Showmars
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Showmars is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based restaurant chain, serving a mix of American and Greek cuisines. It was founded by George Couchell (pronounced “coo-shell”) in 1982. As of June 2006, Showmars operates 25 locations and employs about 1,000 employees.
The chain is famous for its World’s Best Fillet of Flounder Dinner, Tenderloin Tips Dinner, Old Fashioned Pita Burger, assortment of salads, and Greek specialties such as the Gyro Sandwich and Souvlaki Dinner.
According to its homepage, Showmars “fills the void between fast food and full service by providing greater food selection and better quality than fast food chains, and faster service and better value than full service restaurants.” Its current slogan is “Casual dining…fast.”
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[edit] Company History
[edit] Founding
In 1982, first generation Greek immigrant George Couchell (who graduated from Duke University and was a Naval Officer) opened his first Showmars restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina. The first Showmars offered a vast selection of items on its menu. The restaurant served breakfast, offered a hot bar, a salad bar, and everything else in between. In addition to the traditional American cuisines, Mr. C (as he is widely known throughout the company) added an ethnic touch to Showmars’ menu by offering Greek specialties such as Gyros, Souvlaki, and Grecian Roast Chicken. Over the years, Couchell pared down the once all-inclusive menu to what it is today.
[edit] Managing Partners
As Couchell expanded his company, he brought partners on board to help administer Showmars’ operations. His general partner is Konstantine Zitsos. Couchell and Zitsos are supported by a cast of several managing partners, all of whom have an ownership stake in the company and are intimately involved in the company’s operations and strategies.
[edit] Business Principles
Wanting to differentiate Showmars from established, national chains like Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A, and Applebee’s, Couchell and his partners opted to serve the niche in the market that wanted fast and excellent service and quality food, charged at a reasonable price. According to the partners, what their restaurants offer can be summed up in a simple equation: fast and excellent customer service plus made-to-order freshness plus quality equals value. To deliver on its promise, most Showmars locations offer counter service, where customers order and pay at the front counter and the wait staff provides service at the table.
[edit] Present and Future
Today, 24 years later, Showmars is the fastest growing restaurant chain in the Charlotte-metropolitan area. In addition to the 18 stores that are located in Charlotte, the restaurant chain has branched out to serve neighboring cities such as Fort Mill, Gastonia, Huntersville, Mooresville, Monroe, Rock Hill, and Matthews. According to the Charlotte Observer, the partners’ goal is to open three restaurants a year in The Carolinas. Showmars has already broken ground in Shelby. Soon, the partners hope to serve the Waxhaw, Indian Trail, and Tega Cay communities. They even have their eyes on cities as far north as Greensboro and as far south as Columbia.
