A Fayetteville, North Carolina native, Nicholas Perkins snagged the Fuddruckers franchise for nearly $18.5 million after reaching a deal with Luby’s, the Houston-based chain that owned Fuddruckers. The agreement makes Perkins the first African American to completely own a national burger chain and the largest franchise owner in the country.
Perkins earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management from Fayetteville State University before attending Howard University, where he received his Master of Business Administration. He says that his love of food and the Fuddruckers brand motivated him to be a part of the franchise somehow.
“I always wanted to become a part of this iconic brand. I just didn’t realize that one day I’d end up owning it,” he explained. Now that he is the owner, Perkins is determined to make sure franchisees have adequate “resources, infrastructure, and operational and marketing support” to see the most income from respective restaurants. He is also interested in taking the chain international at some point.
Fuddruckers currently has over 92 restaurants. At its height, there were over 500 locations.
