Food

Eat’n Park Corporate Office

Eat ‘N Park was founded in 1949 by Larry Hatch and Bill Peters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Impressed by what they saw at a Big Boy Drive In operation, Hatch and Peters made a 25 year contract with Big Boy to operate a chain of drive in restaurants called Eat ‘N Park. The original drive-in had 13 stalls for cars and 10 carhops.

Today, Eat ‘N Park has more than 75 locations in 3 states and has more than 8,000 full time employees. The company is also attempting to offer more upscale dining areas in some of their newer locations. A bakery was added to new locations after 1986 and the company began to advertise this using a Smiley Face cookie.

The company has been involved in several lawsuits over their right to the Smiley Face cookie, including rival King Family Restaurants, who launched a Frownie Brownie to their menu. Eat ‘N Park is one of the only fast food restaurants to offer an ATM at each location, even though they accept debit and credit cards.

Eat 'N Park

History

Cottage Inn Pizza Corporate Office

Cottage Inn Pizza was founded in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1948. Originally a coffee shop, pizza was added to the menu in 1959 and was the first pizza business in Michigan. The original building and restaurant still stands.

Today, Cottage Inn Pizza is a chain of franchised pizza restaurants. Franchising did not begin until 2014, but the company already has more than 50 locations in Michigan and Ohio, with plans for 500 stores in the next 15 years in all 50 states.

The company is best known for its specialty pizzas, such as apple pie, gluten free, and build your own pizzas, where customers choose whatever toppings they like. The chain also specializes in various flavored crusts, such as garlic butter, sesame seed, and butter Parmesan crusts.

Cottage Inn Pizza

History

Cotton Patch Cafe Corporate Office

Cotton Patch Cafe was founded in 1989 in Nacogdoches, Texas, by Larry Marshall and Mike Patranella. The company operates a chain of Tex-Mex food restaurants, mainly in Texas and New Mexico. As of 2015, the company had 45 restaurants in 3 states.

In February of 2016, Altamont Capital Partners acquired the successful chain of restaurants. At this time, there are no plans to change the name or to change the current executives.

Cotton Patch Cafe was designed to offer made from scratch cooking to local communities. The company still uses many of the same recipes and meals which they began with in 1989. Many locations, especially the first few, were decorated by the owners wives, who used items they bought at thrift stores and county fairs, in order to give each location an “at home” feeling.

Cotton Patch Cafe

In February of 2016, Altamont Capital Partners acquired the successful chain of restaurants. At this time, there are no plans to change the name or to change the current executives.

History

Fareway Corporate Office

Fareway was founded in Boone, Iowa, in 1938 by Paul Beckwith. The company is still owned and operated by the Beckwith family.

The company operates a chain of full service supermarkets. As of 2015, the company had more than 100 locations and 5,000 full time employees. Fareway stores offer full service, including pharmacy, bakery, and even movie rentals. The company also offers a mobile phone app which allows persons to order items for delivery, as well as keeping track of their points for cash back options.

Fareway envisions a one stop quick shop, where customers can park, grab food for the home, and back in their cars within 10 minutes.

In 2018, the company implemented a program which would helps employees with student debt pay off their loans faster.

After 85 years Fareway moved its corporate office in Boone, Iowa, to a larger space in Des Moines, Iowa, in August 2023.

Fareway

Fareway was founded in Boone, Iowa, in 1938 by Paul Beckwith. The company is still owned and operated by the Beckwith family.

History

Fareway envisions a one stop quick shop, where customers can park, grab food for the home, and back in their cars within 10 minutes.

In 2018, the company implemented a program which would helps employees with student debt pay off their loans faster.

After 85 years Fareway moved its corporate office in Boone, Iowa, to a larger space in Des Moines, Iowa, in August 2023.

DiBella’s Sub’s Corporate Office

DiBella’s Subs was founded in 1918 by Mike and Mary DiBella in Rochester, New York. The company originally started off as a delicatessen, but later discovered that sandwiches were its biggest-selling item.

Today, DiBella’s Subs has 43 locations in 6 states. Wegman’s has incorporated DiBella’s Sub-style shops inside their stores. While Wegmans consulted with DiBella’s, the company claims that the sandwiches are completely Wegman’s and not their product. DiBella’s locations have a 1930/1940 decorating theme. Bread is made fresh each day, using what is described as the “old world technique” and all ingredients are cut or delivered fresh each day.