YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
There are roughly 15 entities under the banner of Hamra Enterprises, but three in particular are fueling growth for the Springfield-based company, according to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Davidson.
The three entities pushing Hamra Enterprises’ growth are Wendy’s of Missouri Inc., which comprises 25 Wendy’s stores; Boston Bread LLC, which comprises 16 Boston-area Panera Bread Cafés; and Chicago Bread LLC, which has 29 Panera Bread Cafés in the Windy City area.
Many of the entities under Hamra Enterprises are very small, Davidson said, but two others that bear mention are SJH Hotels, which includes a Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Baymont, Texas; and Jade Properties, a real estate development company. Davidson oversees all Hamra Enterprises operations except Boston Bread LLC, led by Mike Hamra, son of company owners Sam and June Hamra. Davidson declined to disclose revenues of individual entities under Hamra Enterprises.
In 2007, Hamra Enterprises posted revenues of $144.57 million, up from $129.7 million in 2006 and $110.61 million in 2005.
The Hamras opened their newest Wendy’s site – and eighth Springfield eatery – on Feb. 4 at 3339 W. Kearney St. in Airport Plaza.
Davidson attributed much of the growth to increased sales volume that is outpacing national franchise growth rates. New stores also have fueled growth, particularly for Panera, though Davidson did not disclose the number of new stores opened in the last couple of years.
Mike Pollock, president of P&H Holdings LLC and former division vice president of Wendy’s International, isn’t surprised by Hamra Enterprises’ ability to boost sales. Pollock worked with the Hamra organization for more than five years while with Wendy’s International, and he has watched Sam Hamra grow the business by building a solid team.
“Every business goes through its challenges, and Sam has been in the business for a long time,” Pollock said. “… He continues to develop his team, and when he got his current leadership team in place, I think they were able to take that business to the next level.”
Sam Hamra, who was in Florida, deferred comment for this story to other team members, but he’s no stranger to company rewards.
In January, Hamra received the Wendy Award at the Wendy’s International Convention in Orlando, Fla. The award recognizes the top franchisee in each of the company’s five regions for operational standards, commitment to training, and efforts to rebuild and remodel existing stores. Wendy’s of Missouri was chosen for the award from among more than 120 franchisees in Wendy’s southern region, which has 1,900 restaurants in 14 states.
Reasons for the Hamras’ success with Wendy’s are simple, according to Chuck Ocarz, president and CEO of Wendy’s of Missouri. Ocarz noted that sales have been up for 13 straight years.
“Basically, we’ve tried to do a lot of remodeling and rebuilding of the stores,” he added. “We’re trying to make sure the service is quick, the orders are accurate and the quality is right. We try to price fairly and to do all the basic things, really.”
Ocarz said growth happens when everything comes together.
“Some of the older stores have been remodeled,” Ocarz said. “You get a good reputation on the drive-through and people remember. People appreciate a nice facility. It all pays off for us.”
Ocarz said the Wendy’s district and store managers have all done an excellent job in customer service, though the biggest challenge comes with the company’s “super value” menu, which includes several items that cost about $1.
“We’re trying hard to maintain the bargain menu, even with the cost of transportation going up,” Ocarz said.
Even with the challenge of maintaining profit margins – which were not disclosed – Hamra Enterprises isn’t shying away from more growth. Construction began in early March on Wendy’s of Missouri’s third restaurant in Branson. Scheduled to open in late spring, the eatery will employ about 35 people and feature Wendy’s new café-style dining room design.
And whatever challenges the future might bring, Pollock is confident that Hamra Enterprises will rise to the occasion.
“I think they executed on all cylinders, investing in facilities, investing in people and having a good long-term vision for the companies,” Pollock said. “Because of that, they’ve just seen tremendous growth over the last five years.”
Information accurate at the time of the honor.[[In-content Ad]]
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