Area McAlister's change hands

Local McAlister's Deli franchisee Vanco JME LLC has sold its area franchise rights and properties to a Tennessee-based company.

Vanco JME, which was managed by Richard and Katie Vance and Mark Garrett, sold its four Springfield locations and one Republic restaurant to Nashville, Tenn.-based Southern Rock Restaurants  for an undisclosed amount on Oct. 7, Richard Vance said. He noted properties were included in the sale for all but one of the restaurants, 1460 E. Primrose St., which is under a lease. The sale included the franchise rights for Greene County.

With the transaction, both the Vances and Garrett have relinquished their ownership interest in the McAlister's chain. Garrett started the first McAlister's franchise in Tennesee, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

Vance added that Southern Rock Restaurants also purchased another McAlister's location from him in Grenada, Miss., and 20 other locations from Garrett in the Memphis, Tenn., metropolitan area.

Under the terms of the deal, Vance said Southern Rock Restaurants, which is owned by David Blackburn, is keeping on existing employees at the McAlister's locations.

"Most of my people have been with me eight to 10 years," Vance said, noting regional director Brock Barton has continued managing the Springfield area restaurants since the sale. "Nothing is going to change in Springfield. It's changed for me, not for McAlister's."

Vance said he and Garett decided to leave the chain to spend more time with family.

"I'm literally just taking time off and spending time with the kids," Vance said. "I just turned 40, and I'm re-evaluating what I want to do."[[In-content Ad]]