A Perfect Fit

Native New Yorker says it appeals equally to families and sports enthusiasts by offering a broad menu and a high-tech sports bar.

- Featuring a 14-page menu and next generation sound systems, Native New Yorker offers more than the average sports bar. The Gilbert, Ariz.-based sports-themed family restaurant includes at least seven sound zones, where customers can listen to different sports games on 42- to 120-inch televisions. In addition, the restaurant offers personal listening stations, where guests can listen to even the most obscure sporting events, says Mario Altiery, franchise director.

The restaurant is known for its chicken wings, but it prides itself on offering a broad menu that will appeal to even the pickiest eaters. The restaurant's founders, Judy and Floyd Anderson, had a large family with many different tastes. "The family knew how hard it was to find a place to eat that everybody could agree on," Altiery explains. "They wanted to create a restaurant that would appeal to a wider variety of people, which has served us well.

"We continually receive e-mails from customers saying how much they love Native New Yorker because it's the only place that everyone can find something to eat," Altiery continues. "The menu offers fun food that kids will enjoy, but it also features low-carb and low-cal offerings for dieters, as well."

Appealing to large families and sports fans at the same time is not easy, Altiery admits, but the restaurant caters equally to both segments. "Customers are always telling me that they're truly comfortable coming in and spending time at Native New Yorker," Altiery says. "I know that came from the fact that the restaurant came from a family; they always make sure people feel at home in the restaurant. It also appeals to even the most hardcore sports fans as well, because we have one of the best and most-advanced sports viewing environments out of any restaurant."

Altiery himself became a fan of the restaurant when he was in college, he says. Now, as the owner of Upside Group, a franchise consultancy firm, he has been enlisted to help strategically grow and further develop Native New Yorker's franchise program.

Founded in 1980, the company started franchising 12 years later. At the time, the founders were offering franchise locations to friends and family and were not entirely comfortable with rapid growth. Upside Group entered the picture in 2004, with the goal to provide a solid foundation for growth. "This is important because you can have the best restaurant in the world, but if you can't provide a solid franchise framework, most restaurants won't make it," Altiery says. "Native New Yorker just needed us to act as the engine of its growth, and make sure people are trained correctly to grow the company successfully into the future."

The restaurant has grown to include more than 40 franchised units, along with three company-owned stores. Plans for growth include opening more than 60 [???] locations in 15 new states by the end of 2007. "We want to grow strategically," Altiery explains. "We're seeing a lot of interest in Texas, California, Washington and Indiana, and I believe there will also be a strong push on the East Coast. We anticipate that by 2008, we will be located in about 20 different states."

Native New Yorker had worked with several other consultancy firms in the past, but never found the ideal match, Altiery says. "I was very familiar with the restaurant, and I have a background in the industry, as well," he explains. "My family owned a restaurant for 27 years, and it was about the same size as Native New Yorker. I was able to recognize what the owners were already doing well, and developed a nice framework for franchising."

While the company continues to grow its presence throughout the country, it is simultaneously working to decrease its environmental footprint. "Native New Yorker is resolute in the idea of becoming as green as possible," Altiery explains. "We recently hired a full-time vendor to evaluate equipment we use [in the kitchen] to determine if we can be more green and environmentally friendly."

Altiery admits there may be added expenses in transforming each location into a green facility, but the future cost savings will be extensive. "Most companies that have gone green say they save a great deal of money in the long run," he explains. "Although there are many elements that go into becoming a green restaurant, I think we're on the right track."

Training for the Future
Prior to opening his or her own restaurant, potential franchisees must undergo an extensive screening process, Altiery explains. "The company has laid out specific criteria that their franchisees must meet," he says. "We look for transferable management skills more than anything else. We'd like to see some foodservice experience, as well, but we want to make sure people are open to our operating procedures."

Franchisees undergo an intensive six-week training period, consisting of both on-the-job, classroom training and a series of tests. "Franchisees start training from the minute they sign up until the grand opening," Altiery explains. "This is important because most restaurants out there will be able to have a soft open, where employees can practice and become more comfortable but, with most Native New Yorkers, we've had wall-to-wall customers at the openings. Even without advertising the opening, we have many customers that are curious about who we are."

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