ATLANTA, July 29, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Church's Chicken(tm), a division of AFC Enterprises, Inc. (Ticker:AFCE), announced today the formation of an Advisory Council composed of leaders in business, community, academia and politics to advise, counsel and partner with senior management on programs and issues focused on Church's target markets and expanding efforts to gain more Hispanic/Latino and African American franchise partners and employees. "Understanding the needs of our customers, employees, franchisees and our community is a top priority for Church's," said Hala Moddelmog, President of Church's Chicken. "The advisory council will help us to insure that we are remaining relevant with our many constituents."
Church's is promptly taking steps with the Council to convert the vision of the Council into quantitative goals. The Council already has homework following its initial meeting of June 22: Identifying 10 creative ways that Church's can become more involved with local communities; and, recommending qualified Latino/Hispanic candidates for senior management positions.
Church's wants to maintain the loyalty of the national customer base that has supported the brand over the years. In the beginning, family-owned Church's Fried Chicken To Go opened in San Antonio, Texas in 1952 and sold only fried chicken with an added "stop-and-watch" element where customers could watch employees cooking hand-cut chicken. Today, Church's Chicken, under parent company AFC Enterprises, has more than 1,500 locations worldwide serving Southern-style chicken and side items such as corn on the cob, fried okra, mashed potatoes and gravy and signature Honey-Butter Biscuits.
In addition to the business, community, academic and political leaders on the Council, a group of Church's employees representing key functional areas will be joining the Council. Hannibal Myers, Chief Global Development Officer, stated, "The involvement of a cross section of Church's internal and external stakeholders will provide a unique depth of understanding and commitment to the Council's goals."
External Advisory Council members: Derek Boazman, Atlanta City Council member; Brenda Foye Cornelius, President and CEO, The Cornelius Group; Jim Estrada, President & CEO, Estrada Communications Group, Inc.; Ron Estrada, Vice President, Estrada Communications Group, Inc.; Gustavo Diaz Flores, President, VADESA, LLC; Clint Fluker, Student, Morehouse College; Dr. Walter Earl Fluker, Coca Cola Professor of Leadership Studies, Morehouse College; Yvonne Bryant Johnson, CEO Bryant & Associates, LLC; Dr. Barbara King, Founder - Minister, Hillside Chapel and Truth Center, Inc.; Cheryl McAfee-Mitchell, President and Principal, Charles F. MacAfee Architects and Planners; Dr. William Pickard, Chairman & CEO, Global Automotive Alliance; Dakota Pippins, Director, Hormel Foods Corp.; Lisa Wade, Partner, Swift, Currie, McGhee & Hiers; and Harriette Watkins, Vice President of Community Affairs, AGL Resources Inc.
Internal Church's Chicken Advisory Council members: Carolyn McCrorey, Vice President People Services; Hannibal Myers, Chief Global Development Officer; Melinda Ennis-Roughton, Chief Marketing Officer; Kimberly Frazier, Advertising & Sales Promotions Manager; Melissa Hernandez, New Business Development Coordinator; Emmett Mitchell, Market Leader; Claudia Penuela, Director, Global Marketing; and Karen Shelton, Communications Manager.
About Church's Chicken
Church's Chicken, one of the world's largest quick-service chicken restaurant concepts, focuses on high quality food served at a value price. Menu specialties include Southern-style chicken and side items such as corn on the cob, fried okra, mashed potatoes and gravy, and signature Honey-Butter Biscuits. Church's Chicken has more than 1,500 locations worldwide, driving system-wide sales of approximately $900 million in 2003. Visit Church's Chicken on the World Wide Web at www.churchs.com.
About AFC Enterprises
AFC Enterprises, Inc. is the franchisor and operator of 4,080 restaurants, bakeries and cafes as of June 13, 2004, in the United States, Puerto Rico and 38 foreign countries under the brand names Popeye's(r) Chicken & Biscuits, Church's Chicken(tm) and Cinnabon(r), and the franchisor of Seattle's Best Coffee(r) in Hawaii, on military bases and internationally. AFC's primary objective is to be the world's Franchisor of Choice(r) by offering investment opportunities in highly recognizable brands and exceptional franchisee support systems and services. AFC Enterprises can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.afce.com.