It has been nearly a year and half since everyone’s world was turned upside down, the toll endured by businesses has been significant. Words cannot express how proud I am of the entire BurgerBusters organization for the fortitude and diligence that was put on a display every day during this trying time. It was truly inspirational to see all of our talented people at work, weathering the ever-changing challenges that the business world and the world at large endured. While other businesses shut down all or large portions of their operations, BurgerBusters stood tall and kept the dining room, drive thru, and bathrooms all open for our customers, while still following each area’s rules and regulations to ensure customers and employees health and safety. Our goal was to try and maintain as much normalcy for our customers as we could, knowing that they could rely on us to provide them with this essential service. As a result, after the initial impact and shock, our customers rewarded us with strong sales. I would like to thank the dedication and hard work of the Crew Members, Shift Leaders, Trainers, Managers, District Managers, Vice Presidents, Specialists, Technicians, Auditors, and many more that helped us get through these burdensome times. We are grateful for everything you do to help sustain this company. I would like to take this opportunity to specifically thank our Operations leadership for their unparalleled work over the last year and half in keeping our team successful. A sincere and heartfelt thank you to COO Joe Mangano and his six Vice Presidents: Mike Kennedy, Sly Brown, Chris Farwell, Deidra Mack, Kelly Boyd, and Jeanette Jones.
Part of what has allowed BurgerBusters to stay strong during the economic uncertainty has been our commitment to development. As a result, we were in a much stronger position to weather the storm. In 2021, BurgerBusters still maintains that same commitment to ensure that our company continues to grow. Since our last newsletter, we were able to offset a high-volume power-pumper location into a freestanding location (Unit No. 37379 Vinton, VA), completed a major remodel (Unit No. 33517 Newport News, VA), two mini-remodels (Unit No. 33516 Fredericksburg, VA and Unit No. 34848 Farmville, VA), and undertook several projects meant to improve our back of house operations with mini remodels and/or cooler / freezer additions (Unit No. 21151 Gainesville, VA; Unit No. 33522 Fredericksburg, VA; Unit No. 19010 Charles Town, WV; Unit No. 18734 Kernersville, NC, and Unit No. 15530 Woodstock, VA). There are currently two new stores under construction slated to open shortly (Hagerstown, MD; and Elizabeth City, NC), another three new restaurants (Chesapeake, VA; Richmond, VA; Harrisonburg, VA) and an offset of an existing restaurant (Greensboro, NC) scheduled to break ground by the end of summer, along with one more new store planned for the fall (Kernersville, NC). If that was not enough, there are three successor remodels, one mid-term remodel, three third line additions, one walk-in freezer / pantry project, and over twenty digital menu board conversions all scheduled to be done during the remainder of the year. As the sheer volume of these numbers makes clear, BurgerBusters will continue to grow the company and ensure that its facilities are second to none, providing the best possible experiences for our customers and employees alike.
In every newsletter, I always carve out a moment to thank the BurgerBusters Senior Team: COO Joe Mangano, CFO Greg Rowland, and Director of Human Resources Kirk Jester. It may seem repetitive and tedious to do so, but I think it is very important that this group’s contributions to BurgerBusters be recognized as often as possible. These gentlemen tirelessly work to keep our company moving day-to-day. BurgerBusters is a first-class organization, and it is first-class in large part due to their leadership. I would like to express my gratitude to them once again for all their hard work and dedication. Lastly, I would also like to express my gratitude to all BurgerBusters employees for their hard work and for continuing to be a shining example, not just within the Taco Bell system, but within the entire Quick Service Restaurant Industry. I hope this newsletter finds you well and that 2021 continues to be a year of improvement and a steady return to normalcy.
By: Tassos Paphites
Chairman/CEO
