three to four years in the area.

“We selected Toledo because it is one of our strongest markets in the company and it has been for many years now,” Mediate said. “We selected West Central Avenue because it is high-visibility and the trade area around here.

“We thought it was a great site to get started with as we move forward through these redesigns. We are always reinvesting into our business, including the technology and all of the equipment. Now it is time to bring the outside facilities up to that same level.”

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Rally's featured in Toledo Blade

Rally's was recently featured in an article featured in the Toledo Blade. The article goes into detail about the 19-year old location in Toledo undergoing a transformation as the first of its kind. It discusses the specific details which are being re-imaged and that it is set to open on Oct. 15. A portion of the article is included below and can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Rally’s remodeling local eatery into prototype

Rally’s, the fast-food burger restaurant chain based in Tampa, is seeking a new look for its colorful red-and-white double drive-through stores and plans to remodel its Sylvania Township restaurant at West Central Avenue and Holland-Sylvania Road into a prototype for its 800 locations nationwide, the company said yesterday.

The makeover includes the addition of stainless steel over both drive-thru lanes and the blending of red into its traditional black-and-white checkered scheme.

The interior will include upgrades in the kitchen to provide more efficiency. The 19-year-old restaurant at 5855 West Central Ave. is undergoing the remodeling and is to reopen Oct. 15.

Rally’s is owned by Checkers & Rally’s Drive-In Restaurants Inc.


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Rally's featured in Indianapolis Star

Rally's was recently featured in an article in the Indianapolis Star. The article, written by Bruce Smith, provides details of Rally’s plans of expanding to 30 additional stores in the Indianapolis area over the next few years. The story includes interviews from Rally’s-Indianapolis franchisees Ted Amick and Fred Kaufman, as well as Jennifer Durham, chief development officer and vice president of finance for Checkers/Rally’s. A portion of the article is below and can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Rally's is looking for a bigger bite of Central Indiana

Quick-serve restaurant veteran Fred Kaufman was bored with his golf retirement, and small-business owner Tim Amick is new to burgers and fries.

The two share a future as two of the newest franchise owners of Rally's drive-through eateries. Both opened new restaurants in Indianapolis in the past month.

They also could have key roles in Rally's corporate plan to add 30 locations in Central Indiana in the next few years. That effectively would double the number of Rally's here, and many will be owned by local franchisees such as Kaufman and Amick.

Tampa, Fla.-based Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, the parent corporation of about 800 locations of Rally's and Checkers nationwide, is working on a study of potential areas for growth and development, according to company executives.

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Rally's featured in Indianapolis Business Journal

Rally’s was recently featured in the Indianapolis Business Journal, in an article titled “Rally’s planning to add up to 30 local restaurants.” In the article, Jennifer Durham, VP of finance and chief development officer for the brand, discusses how Indianapolis is a great market for the burger chain. Durham said the brand can grow two to three times its size in the city to create a heavy presence without fear of over-saturation. The article also discusses the two newest local franchisees, Tim Amick and Fred Kaufman, who each have plans to continue to develop throughout Indianapolis. A portion of the article is included below and can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Rally's planning to add up to 30 local restaurants

The owner of the drive-through focused burger chain Rally's, which got its start in southern Indiana, hopes to double the number of locations in the Indianapolis area over the next 10 years.

Rally's has 30 locations in Indianapolis, 24 of them owned by the chain's privately held parent company, Tampa-based Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc.

Franchisees own the other six local restaurants and also would own most of the up to 30 new restaurants on the drawing board. The focus of the growth, a few new restaurants per year, will be in suburban areas, said Jennifer Durham, the chain's vice president of finance and chief development officer.

The newest location, at 5235 E. Southport Road, opened in August. The next one is under construction at 4905 Kentucky Ave.

"We think Indianapolis is a great market for the company," Durham said. "I think we can grow by two or three times and still have a nice presence without an over-saturation."

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Checkers featured in Nation's Restaurant News

Nation’s Restaurant News published an article/video called “What goes into Checkers’ strawberry cheesecake sundae.” The article was built from an in-depth interview with Ryan Joy on what makes Checkers sundaes so delicious. In this Q&A style article, Ryan points out that creating a high-quality sundae is a high traffic driver for Checkers. A portion of the article is included below and can be read in its entirety by clicking here.


