BY JOHN PONCZOCH
ANATOMY OF A BRAND
RETURN OF THE LUBE TravelCenters of America recharges the brand
The TA Restaurant Group , a multibrand franchisee and franchisor , is a division of TravelCenters of America , a Fortune 500 company that offers diesel and gasoline fueling , restaurants , truck repair facilities , convenience stores , and other services in 43 states and Canada . TA opened its first restaurant in 1967 and today includes more than 850 QSR concepts , full-service restaurants , and other food outlets , including multiple proprietary restaurant brands such as Iron Skillet and Country Pride . In 2016 , we added Quaker Steak & Lube to our growing family of brands .
TA Restaurant Group began franchising in 1994 with our first Subway franchise . Since then we have grown into one of the country ’ s largest multi-unit operators , expanding our franchise network substantially to include more than 600 units with nearly 40 different foodservice concepts across the country . Since 2014 , we ’ ve added 11 brands to our portfolio , and we ’ re accelerating this momentum even more over the next several years . When looking for the right partner , we spend a significant amount of time researching and analyzing emerging brands , whether or not we have history with them , with the ultimate goal of filling taste profiles or concepts we currently don ’ t operate or offer .
Acquiring a legacy brand Our overall growth strategy is to identify opportunities where we have the skills and knowledge to own and operate businesses that focus on entirely new customer segments . That ’ s why , when we had the opportunity to acquire Quaker Steak & Lube in 2015 , we didn ’ t think twice . The acquisition is a perfect example of our growth strategy , as it gave us the chance to tap into an entirely new demographic . When the 43-year old brand filed for bankruptcy protection in 2015 , we saw it as an opportunity to not only broaden our current portfolio , but also to leverage our deep experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator and make our first foray into the world of franchising a standalone full-service restaurant concept and grow Quaker Steak into a nationally recognized brand through franchising . While we ’ ve just begun this journey — and know we have a long way to go to reach our goal — we ’ re confident in the strength of both our strategy and the brand . The Lube is a one-of-a-kind concept with unlimited growth potential that we ’ re excited to tap into .
Evolution of The Lube The restaurant industry is constantly evolving , so it ’ s important that we do as well . Our experience has shown us that brands do not grow by themselves : they require nurturing , attention , investment , and refinement .
Since taking the reins , we ’ ve put new processes in place in an effort to reinvigorate Quaker Steak & Lube across the board , propelled by the addition of a new executive chef , Lance Matthews , and a new beverage program manager , Shannon Salupo . While we ’ re still serving up award-winning wings , burgers , and ribs , we ’ ve expanded the menu to incorporate bolder flavors and offerings that cater to the wants and needs of today ’ s modern consumer . We ’ re set to debut new salads
18 Franchiseupdate ISSUE II , 2017