Perkins® Names Ms. Dowm Hawley 2018 Franchisee of The Year

GM of the Year, Valued Business Partner of the Year and Give Kids The World Award Recipients also announced

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Apr 17, 2019, 10:00 ET

MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- At its annual Brand Conference attended by nearly 500 owners, managers and business partners, Perkins® Restaurant & Bakery announced that Ms. Dowm Hawley, Owner/Operator of the Perkins located at 1700 Old Trolley Road in Summerville, South Carolina is the recipient of the company's most prestigious award, "Franchisee of the Year." In presenting the award, Jeff Warne, President & CEO of Perkins & Marie Callender's, LLC stated, "Ms. Hawley epitomizes overall excellence in operations and brand standards; she is a leader who inspires others and contributes to the improvement of the system while positively representing the Perkins brand both within her restaurant and the community." In addition to Franchisee of the Year, the company named Candice Johnson from Perkins of Mason City, Iowa General Manager of the Year; Basic American Foods as its Valued Business Partner of the Year; and Harry Graebe and Rod Rader and their restaurant teams as Give Kids The World award recipients.

Ms. Dowm Hawley (center) is congratulated by Perkins & Marie Callender’s CEO, Jeff Warne (left) and COO, Jim Frank (right) on being named Perkins 2018 Franchisee of the Year.

2018 Franchisee of the Year, Dowm Hawley:
Upon graduating from Marshall University with an undergraduate degree in management and a master's degree in marketing, Dowm Hawley joined the Perkins family in 1998 and shortly thereafter, in 2003, opened the Trolley Road Perkins. A strong believer in the Perkins brand, Dowm credits the success of her restaurant to the outstanding management team and staff all of whom are steadfast supporters of the brand and exemplify Perkins' commitment to "Kindness Served Daily."

Testament to Hawley's success are her restaurant's impressive results in categories ranging from quality assurance to sales, guest counts and employee retention. Dowm is an active member of her church, community and the area at large. She sits on a committee for the Summerville Mayor's office that appropriates the hotel and restaurant tax in the community and brings visitors to the city; sponsors a scholarship at Charleston Southern University; and is a member of the Board of Visitors at the University.

2018 General Manager of the Year, Candice Johnson:
Ms. Johnson began her career with Perkins in 2013 as a server. Since Candice's promotion to General Manager at the Mason City, Iowa Perkins in 2017, the store has significantly improved productivity and experienced increased sales. Candice focuses on training systems and believes that happy employees make happy guests, which ultimately leads to positive growth.

Valued Business Partner, Basic American Foods:
When Jack Hume founded Basic American Foods in 1933, he did so with the belief that taste and integrity were paramount aspects of a partnership, and, according to Chris Adair, Director of Supply Chain Management, Perkins & Marie Callender's, such has been the case since the company first started working with Perkins in 1995.

Give Kids The World Award Recipients, Harry Graebe and Rod Rader:
Harry Graebe of Perkins in Madison, Wisconsin and Rod Rader of the Grand Island, Nebraska Perkins were the Give Kids The World (GKTW) corporate and franchise honorees respectively, recognized for their outstanding contributions and fundraising efforts supporting GKTW. Give Kids The World has been Perkins' designated charity since 1990; it exists to fulfill the wishes of all children with critical illnesses and their families from all around the world.

About Perkins Restaurants & Bakeries:
Founded in 1958, the Perkins system consists of nearly 400 restaurants in 32 states and Canada. Additional information can be found at www.perkinsrestaurants.com.

SOURCE Perkins Restaurant & Bakery