Franchise opens doors in Kermit

The Huddle House was recently featured in the Odessa American about the new location opening in Kermit, Texas led by Kent Co. Alan Brinker, director of operations for Kent Companies, and Jim Carr, Director of Franchising for Huddle House, were both interviewed for the article discussing expansion plans throughout the area, as Kent Co. are signed on to open 20 Huddle House locations across Texas and New Mexico. This is the second location open in Western Texas, and the third open location out of the planned 20 units. The Huddle House has brought 40 jobs so far to the town of Kermit, offering incentives such as 401 (k) and medical benefits to a town that is mainly known for its jobs in the oil fields. This is a great feature article for the new opening in Kermit, as it will bring more awareness of the brand and alert the surrounding communities of its growing presence in the region.

A portion of the story is shared below, and you can view the full article here.

Area Huddles Up
By Geoff Folsom

KERMIT Two customers approach Kermit’s newest dining destination, not knowing the greeting they have in store.

“Two huddling in,” one staff member says to another.

As the customers open the door, the staff lets them know they are wanted.

“Welcome to Huddle House,” one employee says to the couple.

“Welcome to Huddle House,” another says … and another … and another.

Alan Brinker, director of operations for the Kent Companies, which owns the area Huddle House franchise, said the greetings are part of making sure that employees and customers have a good time in the restaurants.

“We welcome every guest, make sure they get acknowledged,” he said. “It’s a fun environment.”

And soon Odessa will be part of the environment. Brinker said the company plans to break ground on an Odessa location in October. He hopes to open the restaurant, which will likely be located in the West County Road area, in early 2011.

“It wouldn’t be unreasonable to think we could put at least two in Odessa and two in Midland,” he said.

The Kermit store, which opened June 3, is the second Huddle House location Kent has built in the Permian Basin. Brinker said it is part of a 20-restaurant development deal for the Atlanta-based chain in West Texas and eastern New Mexico.

The 24-hour store brought 40 jobs to Kermit, a town of around 5,700 located 45 miles west of Odessa. Brinker said that with a new Kent Kwik convenience store that opened next door, his company brought a total of 55 jobs to the area. (Read More)