Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue IV, 2015 | Page 46

D OM I N A T O R S
working in Burger Kings in Atlanta for
seven weeks, and waited for God to sort
it out for me.”
It was unusual to work in a store
without an opportunity, but Garrett
says he wanted to convey something to
Burger King. “It was a leap of faith and
I wanted to show them that I was committed. They didn’t know me or owe
me anything. But within two or three
months, the transaction for the Atlanta
restaurants fell apart and we stepped in.”
In October 2012, GPS Hospitality
(Goal Focused, People Oriented, and
Service Obsessed) was formed with the
purchase of 42 company restaurants in
Atlanta. Acquisitions in West Virginia
and Ohio added 15 more restaurants,
followed by a few more in Atlanta. In
September 2014 the company reached 100
units with it fourth acquisition adding 39
more restaurants that needed a “full-on
turnaround.” By the end of 2014, GPS
had added several dozen more restaurants in eastern Pennsylvania. This past
July, a 60-store acquisition in Michigan
brought the company’s total Burger King
count to a whopping 196 restaurants in
9 states (Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky,
Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, West Virginia).
“By late 2014, people were beginning

to recognize what kind of company we are,
that we’re really good operators who run
good margins, pay fair prices, and don’t
re-trade on price or take advantage of
sellers,” he says. “Sellers began to seek us
out for those reasons. We never knocked
on a door or called and asked people to
sell. That’s not what we do. We built a
reputation that makes people want to do
business with us.”
This past June, GPS Hospitality was
recognized by the Atlanta chapter of The
Association for Corporate Growth as one
of the top three honorees of the 2015

Georgia Fast 40 in the Upper Middle
Market category.
The re-imaging of BK is going very
well, according to Garrett. “Burger King
had gotten old and tired, and part of
what we’re excited about is helping the
team in Miami to breathe new life into
the brand. It’s paying off in a huge way.
Burger King is relevant, at the center of
pop culture, and possessed of 100 percent
brand awareness,” he says.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with
Alex Macedo [EVP and president of
North America at BK franchisor Restaurant Brands International] and the entire
Burger King team,” he says. “They’ve
done a good job from a facilities standpoint with an ambitious renovation and
reimaging on 800 stores last year and
about 700 this year. They’ve built on the
recognition that you have to give guests
a superior experience and followed up
with much-improved operations, better
people, and better training.”
Garrett, who credits his work ethic and
success to the great managers he had as a
teen at Wendy’s and to his partners and
mentors at the RTM Restaurant Group
and Arby’s, says he is an entrepreneur
by nature whose priorities are being a
good husband and father. “Everything
else comes after that.”

PERSONAL
First job: Wendy’s in Rainbow City, Ala.
Formative influences/events: I joined RTM Restaurant Group as an assistant manager for Arby’s in Gadsden, Ala., with the intent of working there a
couple of years before attending college. Instead, I spent 25 years with RTM,
serving as president my last few years. I am the leader I am today because of
the influence of Russ Umphenour and my former partners with RTM.
Key accomplishments: Becoming president of RTM Restaurant Group, CEO
of Arby’s, and the current success of GPS Hospitality.
Biggest current challenge: Managing our growth.
Next big goal: 400 restaurants, $600 million in revenue.
First turning point in your career: I got my first experience as an
entrepreneur when I was promoted to vice president at RTM. It was there that
I really learned all the different ways I could grow a business and motivate
people to succeed.
Best business decision: Purchasing the 42 company-owned Burger King
restaurants in Atlanta. We are excited to be a part of the remarkable turnaround of the brand and enjoy working with Miami-based Burger King Corp. to
grow our Burger King business.