Wintzell’s Moving Toward Franchising

al.com:

Most everybody in south Alabama knows Wintzell’s Oyster House.

Now restaurant owners are hoping the name plus a track record for converting closed eateries into seafood successes will boost franchise sales.

‘We think the name is strong enough for franchising,’ said Bob Donlon, owner and chief executive officer of SouthernPointe Group, which operates Wintzell’s. ‘What’s unique about our stores is that we don’t have a cookie-cutter look. Every building is different, except for the 5,000 signs that go up.’

J. Oliver Wintzell opened his restaurant at 605 Dauphin St. in 1938 as a 6-stool oyster bar. The restaurant’s walls are covered with Wintzell’s folksy sayings as well as photographs of hundreds of celebrities, sports heroes, politicians and local fishermen who have eaten there. SouthernPointe bought the 220-seat restaurant in January 2000.

The company has 4 restaurants in Mobile County and one in Fairhope, and it plans to open a sixth store in May next to Wal-Mart Supercenter at Schillinger and Moffett roads in Semmes.

The goal is to have 7 company-owned eateries and then focus on helping franchisees get started regionally, according to Donlon, who has been in the restaurant business for 40 years. His wife, Buffy Donlon, is co-owner of the company. His son-in-law, Bob Omainsky, is president of the company and a former district manager for Cracker Barrel restaurants.

David Barrett, formerly of Raycom Sports, was hired to market the franchises in Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Wintzell’s has a good concept – selling fresh seafood – so starting a franchise program should not be difficult, according to John Vallas of Saad & Vallas Realty Group, who works with local, regional and national restaurants.