Pizza Chief Building Empire, One Regional Chain At A Time

Detroit Free Press:

Casey Askar has his doubters, but his food empire is growing fast.

Askar, 38, is chairman and CEO of Papa Romano’s Enterprises Inc. and is vying to build his own version of Yum! Brands Inc.

Based in Louisville, Ky., Yum! Brands owns A&W Restaurants Inc., KFC, Long John Silver’s, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell and is one of the largest food franchising corporations in the United States.

Getting to that level, even on a regional basis, is a tall order, said Jerry McVety, a food consultant and president of McVety & Associates Inc. in Farmington Hills. ‘He might become a mini, regional Yum, but that combination is not going to take him national, that is for sure,’ McVety said.

Challenges include the heavy marketing and distribution investments needed to support a national network.

‘It is just taking relatively unknown names and trying to move them into first, a regional operation, and second, a national operation - which is going to be very difficult,’ McVety said.

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Photo: William Archie / Detroit Free Press.