Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue I, 2012 | Page 62

Best

OF THE BEST

mid-December, about 4 miles from Reliant Stadium, home of
the Houston Texans football team.
Sports and community involvement have played a large role
in Ricky’s and John’s lives, both personally and professionally.
As a teenager, Ricky spent 10 years as a ballboy and equipment
assistant for the Houston Rockets during the Hakeem “The
Dream” years, when the team won two NBA championships
(1994 and 1995).
He’s continued to combine his passion for sports and restaurants. After his relationship with the Rockets, Ricky and
John got involved with the Houston Oilers football team
Twin Peaks
from 1993 to 1996, when the team left Houston to become
Mamma & Papa University Grads the Tennessee Titans. In 2000, when the Houston Texans came
The Avalanche Food Group turned in a gold medal perfor- into existence, a friend in the new team’s marketing departmance in 2011, earning them the Franchisee of the Year Award ment asked if they wanted to get involved. Duh. Since 2002,
from Twin Peaks. At press time, Avalanche (composed of three when the team joined the NFL, they’ve been shuffling in the
brothers and a close family friend) had one Twin Peaks location footballs to the refs—and in 2004, they got to work the Super
open near Houston since August 2010, and a second sched- Bowl (New England 32, Carolina 29).
Do they leverage all that? “Absolutely,” he says. Not only
uled to open this past December. The group plans to open five
more Twin Peaks restaurants
do they wear the orange
over the next six years in the
vests and hear the coaches
Houston area.
and players, they network
“We’re no strangers to the
informally through the locker
restaurant industry,” says Ricky
room. They also host the
Rosa, company COO and the
Danieal Manning ESPN
youngest of the three brothers.
radio show every Monday
Their parents, originally from
night from their Twin Peaks
Sicily, emigrated to Brooklyn,
store in Webster—complete
and in the early 1970s moved
with Monday Night Football–related specials.
to Houston. “Everywhere they
landed on their feet, they de Then there’s the Brothers
cided to have a child,” he jokes.
Factor. “The chemistry we
The eldest brother, Joe (CFO,
have is what makes us sucreal estate, finance), was born (L-R) Joe Rosa, Andrew Thomas, Ricky Rosa, John Rosa cessful,” he says. “First of all,
in Sicily; middle brother John
we communicate. Second,
(director of operations) in Brooklyn; and Ricky in Houston; we understand each others’ roles and differences.” That means
and Andrew Thomas is the CEO, responsible for branding disagreeing, criticizing, and in the end respecting the decisions
each makes.
and marketing.
“As brothers, we all grew up in the restaurant business,
On the employee side, “We have a great team, and we
from dishwasher to busboy. Mamma and Papa University— open our restaurants around people. We identify the right
that’s where we were grounded, that’s our roots,” says Rosa.