Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries

Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries
Private
Industry Restaurants
Genre Fast casual restaurant
Founded Goldsboro, North Carolina, U.S. (1991)[1]
Headquarters Mount Olive, North Carolina, U.S.
Number of locations
 109 (2014)[2]
Area served
 United States, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates[2]
Key people
 Kenney Moore, CEO and Founder
Neal Dennis, COO[1]
Products Hamburgers, Frozen custard, French fries, Cheesesteaks[3]
Website www.hwy55burgers.com

Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries is a fast casual restaurant chain that operates primarily on the East Coast of the United States. Formerly known as Andy's Cheesesteaks and Cheeseburgers, the first location opened in Goldsboro, North Carolina in 1991.[1] It now has 169 restaurants in the United States, United Arab Emirates and Denmark.

History

Kenney Moore began the business in 1991 by opening a defunct restaurant in Goldsboro, North Carolina's Berkeley Mall.[4] He asked the owners of his equipment to in-house finance his operation as he only had $500 to his name.[4] Moore quickly acquired three more closed restaurants and found himself $30,000 in debt to his foodservice distributor.[4] After adapting Robert K. Greenleaf's philosophy of servant leadership, his fortunes turned.[5] Moore switched to a franchisee style of ownership and Andy's Cheesesteaks and Cheeseburgers expanded throughout Eastern North Carolina.[6]

A Hwy 55 in Raleigh, North Carolina's Crabtree Valley Mall

In February 2012, Andy's announced that it had changed its name to Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries, an homage to North Carolina Highway 55, which runs across the state. The company's decor, always influenced by 1950s-era diners, also took on a pink-and-teal color scheme.[7][8] In May, the company opened a franchised store in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the first location outside the state of North Carolina.[9] The first international locations followed in 2014 with openings in Abu Dhabi. In 2012, Moore said that he hopes to open 500 restaurants globally in the next seven years.[10]

In 2013, Hwy 55 was named a top-40 food franchise by the Franchise Business Review.[11]

Menu

Hwy 55 is known for its fresh made burger, which was named the best in the industry by BurgerBusiness.com in 2012.[10][12] Southeastern radio personalities John Boy & Billy lend their names to two sandwiches, which use the duo's "Grillin' Sauce."[3] Other items include frozen custard, cheesesteaks, hot dogs, and French fries.[3] Kids' meals come served in a cardboard car, normally styled after a '50s or '60s muscle car.[13]

Restaurants

A Hwy 55 restaurant usually has a 1950s theme, with pink-and-teal color accents and '50s decor mounted on the walls. Kitchens are open, and customers can watch cooks grill their food from the bar area. Customers order at their table from a waiter or waitress.[14]

Charity

In 2006, Hwy 55 created the Andy's Charitable Foundation, Inc. as a 501(C)3 corporation with the "mission to serve the common good of all people in our hometowns." To date, it has raised over $1,400,000 for local charities, including the Miracle League of the Triangle, of which it is a major sponsor. A Miracle League field in Cary, North Carolina is named after the foundation.[15][16]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "History". Hwy 55. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Locations". Hwy 55. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Menu". Hwy 55. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "Kenny Moore, Andy's Burgers, Shakes and Fries". "North Carolina People". 21 October 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "New Management Style That Can Turn Your Business Around". Fox Business. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  6. ↑ Baltazar, Amanda (25 July 2011). "Management Style Turnaround Leads To Growing Company". Full Service Magazine. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  7. ↑ Hanrahan, Kathy (5 March 2012). "Andy's Burgers changes name to Highway 55". WRAL. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  8. ↑ Brandau, Mark (8 March 2012). "Andy's rebrands as Highway 55". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  9. ↑ Billingsley, Becky (21 May 2014). "Hwy 55 Shifts Into Gear Today". Myrtle Beach Restaurant News. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Local burger chain expands to Middle East". WRAL. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  11. ↑ Today's Top 40 Food Franchises. "Franchise Business Review," Fall(2013), pp. 8-9.
  12. ↑ "Meet Andy's/Hwy 55, Winner of the Burger Brackets". Burger Business. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  13. ↑ "Hwy 55". Charlotte Burger Blog. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  14. ↑ "Andy's Burgers now known as Hwy 55". JDNews. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  15. ↑ "Andy's Foundation". Hwy 55. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  16. ↑ "Miracle League of the Triangle". Miracle League of the Triangle. Retrieved 13 June 2014.

External links

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