Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, a division of AFC Enterprises Inc., recently presented its annual franchisee and supplier awards at its worldwide conference held in San Diego. During the meeting, the company recognized top operators in the areas of marketing, operations, development, and leadership. Also honored at the meeting were a Vendor of the Year, Supplier of the Year, and a Distributor of the Year.

Popeyes presents Gold and Silver Plate Awards to the very best restaurants in the system. These restaurants excel operationally, positively represent the brand's image, and effectively use Popeyes’ training tools. Additionally, restaurants are evaluated on sales performance, overall execution of the Popeyes concept, and leadership as demonstrated by the restaurant manager and his or her team. The 2012 Silver Plate Award winners are:

·      Brodersen Enterprises of Wisconsin Inc.; Restaurant #3582, Milwaukee; Manager Sonya Hughes

·      Brodersen Enterprises of Illinois LLC; Restaurant #10927, Chicago; Manager Regina Sullivan

·      Brodersen Enterprises of Wisconsin Inc.; Restaurant #2189, Milwaukee; Manager Mark Mittag

·      Brodersen Enterprises of Illinois LLC; Restaurant #10926, Chicago; Manager Charles Riley

·      Food Movers Two Ltd. Partnership; Restaurant #3002, Bloomingdale, Illinois; Manager Anil Patel

·      AAFES; Restaurant #10663, Grafenwoeher, Germany; Manager Jonny R. Tomlin

·      International Food Concepts; Restaurant #11177, Doha, Qatar; Manager Mahmoud Soliman

Silver Plate Award recipients are eligible to receive the most coveted Popeyes award: the Gold Plate Award. The 2012 Popeyes Gold Plate Award winners for domestic and international franchisees, respectively, are:

·      Brodersen Enterprises of Illinois LLC; Restaurant #10927, Chicago; Manager Regina Sullivan

·      AAFES; Restaurant #10663, Grafenwoeher, Germany; Manager Jonny R. Tomlin

"Each year, the bar is raised higher by our top performers. Last year's goals were met and surpassed and the credentials for winning a Gold Plate this year have become more rigorous. But this never stops our franchisees and their managers from achieving the newly set goals and demonstrating their superiority in our system," says Ralph Bower, president of U.S. for Popeyes. "This year's Gold Plate finalists are the most deserving of the award for their operations excellence."

Also at the conference, Popeyes named Harry Stafford of Broford Corp in Houston as Franchisee of the Year. The Franchisee of the Year award recognizes the Popeyes franchisee that has distinguished itself through outstanding performance across all business areas, as well as consistent support of and commitment to the Popeyes brand.

"Harry is truly dedicated to building the Popeyes brand and the Popeyes family," says AFC CEO Cheryl Bachelder. "He has a solid commitment to fast, friendly service—a service that extends beyond the guest to include his team members, creating a family environment. He is a true servant leader within the brand, co-op, and community."

At the conference, Popeyes also recognized franchise operators with these awards:

·      Build Distinctive Brand (Marketing): Danny Gilliland, Sweet P Enterprises, Little Rock, Arkansas;

·      Run Great Restaurants (Operations): Sandra Carter, Idora Inc., St. Charles, Louisiana;

·      Accelerate Quality Restaurants (Development): Amin Dhanani, Z & H Foods, Houston;

·      DMA of the Year: Texas Mega

Popeyes named CSE as the Vendor of the Year, Lone Star Bakery as the Supplier of the Year, and Reinhart Foodservice as the Distributor of the Year.

"We are proud to work with great vendors, suppliers, and distributors like CSE, Lone Star Bakery, and Reinhart Foodservice," Bachelder says. "Honoring them is our way of saying thank you for their dedication to the brand and our guests."