Junior Bridgeman is trading his Frosty for a Coke.
The former NBA player who became an even greater success as a Wendy’s and Chili’s franchisee is selling his restaurant interests after reaching a deal to become a bottler for The Coca-Cola Company, the Atlanta-based soft-drink producer said Wednesday.
According to the release, Bridgeman is in the process of divesting his restaurant holdings, which include about 240 Wendy’s locations and 120 Chili’s units in 16 states. Bridgeman’s restaurant company is based in Louisville, Ky. His bottling operation will also be located there.
The deal would continue a major shift in the ownership of Wendy’s locations in particular. Bridgeman would be the second longtime, large-scale operator to sell his locations this year. Earlier this year, Dick Fox, an operator of 113 locations, sold restaurants to three different operators.
In addition, Wendy’s continues to refranchise company-owned locations.
Bridgeman played for 12 years in the NBA, mostly with the Milwaukee Bucks. He purchased his first three Wendy’s restaurants while still playing basketball, and built on those holdings after he retired in 1987.
Bridgeman, through his company Manna Inc., signed a deal to acquire bottling territory from Atlanta-based Coca-Cola in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and Nebraska. He will also acquire a production facility in Lenexa, Kan. Manna Inc. will become only the third new independent Coca-Cola bottler in recent decades, the company said.
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