Hamra Enterprises announced the retirement of Wendy’s Division President Chuck Ocarz, a top senior executive who started his career with Wendy’s in 1976, under famed company founder Dave Thomas. In his time with the Wendy’s Company, Ocarz served in various roles in Operations in Dublin and Toledo, Ohio, Chicago, and Asia, where he oversaw 115 Wendy’s restaurants. Hamra Enterprises founder Sam Hamra personally recruited Ocarz to join Wendy’s of Missouri in 1995, beginning 28 years of service in which Ocarz led Hamra’s Wendy’s Division growth from 15 to 98 restaurant locations.
“Chuck has been an incredible contribution to Hamra Enterprises’ Wendy’s Division and we attribute much of our success to his leadership,” says Mike Hamra, president and CEO of Hamra Enterprises. “Chuck is not only responsible for setting the highest standards for our Wendy’s restaurants, but placed a strong emphasis on customer service and employee mentorship at the center of everything we do.”
When Ocarz joined Wendy’s of Missouri in 1995, the company struggled to generate $500,000 in average restaurant sales annually. Under Ocarz’s leadership, each Hamra Wendy’s location now averages $2.4 million in sales.
“The closest I will ever come to knowing Dave Thomas is through knowing Chuck Ocarz,” says Simeon Shelton, Chief Financial Officer for Hamra Enterprises. “I’ve never seen anyone with a love for the Wendy’s brand that I’ve seen from Chuck.”
Among the many successful and transformative practices he implemented while at Hamra Enterprises, Ocarz established a training department for the Wendy’s Division in each region and recruited and mentored Regional Directors of Operations for each market to better support each market in Missouri, New England and Illinois.
Under Ocarz’s leadership, the Hamra Enterprises have earned many awards, including:
Wendy’s Award for the South Region in 2007
Top 14 out of 6,600 Wendy’s Restaurants in the world in 2008
Rolla MO restaurant for the 2008 and 2009 Every Customer Counts Award
Sedalia MO for 2010 My Favorite Wendy’s Contest
In 2007, a Wendy’s Award for achieving outstanding operations, dedicated to the use of Wendy’s operational systems, and have shown a commitment to reinvestment that results in high sales and customer count growth.
In 2009, founder and chairman, Sam Hamra was recognized with a Wendy’s Founder’s Award for excellent operations, people development, local marketing, and reinvestment
In 2013, Sam Hamra was most notably recognized with a Wendy’s Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award for extraordinary efforts and significant contributions to the Wendy’s Brand
In 2022, the Wendy’s Diamond Award – Best Cause Marketing for excelling and leading local marketing efforts and programs to significantly increase local brand perception, drive sales and improve
In 2023, Hamra Enterprises was inducted into the 2022 Dave’s Legacy of Love Society, joining 44 other franchise groups who achieved this highest honor given to franchises by the Dave Thomas Foundation Adoption for restaurant campaign excellence