ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 15, 1996 TAG: 9602150055
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on February 16, 1996.
An incorrect opening date for Pargo's restaurant was listed in a
story that appeared in Thursday's New River Current. The Christiansburg
Pargo's opened in 1990, with the Roanoke location opening two years
later.
After five years of running the only Pargo's restaurant franchises in the country, Patricia Green-Wells and her husband, Don Wells, are moving on.
Their two restaurants, located in Christiansburg and Roanoke, were sold earlier this week to Nashville-based Shoney's Inc., which runs the Pargo's chain nationwide. The 150-member staff at the two restaurants will remain the same, as will the locations and atmosphere.
The only thing that will change for Pargo's customers is the menu, which will be revamped along with the menus at the other 18 restaurants nationwide, Green-Wells said.
"We laid the foundation, they're continuing that," she said.
Green-Wells would not reveal the sale prices on the two restaurants, but the franchises have been averaging $2 million in sales each year.
Pargo's restaurants were founded in 1983 by Mitchell Boyd, a Shoney's franchisee who wanted to create an upscale chain. He opened his first restaurant in Manassas. Green-Wells became the Pargo's marketing director during the company's first year of existence.
A few years later, Wells said, Boyd was hired as Shoney's Inc.'s chief executive officer and the company bought the Pargo's chain. As a reward to Green-Wells for her hard work, she and her husband were allowed to open the only two Pargo's franchises in the country.
The Christiansburg location opened in 1992, and the Roanoke restaurant opened two years later.
Now Shoney's Inc. has a new CEO and a new president of the company's casual dining division, which oversees the Pargo's chain. The management changes brought a new focus to the Pargo's division and the Wellses were approached during the summer about the possibility of selling their franchises.
"My focus has been 100 percent Pargo's," said Green-Wells, who plans to take some time off now that the sale has been finalized. "The timing has been perfect for us."
Wells already is involved in another business project. He, along with architect Robert Mills, is developing the 200 mixed-style-home Spring Valley development in Blacksburg's Toms Creek Basin. His involvement in the development project, however, had little to do with the decision to sell Pargo's, Wells said.
"It's been five wonderful years," he said. "We feel we've been heavily involved in the community."
In preparation for the ownership change, each location will close for two days for staff training. The Roanoke restaurant will close Monday and Tuesday, while the Christiansburg location will close Feb. 26 and 27.
"We appreciate the wonderful, beautiful support of our customers," Green-Wells said.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 linesby CNB