Mr. Hero Goes to Washington

Guest Services, Inc. a hospitality management company located outside Washington, D.C., will soon franchise and manage a Mr. Hero cafeteria/convenience restaurant in the House of Representative's Cannon Office Building. An agreement between Guest Services and franchisor Restaurant Developers Corporation of Cleveland has made the venture possible. Mr. Hero Express is a carry-out venue that will serve members of Congress, their staff, and the public from a historic location in the nation's capitol.

The partnership was initiated as a result of the Branding America Show in 1999, at which Guest Services became aware of the Mr. Hero concept. "The Cannon carryout is our first venture with Mr. Hero express," said Jim Rodgers, assistant vice president of operations at Guest Services. "We choose this concept because of the distinctive food. Everything is made fresh, and the signature sandwiches stand out."

The Cannon location's scaled-down menu features five popular Mr. Hero sandwiches, including Philly cheesesteaks as well as waffle-style french fries.

Restaurant Developers Corp. CEO Ronald Wolfe noted that "This is a new venture for us, too. The agreement provides us with the opportunity to broaden our scope as an institutional supplier, as well as providing service to the public sector." There are currently two Mr. Hero locations in nearby northern Virginia.

Mr. Hero locations are concentrated in the Great Lakes region, with 130 locations there. Restaurant Developers Corp. has a franchise agreement with Dairy Mart Convenience Stores to operate Mr. Hero Express units in 100 locations in the region as well as along the East Coast. There are also 20 company-owned units in Ohio.

Guest Services, founded in 1917, is a primary management services provider to private sector and government institutions such as the US House of Representatives, US Department of the State, the National Park Service, the National Institutes of Health, the MCI National Sports Gallery and the National Aquarium. The company and its subsidiaries have more than 3,500 employees that serve over 25 million guests annually at more than 200 facilities nationwide. Guest Services provides management services in a variety of markets including museums, hotels, resorts, conference centers, government and business dining, senior living, health care, campus dining, and specialty