PDQ earns elite restaurant industry honor

Tampa Bay Business Journal

Another in a long line of Tampa Bay-based restaurant chains is generating national buzz.

Nation’s Restaurant News, a top food service trade magazine, has named PDQ one of its 2014 Hot Concepts winners, joining four other emerging brands.

“Hot Concepts recognizes forward-thinking companies at the leading edge of foodservice that also show strong potential for growth,” NRN said on its website.

The publication said of PDQ: “With its emphasis on freshness, [the restaurant] looks to stand out in the crowded quick-serve and fast-casual chicken segment.”

PDQ was founded in 2011 by Outback Steakhouse co-founder Bob Basham and Nick Reader, chief executive of MVP Holdings. The chain currently has 25 locations from Florida to North Carolina.

The other Hot Concepts winners are: LYFE Kitchen (Chicago); Protein Bar (Chicago); Slater’s 50/50 (Southern California) and Snap Kitchen (Austin, Tex.)

NRN’s editorial team selected the winners. The chosen five will be celebrated at the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators Conference (MUFSO), held Oct. 5-7 in Dallas.

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