What goes into Checkers' strawberry cheesecake sundae


Checkers’ premium strawberry cheesecake sundae has sold so well since it was rolled out this summer the quick-service chain is developing three new limited-time sundaes in apple pie, blueberry and tropical flavors.

The strawberry shortcake sundae, which sells for $3.69, is the second-biggest selling ice cream at Tampa, Fla.-based Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc., which began offering soft-serve cones, shakes and sundaes only a few month ago.



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Checkers featured in Franchise Chatter

Checkers was recently featured in Franchise Chatter, in an article titled “Exclusive Interview with Jennifer Durham, Intern Chief Development Officer and VP of Finance for Checkers Drive In Restaurants.” The article was built from an interview with Jennifer Durham. This is a great profile on the Checkers franchise opportunity including attributes that make Checkers a great franchise opportunity and how someone can become a part of the system. A portion of the article is below and can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Exclusive Interview with Jennifer Durham, Interim Chief Development Officer and VP of Finance for Checkers Drive-In Restaurants

Jennifer Durham was named Vice President and Corporate Controller of Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. in October 2007 and has since been responsible for leading the company’s Corporate Finance department, including financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, debt compliance, and decision support for the company.

In April of this year, Checkers’ CEO Rick Silva asked Jennifer to step in as Interim Chief Development Officer and lead the franchise restaurant growth initiatives at Checkers.

What made you decide to join Checkers?

I was a frequent guest of Checkers before I joined the Company — as a transplant from Chicago to Florida. It seemed as though Checkers was always a part of my life. In high school, one of Checkers first restaurants was across the street and when I attended the University of Florida, there were several locations throughout Gainesville. I would ride my bike across campus for a Champ burger and those famous fries.

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Franchisee Profile: Tim Amick, Rally's Franchisee of Indianapolis

An Indianapolis native, Tim Amick is passionate about owning businesses. For the past 15 years, he has owned and operated an excavating and landscaping company, and has recently made the leap into restaurant ownership by opening Rally’s on East Southport Road. Focused on the commitment necessary to succeed as a business owner, Amick plans to bring three of the ’50s diner-style hamburger restaurants to the suburbs of Indianapolis over the next five years.

Q: What was your career before franchising?
A: For the past 15 years I have owned and operated an excavating and landscaping company, which I still maintain. Before I started that business, I worked in industrial sales for 20 years.

Q: How did you learn about the brand?
A: I have a friend who owns two Rally’s restaurants, so it was through him that I learned about business ownership opportunities. He told me about what it’s like to run his business and got me involved in the process of opening my own. I really like the look of the Rally’s buildings, too. They remind me of a ’50s diner-style restaurant and I’m also attracted to the double drive-through concept. I wanted to go with a franchise because as inexperienced as I am in the fast food industry, I needed to go with a system that made it as easy as possible to get up and running.

Q: How did the economy factor in to your decision to open this business?
A: I’ve been very fortunate over the years to be a saver and a wise investor. I started this project two years ago and already had a loan approved and in place before I even pursued it. However, it has still had its challenges. Site selection took a long time, and with me being new I wanted to make sure I had a really great location so I could set myself up for success.

Q: How did you secure financing to open your business?
A: I obtained financing through the Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corp., which is an agency that helps small business owners secure funds through the Small Business Administration. It was beneficial for me, because the bank took on 50 percent, the ISCDC took on 40 percent at a fixed rate, which only left 10 percent for me to cover. It’s an appealing system because no one person or entity is taking all of the risk. Because of the economic times, I knew it would be hard to ask the bank to take the total risk, so this route made the most sense to me.

Q: With regard to your previous experience, what skills do you feel helped you in your business?
A: If you’ve ever worked for yourself, you know the commitment it takes to make something work.
It’s not for everyone, because most people just don’t understand what you have to do to make a business work. The commitment of time and money is a big deal, and you have to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. I’ve always had that “can do” type attitude, and I’ve always been certain that I can do anything I set my mind to. I think that has helped me along the way.

Q: What are your expansion or development plans?
A: Over the next five years, I hope to open a minimum of three restaurants in the suburbs of the Indianapolis area.