Fast-Growing Franchisee Recognized at the Franchise Times Finance & Growth Conference in Las Vegas
ATLANTA – (March 15, 2017) – After closing on last December’s landmark acquisition of 194 BURGER KING® restaurants extending across five states, GPS Hospitality today celebrates its recognition as a Dealmaker of the Year award winner by Franchise Times in Las Vegas
Ten winners were chosen by a panel of expert judges selected by Franchise Times, and this year’s win recognizes the size and complexity of GPS Hospitality’s largest acquisition to date, which nearly doubled the company’s national footprint and elevated its position among the largest fast-food operators in the country. The win marks the second time in three years that the Atlanta-based franchisee has been recognized as a top dealmaker by the magazine.
CFO Scott Jasinski, who led the financial negotiations behind the acquisition, accepted the prestigious award at the Franchise Times Finance & Growth Conference at the Encore Hotel. Under Jasinski’s fiscal direction since its founding in 2012, GPS Hospitality has secured the financing necessary to transform it into one of Atlanta’s fastest-growing companies.
“It’s an honor to accept this award again on behalf of GPS Hospitality,” Jasinski said. “In 2015, we received the Dealmaker of the Year award with hopes of getting to 300 restaurants by 2018. At the end of 2016, we hit nearly 400 restaurants. We are outpacing our initial goal, which has been a huge accomplishment for the GPS team. We are in growth mode, and Franchise Times’ recognition of our largest deal to date is a great recognition of the hard work our team put into this acquisition.”
The transformational transaction recognized by Franchise Times also involved the refinancing of GPS Hospitality’s outstanding portfolio of debt.
With its latest acquisition, GPS Hospitality is on track to meet its goal of achieving $1 billion in sales in its first 10 years of operation. The December 2016 transaction extended the company’s footprint into Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Florida.
“2016 was a standout year for GPS Hospitality. We’re running on all cylinders and focused on hitting our goals for continued strategic growth.” CEO Tom Garrett said. “We’re building a reputation as a quality operator that achieves results with solid systems and great people.”
“We’re open to new opportunities for growth,” Garrett said. “2017 has just begun, and I am excited to see where we will be at this time next year.”
For a list of Franchise Times’ 2017 Dealmaker Award winners, please visit: http://www.franchisetimes.com/news/January-2017/10-Win-Prestigious-FT-Dealmakers-Awards/
About GPS Hospitality
Founded in 2012, GPS Hospitality is a BURGER KING® and Popeyes® franchisee, operating 385 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, Twitter and Instagram.
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Media Contact: Chris Shattuck – cshattuck@alliedim.com – 678-866-3568