Football transfers to chicken wings
Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Larry Halstead, Staff Writer
 
Be brilliant on the basics. That's the lesson guiding Ker's WingHouse, a 14-year-old casual dining chain that features Buffalo chicken wings, scantily clad servers and a sports-themed atmosphere.

Crawford Ker, owner and founder, is a former professional football player who learned leadership traits from Tom Landry, Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson. Both Landry and Johnson were head coaches of the Dallas Cowboys during Ker's seven-year career as an offensive guard.

Ker learned discipline, drive, control and work ethic from his football days and transferred those skills to his business career. He discovered that executing the basics better than anyone else can drive success.

"Crawford has learned to emulate the success of others," said Tom Dunn, VP of franchise development. "He's very competitive."
Late bloomer

Ker didn't play football until his senior year in high school and then had to play for a community college when no scholarship offers came. But he earned a spot at University of Florida, a third-round draft pick in the national Football League and placement with Dallas and the Denver Broncos.

After retiring from pro football, he bought into a Largo store, which became the prototype WingHouse. It lost money for several months until Ker bought out his partner. Then he began to learn the business by studying what makes restaurants work.

His first restaurant venture, in Gainesville, flopped with him as an absentee owner during his playing days.

Now his company is first string. It has 19 locations in Florida and Texas and reported more than $57 million in revenue last year. In 2005, his chain grossed $43 million.

Ker decided to concentrate on the local market, for both guests and employees, and structures each store's marketing plan to its own location.

This year, with the economy struggling, Ker embarked on a plan to franchise stores. With real estate markets weak, he thinks it's the right time to expand operations.

Besides living and breathing his stores, Ker gives back to the community through his involvement with All Children's Hospital and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. A portion of the sales of WingHouse bottled sauces goes to charity, as does the proceeds from two golf tournaments.

lhalstead@bizjournals.com | 813.342.2467

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