Francorp Client Red Arrow Diner

Red Arrow may launch franchises
By DAN TUOHYNew Hampshire Union Leader Monday, Mar. 16, 2009

MANCHESTER – The Adam Sandler Burger may be coming to a diner near you.
The locally famous Red Arrow Diner will roll out franchising opportunities across New England later this year, said Carol Sheehan, who come September will have owned the Queen City landmark eatery for 22 years.
The burger named for Manchester's favorite comedian son -- lettuce, tomato, mayo and raw onion -- has but a cameo role in a menu packed with great comfort foods.
Meatloaf on sourdough. Hash browns with grilled onions. A "Sloppy Moe" with macaroni and cheese. Not to forget a tempting dessert lineup that features cream pies, eclairs and homemade "twinkies."
All of it -- breakfast, lunch and dinner -- available 24 hours a day.
Franchising is a matter of the restaurant's reputation preceding itself. Sheehan, who is looking to hire a general manager to keep up with this year's growth, said she cannot go anywhere these days without Red Arrow recognition.
"I can be in the Caribbean and somebody knows The Red Arrow," Sheehan said.
Sheehan will retain ownership of the diner on Lowell Street in Manchester, as well as The Red Arrow Diner she opened last year in Union Square in Milford.
The Red Arrow brand is powerful. It has won numerous awards in recent years, including being rated in the top 10 of diners in the country by USA Today. In a 2007 visit by Guy Fieri of the "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" show on the Food Network, the host raved about their American Chop Suey.
The diner draw
Diners have long been popular across the state, from MaryAnn's Diner in Derry to The Common Man's family of restaurants, which include the Airport Diner in Manchester and the Tilt'n Diner in Tilton.
During every New Hampshire presidential primary campaign, candidates saddle up to diner counters to meet voters and grab a bite. Red Arrow visitors have included President Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Rudy Giuliani. Celebrity diners have included musicians and actors, such as Central High graduate Sandler.

Red Arrow Diner owner Carol Sheehan and franchise manager Kim Capen, in the Lowell Street eatery last week. (MARK BOLTON)
In a way, multiple locations are a tip of the hat to the past.
There were five Red Arrow locations around the city at one point. David Lamontagne opened the original Red Arrow Diner in Manchester in 1922.
Kim Capen, Sheehan's franchising manager, has worked to ensure recipes are trademark protected and that a franchisee has a clear understanding of the diner's operating systems.
"From recipes to product descriptions to portions," Capen said, "a lot of that needs to be documented in a format to duplicate what you are doing."
Sheehan and Capen are committed to matching the right owner-operator with the right location. The right location, for example, may feature high vehicle traffic counts or pedestrian traffic counts, and proximity to businesses, colleges or hospitals.
Red Arrow officials declined to discuss the cost of a Red Arrow franchise or any financial details regarding potential franchise arrangements.
The demographics have to be just so for a 24-hour diner, they said.
"There are challenges whenever you open a new restaurant," said Capen.
Opening The Red Arrow Diner in Milford last year proved instrumental to their franchising planning.
"It was a great learning experience," Sheehan said. "We did not expect that as soon as we opened the door the place would be full and there was a line out the door."
The Milford diner, like the original diner in Manchester, is still busy. Sheehan said she has 38 employees in Manchester and 46 in Milford.
It remains a growth industry, Capen said. "Business increases every year," he said.
The success is indicative of the recession-proof operating model, according to Capen. Consumer lifestyles are also at play.
"People eat out a lot," he said. "Sometimes out of necessity."
Good and affordable comfort food remains the draw, said Sheehan. Her favorite? She could not name just one. But with a smile, she said, it is tough to beat a plate of meatloaf with gravy and mashed potatoes.