Restaurant Industry Veteran Martin O'Dowd Named President of Hurricane Grill & Wings
Martin O'Dowd, a well-known restaurant industry veteran with over 30 years of experience, has been appointed president of Hurricane AMT, LLC, the franchisor of the rapidly growing Hurricane Grill & Wings restaurants.
O'Dowd has been CEO of three public restaurant companies over the past 20 years. Most recently he served as president and CEO of Famous Daves of America in Minneapolis, where he successfully developed the organization from 18 units in the Midwest into an 84-unit national concept.
"Martin O'Dowd has been a leader in the restaurant and hospitality industry for many years and we are honored to announce he has joined our team," said Chairman and CEO John Metz. "Martin has an immense expertise and knowledge of the business, and he has a proven track record of building highly successful organizations. He is a key addition to our executive team and will be instrumental in fast tracking Hurricane Grill & Wings' expansion plans."
"I have always enjoyed bringing teams together to build both top and bottom lines, shareholder and franchisee value," said O'Dowd. "Hurricane Grill & Wings has a superior product, a proven track record, systems with proven sustainability and unit economics where ROI are very achievable in today's economic environment."
Hurricane Grill & Wings is known for its uniquely savory chicken wings, offered in five categories with a choice of over 30 signature sauces. Menu items are cooked fresh to order with high quality ingredients, no trans fats, and environmentally friendly packaging. Other menu options range from salads to Certified Angus Burgers, Grilled Mahi-Mahi along with a full lineup of micro-brew beer and wine.
Prior to his position as president and CEO of Famous Dave's of America, O'Dowd was president and chief operating officer of Rainforest Cafe and assisted in the initial public offering of the company from 1995 to 1999. His extensive background also includes executive positions with Elephant & Castle, Inc., Hard Rock Cafe International, Steak & Ale and Holiday Inn Worldwide.
O'Dowd is actively involved in numerous non-profit organizations including Angel Flight of Georgia, a volunteer pilot organization which provides medical-related flights. He is also a member of the Georgia Restaurant Council and The Atlanta Sports Council.
He currently resides in Atlanta with his wife and two children.
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