ATLANTA Industry veterans Dick Holbrook and Sam Haddock have teamed up with the founders of the 16-unit J. Christopher's chain to accelerate expansion of the breakfast-and-lunch concept.
Under an arrangement disclosed Monday morning, Holbrook, a former president of Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits parent AFC Enterprises, is serving as president of J. Christopher's Restaurants LLC, a company formed specifically to develop the concept. Haddock, a Moe's Southwest Grill franchisee and a former executive of Popeyes, is serving as chief operating officer of the venture.
The two will tap their extensive experience in franchising to develop the brand, with franchising to begin during the first quarter of 2008, the new company said in a statement.
Jeff "J" McCann and Chris Brogdon, the co-creators of the J. Christopher's concept, will continue to run the 16 units currently in operation and are serving on the new company's management committee, according to the statement.
“J. Christopher’s is a unique casual-dining restaurant concept that has proven to be extremely successful by focusing on breakfast, brunch and lunch," Holbrook said.
McCann and Brogdon opened the first J. Christopher's restaurant in 1996. Four were opened during the past 18 months, extending the chain to 14 units here and one each in Savannah, Ga., and Tampa, Fla.
The new company said it plans to add eight outlets over the next year, in Atlanta and Macon, Ga., and in Nashville, Tenn.
Holbrook apparently remains a partner in H2 Restaurants LLC, an investment company with the stated mission of acquiring or funding restaurant growth concepts. He retired as president and COO of AFC Enterprises at the end of 2004 after helping to pare down the company's portfolio of franchise concepts, which at one time included Church's Chicken, Seattle's Best Coffee and Cinnabon. He was the longtime second-in-command to Frank Belatti, who has since left AFC to focus on restaurant investing.
Haddock is the manager of Red Hawk Restaurant Group LLC and Red Hawk Enterprises, which J. Christopher's described as a franchisee of the Moe's burrito chain and Donatos Pizza. He also has served in high-level operations posts at Rally's Hamburgers, Popeyes and RTM Restaurant Group, overseeing the latter's Mrs. Winner's and Lee's Famous Recipe fried-chicken chains.
J. Christopher's is based here.
