Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing
  • Login
  • GDPR
  • Create a Free Account
Return to PRWeb homepage
  • News
  • Resources
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PRWeb provides efficient communication tools to continuously engage with target audiences across multiple online channels
  • Create a Free Account
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us


      11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday

  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR

Minute Man to Minute Men: A Legendary Arkansas Restaurant Franchise Plans A Comeback
  • USA - English


News provided by

The Avalon Institute

Jan 16, 2019, 07:00 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

Minute Man Hamburgers est. 1948
Minute Man Hamburgers est. 1948

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (PRWEB) January 16, 2019 -- Minute Man Restaurant of El Dorado, Arkansas, soley owned and operated by Ms. Linda McGoogan, has partnered with Matchbox Food Group founder and Arkansas native Perry J. Smith to revive this legendary brand.

Minute Man was a pioneering fast-casual restaurant founded in Little Rock by entrepreneur Wesley (Wes) Hall in 1948. The original Minute Man location opened at 407 Broadway on May 26, 1948. At the height of its operations, the company had 57 company-owned and franchised locations throughout Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana.

...our customers call us 'The Last Minute Man' standing!

Post this

Ms. McGoogan has been an owner-operator of Minute Man, El Dorado since 1984. "We've been around so long our customers call us the 'The Last Minute Man Standing,'" she reports with a laugh. This statement is true in that her location is the single remaining unit of this once expansive chain. McGoogan is assisted in the restaurant by her husband Paul and son Brent, making it a true family enterprise. She adds, "We're still doing great and customers line up when we get ready to open every day," having heard of Minute Man through die hard regulars, friends and family or internet reviews.

This past May 26, 2018 marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Minute Man chain and over the years, Ms. McGoogan has had her fair share of well-wishers. In her career, she has fed a large number of dignitaries such as Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, the late Senators David Pryor and Dale Bumpers as well as Bill and Hillary Clinton. With no plans yet to retire, Ms. McGoogan is excited "to get Minute Man up and running again." She adds, "People ask me every day if Minute Man can open in Little Rock or wherever. I tell 'em just stay tuned-that's our plan!"

Perry J. Smith is an Arkansas native and career restaurateur and states that he has been a huge fan of Minute Man since he was a child. "My earliest restaurant experience was at a Minute Man on Cantrell Road in Little Rock. I think I was about 7 years old. McDonald's had opened down the street and all the kids were pestering their parents to take them for hamburgers. My dad said 'No, but I'm going to take you to an Arkansas restaurant to get a real charcoal grilled hamburger and fries. I was hooked."

Smith is the founder of the multi-unit restaurant company Matchbox Food Group with locations in California, Maryland, Florida, Virginia, DC and Texas. After selling his shares in the restaurants, Smith founded The Avalon Institute a business and leadership development firm. In addition, during his frequent travels to Arkansas, he began researching the history of Minute Man and driving to El Dorado to eat at the restaurant. Reports Smith, "The food, burgers and fries were fantastic, just like I remember growing up." Over the years, Smith and McGoogan's relationship grew, with Smith providing informal guidance in management, operations, quality control and branding. In June of 2018, they formalized their partnership by way of a new entity Minute Man, AR Management with the sole focus of bringing this legendary restaurant back to the state of Arkansas.

Says Smith, "Minute Man is an Arkansas heritage brand and beloved restaurant, and folks are so excited about the possibility of it coming back. Early on and to gauge people's interest, we started a Facebook page called Minute Man Memories and now have over 700 followers. Folks are jumping on daily and having discussions about what they ate, what they remember and their fondest experiences at the restaurant. Overall, the main thing I hear is that Minute Man is the 'right brand for our time' which makes me feel great about the possibilities for a comeback."

Initial plans call for opening three locations in the Little Rock and Conway areas. Says Smith "Since we partnered, I have been working in the restaurant with Ms. Linda, meeting customers, setting up systems, developing relationships with the trades and building a motivated team." He adds, "But mainly, I have been listening to people's thoughts on what a 21st century Minute Man needs to look, feel and taste like. So many folks love this idea and we have to get it right." He concludes, 'But with 70 years of history on our side, a healthy dose of nostalgia and of course a great charcoal grilled burger, I am confident this will be a huge success!"

We are sure Mr. Hall will be watching closely.

Minute Man, AR Management is the operating arm for Minute Man Restaurants. The Avalon Institute is a business development, leadership and coaching firm founded on the principle of Roundtable Leadership where individuals learn to effecively collaborate in order to grow, tackle complex challenges and thrive in their endeavers.    Please direct all inquiries to Avalon staff via the main website. Photos courtesy of The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, UALR and The Avalon Institute.

Matthew Fritz, The Avalon Institute, http://www.avalonleadership.com, +1 (844) 828-2566, [email protected]

Modal title

Ms. Linda McGoogan Owner, Minute Man, El Dorado, AR
Ms. Linda McGoogan Owner, Minute Man, El Dorado, AR
Perry J. Smith
Perry J. Smith
Original Minute Man Location, Little Rock, AR
Original Minute Man Location, Little Rock, AR
Minute Man, North Little Rock, AR  circa 1973
Minute Man, North Little Rock, AR circa 1973
Minute Man Founder Wes Hall
Minute Man Founder Wes Hall
Ms. Linda McGoogan Owner, Minute Man, El Dorado, AR Perry J. Smith Original Minute Man Location, Little Rock, AR Minute Man, North Little Rock, AR  circa 1973 Minute Man Founder Wes Hall

Contact PRWeb

  • 11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday
  • Contact Us

About PRWeb

  • About PRWeb
  • Partners
  • Partnership Programs
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Resources

Why PRWeb

  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing

Accounts

  • Create a Free Account
  • Log in
  • Contact Us

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet
Cision Distribution Helpline
888-776-0942
  • Legal
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.