Quaker Steak opens franchise in Fla.

SHARON, Pa. -- Quaker Steak & amp; Lube is opening its first franchised location outside Ohio and Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
Bill Church, a Florida resident, will own the restaurant in Clearwater, Fla. He intends to open several more in that state, said Trisha Knight, director of marketing for QS & amp;L.
Besides the original restaurant in Sharon, there are eight franchised locations in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Two Erie, Pa., residents, Lance Leahr and Tim Weaver, intend to open a franchised restaurant in Knoxville, Tenn., next month and one in Charlotte, N.C., later, Knight said.
She said several other franchise agreements have been signed recently and more restaurants will open next year.
Because the original restaurant was a converted gas station with service bays, the franchises are made to look like service stations. They are larger than the original restaurant, however, Knight said.
While owners can customize the interiors of the franchises, they all have an automotive theme, she said.
Company structure
In May, company founders George Warren and Gary Meszaros created Lube Holdings, a Sharon-based holding company to oversee the company's expansion.
While Warren remains president and chief executive and Meszaros is still executive vice president, they brought in some veteran restaurant executives to help them with the expansion.
Andrew Gunkler, who has 25 years of experience in senior management positions with Perkins and other companies, was brought to Sharon to be vice president of development. He is overseeing the selling of franchises.