Huddle House keeps its customers fed 24/7

HARTSVILLE — Bob and Janie Robertson of Evans, Ga., expanded their Huddle House franchise to 11 stores in the last year despite the recession.

“It’s been tougher the last three months, but nothing anybody else isn’t experiencing,” Bob said.

AT A GLANCE

Name: Huddle House
Established: December 1999
Address: 400 Pamplico Highway, Florence; 1904 W. Evans St., Florence; 1503 S. Main St., Darlington; 904 S. Fifth St., Hartsville; 1105 Broad St., Sumter; 5643 Broad St., Sumter
Owners: Bob and Janie Robertson
Employees: 150
Specialty: 24-hour dining

The Robertsons own Huddle House stores in Darlington Hartsville, Florence, Sumter, Lake City, Marion, Mullins and Augusta, Ga.

“We’ve been fortunate,” Robertson said. “It’s tough. The 24-hour business is tough.”

While the economy is affecting the Robertsons, their stores’ sales are still up 2 percent even as system-wide the region is down 4 percent.

Location makes the difference, Bob said.

“I’d rather have repeat customers every day than be on the Interstate and depend on highway traffic,” Bob said.

Their Lake City and Pamplico Highway locations are always in the top three or five each week for the Mid-Atlantic region.

“I feel like I’m at home in every town,” Bob said.

He added that he is fortunate to have good managers at each of his locations.

“It helps we’re on the low end of price point for restaurants,” Bob said. “Breakfast anytime helps, too.”

The Huddle House corporation sets the prices, and everyone is trying to keep food cost in line to keep prices low.

“One thing I like about the Huddle House business is it’s a good concept,” Bob said.

The short-order format isn’t overly expensive and allows the business to stay competitive.

The corporate office has been changing, too, adjusting to the economic situation by adding new items like the chicken biscuit.

“And there are more new food products coming down the line,” Bob said.

The Robertsons acquired and remodeled their Darlington and Hartsville locations in late 2009.

The Darlington location reopened in December, and the Hartsville location reopened in November. Both got interior remodels, new cook lines and new walk-in coolers.

The Robertsons still want to keep improving their business. Next on the list is redoing the parking lots.

“I couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” Bob said.

And that opportunity has paid off.

“I’ve been thrilled with Hartsville and Darlington,” he said.

Bob handles the maintenance at all the locations as well as constructing the deals for new stores while Janie keeps up with daily operations such as payroll, food and labor costs.

“My wife has got the toughest job,” Bob said.

Bob started in the Huddle House world in 1993 operating a franchise with a loan from his parents. He built their business up to nine stores and decided to start over for himself this time.

In December 1999, the Robertsons opened his first store in Oak Island, N.C. Within a year, he opened four more locations in Florence, Sumter, Marion and Mullins.

Since then, they have opened second Florence and Sumter locations, a franchise in Lake City and Augusta, Ga., plus the Darlington and Hartsville locations last year.

“Huddle House corporation guided me into some of these stores because we’re good operators,” Bob said. “The potential is there. I think it’s only going to get better.”