Hurricane Wilma Cuts Mexico’s largest restaurant company in half
Grupo Anderson’s is renowned across the world for its flagship restaurant brands, Señor Frog’s and Carlos ‘n Charlie’s. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Wilma, the restaurant company faces a major rebuilding process with damage to every location in Cancun, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen.
Cancun, Q. Roo, Mexico (PRWEB) October 25, 2005 -– Grupo Anderson’s, parent company of world-famous restaurant brands, Señor Frog’s and Carlos ‘n Charlie’s, is feeling the tremendous effects of Hurricane Wilma’s devastation throughout its entire corporation.
The company, which is based in Cancun, has lost the complete contents of its corporate office and has experienced damage in every restaurant in Cancun, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, including four Señor Frog’s and two Carlos ‘n Charlie’s locations.
“The aftermath of this storm is unimaginable,” said David Krouham, CEO of Grupo Anderson’s. “I also witnessed Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, which was the most devastating hurricane in Cancun’s history. But what we’ve experienced with Wilma is much worse.”
Through this devastation, Krouham, who has been with the company for more than 20 years, remains dedicated to supporting his 1,200 employees impacted by the hurricane.
“I expect our restaurants to be closed and under renovation for at least six to eight months, but I will do whatever it takes to make sure my employees are taken care of during that time, even if it requires taking out a personal loan to ensure their salaries are paid,” Krouham said.
Another longstanding Grupo Anderson’s concept, El Shrimp Bucket, which was located on the northern end of Boulevard Kukulcan, was washed away during the storm, and most parts of the hotel zone have experienced major sand and flood damage.
There is currently no electricity or running water in the area, and residents have been told that utilities will not be restored for up to three weeks. Many locals are surviving off of canned goods.
“If we run out of drinking water, we’ll just have to drink tequila,” Krouham joked.
“What’s unique about our company are the positive attitudes and loyalty of the staff members,” he added. “With those attributes, I am not concerned about our well-being and the rebuilding of our concepts.”
Before Hurricane Wilma, Grupo Anderson’s owned and operated 8 restaurant concepts and a total of 54 locations. Systemwide sales for 2005 were projected to reach more than $100 million. The four damaged Señor Frog’s, all of which exceeded $8 million in sales in 2004, represented some of the company’s highest-volume locations, and will potentially cause a serious financial strain on the company as a whole until they are reopened.
With more than 26,000 hotel rooms, Cancun is, by far, the country’s largest tourism resort area, as well as the top destination in the Caribbean, according to the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau.
For ongoing updates about Hurricane Wilma’s aftermath on the Yucatan Peninsula, including photos, please visit www.senorfrogs.com/wilma.
*Note: Jorge Camino, chief operating officer of Grupo Anderson’s, will be available for interviews beginning at 12 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, October 25.
Media Contact:
Ashley Hallmark
Quantified Marketing Group
(407) 936-1010
(321) 663-1209 mobile
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