Fast-Growing Franchisee Honored at Awards Gala at Flourish Atlanta
For the third year in a row, GPS Hospitality has been recognized by the Atlanta chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth® (ACG) as one of the fastest-growing private companies in Georgia.
The Atlanta-based BURGER KING® and Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen franchisee was honored June 22 at ACG’s annual Georgia Fast 40 award gala at Flourish Atlanta for its strong revenue and employment growth, as well as its ongoing contributions to the local business community.
“In less than five years, we’ve made significant progress toward our goal of $1 billion in annual sales. It’s clear guests appreciate our service-obsessed style of management, and we’re constantly evaluating new opportunities to grow and expand,” said CEO Tom Garrett. “On behalf of GPS Hospitality, I’m honored to accept this award in recognition of our team’s hard work and shared vision to become our guests’ favorite fast food destination.”
GPS Hospitality acquired more than 200 BURGER KING and Popeyes restaurants in 2016 – nearly doubling its size and expanding its footprint into five new states across the Southeast. In Georgia, GPS Hospitality also recently purchased 11 Popeyes restaurants to deepen its holdings in the Atlanta market.
The company has supported its ambitious expansion by investing in updating restaurant facilities, providing training to employees and hiring additional staff to provide the highest level of service to guests. It’s also committed to building and remodeling more than two dozen restaurants this year.
To be honored by ACG, this year’s Georgia Fast 40 applicants were required to submit three years of verifiable revenue and employment growth records, which were validated by national accounting firm Cherry Bekaert LLP. All companies on the list are for profit, headquartered in Georgia and reported 2016 annual revenues ranging from $15 to $500 million. An ACG Selection Committee evaluated each company’s application and conducted in-person interviews with all qualified applicants.
“The companies being honored this year exemplify ACG’s focus on driving middlemarket growth and demonstrate the strength and significance of this sector in Georgia,” said Melanie Brandt, ACG Atlanta’s Executive Director.
“These 40 companies represent 9,574 new jobs and $2.03 billion in revenue growth over the last two years alone,” said Justin Palmer, chairman of the 2017 Georgia Fast 40 Awards and Vice President at Genesis Capital, LLC. “We are proud to honor these great companies in our communities.”
To see the full list of ACG Georgia Fast 40 honorees, visit: http://www.acg.org/atlanta/acgatlantafast40.aspx
About GPS Hospitality
Founded in 2012, GPS Hospitality is a BURGER KING® and Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen franchisee, operating 395 restaurants in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. GPS Hospitality seeks to become our guests’ favorite QSR destination by implementing our brand values of being Goal Focused, People Oriented and Service Obsessed. For more information, please visit www.gpshospitality.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
About ACG Atlanta
ACG comprises more than 14,500 members from corporations, private equity, finance, and professional service firms representing Fortune 500, Fortune1000, FTSE 100, and mid-market companies in 59 chapters in North America and Europe. Founded in 1974, ACG Atlanta is one of the oldest and most active chapters, providing the area’s executives and professionals a unique forum for exchanging ideas and experiences concerning organic and acquisitive growth. Programs include Atlanta ACG Capital Connection, The Georgia Fast 40 Honoree Awards and Gala, a Wine Tasting Reception, a Deal of the Year event as well as an active Women’s Forum and Young Professionals group. To learn more visit http://www.acg.org/atlanta/.
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Media Contact: Chris Shattuck – cshattuck@alliedim.com – 678-866-3568