RISE - Menu Monitor

Checkers Drive-In Restaurants
Headquarters
4300 W. Cyprus St. Suite 600, Tampa, Florida 33607 USA
Tel: (813)283-7000 Fax: (813)283-7001
www.checkers.com
Ownership: Private
Segment: Limited Service Hamburger
System Characteristics 2006 2005 2004
U.S. Systemwide Sales ($000) 353,000 338,400 310,000
Company-owned ($000) 85,000 88,400 90,000
Franchised ($000) 268,000 250,000 220,000
U.S. Number of Units 444 450 417
Company-owned 102 105 107
Franchised 342 345 310
International Sales ($000) - - -
International Units - - -
Average Sales/Unit ($000) 790 775 720
Concept Positioning |
Checkers Drive-In Restaurants operates and franchises quick-service hamburger restaurants. Checkers offers a menu of
hamburgers, fries, hot dogs, beverages and shakes. Burgers are made-to-order and the chain's objective is to serve each
customer within 30 seconds of arrival at a drive-thru window.
All of the company’s more than 800 units are based on 1950's diner and art deco theme. Black-and-white checkerboard tile,
glass blocks and a protective drive-thru cover supported by red columns add to the ambiance. Most units also have an
adjacent picnic table area with canopy tables and benches. A few have added inside seating. Each building, called a
hamburger plant by Checkers, is a small (14 ft. x 54 ft.) modular building that can be moved, if the need arises. Units are
freestanding and average 760–980 sq. ft., offering both drive-thru and walk-up service. Virtually all units are modular and are
built at a Checkers-owned fabrication plant. Installation takes as little as nine days. Most are double drive-thrus and permit two
cars, on opposite sides of a single building, to be served at the same time. Units are generally open 12–15 hours per day,
seven days a week, with new hours established in 2007 that allows most locations to stay open until midnight or later on the
weekend
Checkers was founded in Mobile, AL, in 1986 by Jim Mattei, a former Wendy's franchisee and an Alabama real estate
developer, and Mark Reed, a lawyer and long-time partner of Mattei. The company later moved to Clearwater, FL, and now
headquarters in Tampa, FL. In late 1991, Checkers issued its first public stock offering. In 1993, it acquired K.C. Zipps, Inc. of
Kansas City, MO, and converted all of the units to Checkers. In 1996, CKE Restaurants invested $20 million in Checkers. In
1999, CKE merged Checkers and Rally’s, Inc. into a single company. In 2002, after two years of selling many of its stores to
franchisees, CKE sold its remaining holdings in Checkers. Approximately 30% of Checkers restaurants are company-owned,
and further growth will come via franchising. In 2006, Checkers agreed to be purchased by an affiliate of Wellspring Capital
Management LLC for $188 million. Later that year, Checkers merged with Taxi Holding Corp. for $172 million dollars in cash
and the assumption of an undisclosed amount in debt. In fall of 2007, Checkers secured a deal to develop 20 new restaurants
in the Las Vegas area with new franchisee partners.
©Technomic Information Services 2007, CIS profiles may not be copied or distributed in any print or electronic format without a license or written consent.
Technomic believes that its sources of information are reliable, but does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy of the information
published.
146