Suffolk News-Herald

Wanted: One restaurant investor.

The Kansas City, Mo.-based Houlihan’s Restaurant Group is searching for a franchise operator interested in bringing its flagship restaurant, Houlihan’s Old Place, into Suffolk, said Bridget Grams, vice president of franchising.

Suffolk was selected as a potential growth site after the company did demographic studies of Virginia and Maryland to identify areas where Houlihan’s would be successful, said Grams.

The company has not talked to any local private developers or city economic development officials, she added.

&uot;We would love to be in the Suffolk market,&uot; Grams said. &uot;We believe it would be an outstanding area for our restaurants.&uot;

The company owns 85 restaurants nationwide, she said. Three of them are in Virginia, including Darryl’s, in Norfolk; Charley’s Place, in Chantilly; and J. Gilbert’s Wood Fired Grill, in McLean.

Depending upon the type of building, franchisees could feasibly open their restaurants for investments as little as $300,000 to $500,000.

Houlihan’s Old Place usually seats 190-250 customers, with bar seating for an additional 50-70 people. Excluding alcohol sales, the average check for one person is $14.50.

For more information, call Grams at (816) 756-2200, ext. 1122.