Tuesday, February 7, 2006

Area Burger Kings purchased by one of

largest franchisees

By STEVE CAHALAN La Crosse Tribune

One of the nation's largest franchisees has purchased the five Burger Kings in La Crosse, Onalaska and Holmen from TW Management of La Crosse.

Heartland Food Corp., based in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, Ill., took over the area restaurants Jan. 20, Heartland Chief Operating Officer Steve Wiborg said Monday.

"I've been doing this for a long time," said Tom Williams of La Crosse, who heads TW Management. "It was just time to sell." He opened his first Burger King in 1979 on Mormon Coulee Road in La Crosse.

With the acquisition, Heartland has 249 Burger Kings in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina and South Carolina, Wiborg said.

"The restaurants are in real good condition," Wiborg said. But Heartland plans to make some improvements, such as landscaping work at all five locations and painting some of the restaurants, he said. "We've also implemented a value strategy" with some promotional pricing, he said.

Hours soon will expand at all five area Burger Kings, Wiborg said.

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