DECATUR, Ga., Aug. 18, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Huddle House Inc., a 24-hour, full-service family dining restaurant chain, today announced the opening of its first restaurant in West Virginia in the town of Chapmanville. The new restaurant, the fifth of 32 Huddle House restaurants to be built nationwide this year, opened for business on Aug. 11, 2003 and is located at One Central Avenue at the intersection of Highway 119, adjacent to the Best Western hotel.
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://media.primezone.com/prs/?pkgid=642
"We are excited to be opening our first Huddle House restaurant in the West Virginia market," said Philip M. Greifeld, president and CEO of Huddle House, Inc. "We believe the opportunity exists for the successful development of Huddle House throughout West Virginia and are looking forward to future growth here."
The new restaurant will be owned and operated by Roger and Linda Marcum, of R.L.M., Inc. of Chapmanville. Roger's son-in-law, Charles Cabell, will be the general manager. R.L.M. also formerly operated an AAMCO Transmission franchise in South Charleston, W. Va.
"We believe Chapmanville residents and other travelers along Highway 119 will be delighted to have a convenient, family-friendly, full-service restaurant open 24 hours a day that provides great food for breakfast, lunch and dinner," said Roger Marcum, Huddle House franchise owner. "We chose Huddle House because it is a strong, well-known brand, with outstanding franchisee support and a great growth opportunity."
In addition to the Huddle House "Big House" breakfast menu, the restaurant offers hearty Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich platters and 10-ounce Rib-Eye Steak dinners. The menu also includes children's offerings and a "Lite House" selection of delicious soups, salads and grilled chicken dinners designed to provide a healthier alternative for health-conscious customers and seniors.
According to Cory Durden, director of Franchise Development for Huddle House, the brand is rapidly expanding throughout the Southeast and is looking for entrepreneurs to grow the historic, 39-year-old brand and take it into the future.
"We've placed a high priority on expanding into West Virginia because we believe the state has room for at least 100 more successful Huddle House restaurants," Durden said.
The Chapmanville restaurant will showcase the company's new interior design which features a traditional diner look with polished chrome trim, green and white checkerboard tile, red cushioned counter stool seating and mahogany wood benches. The design is part of Huddle House's company-wide re-imaging program for its restaurants during the next five-to-10 years. The 2,000 square foot restaurant seats 60 and is expected to employ 25-30 people from Chapmanville and the surrounding area.
"Our goal is to remind customers of the cozy neighborhood diners of the past," Greifeld said. "Opening in smaller communities such as Chapmanville allows us to achieve our business strategy, while meeting the needs of those with few restaurant options."
Founded in 1964, Decatur, Ga.-based Huddle House Inc. has more than 370 family restaurants located in 13 states throughout the Southeast. With its unique niche in the marketplace, Huddle House serves any meal, anytime, cooked to order 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With annual system wide sales of $180 million in 2002, Huddle House has achieved positive comp sales growth for the last 39 years. For additional information on Huddle House Restaurants, call 1-800-418-9555 or visit Huddle House's Website at www.huddlehouse.com.