In its largest acquisition to date for Atlanta-based GPS Hospitality, the rapidly growing franchisee group announced today that it will expand its national footprint into five new states with the acquisition of 194 BURGER KING restaurants. The acquisition will extend GPS Hospitality's reach into Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Florida.

This agreement nearly doubles the company's size and puts it firmly among the top three largest BURGER KING franchisees in the United States with 424 locations nationwide. By working with great brands supported by a proven operating philosophy and a strong company culture focused on Goals, People and Service, GPS Hospitality is on track to meet its goal of becoming a $1 billion company in sales in just 10 years.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for us and takes us a huge step closer on our journey to achieving one billion dollars in sales by 2022," said Tom Garrett, CEO of GPS Hospitality. "In just four years' we've created a thriving company that is on track to exceed its highest goals. It's rare to see such fast growth in this competitive industry, and it's a privilege to be part of this team that's making it happen at GPS."

GPS Hospitality also announced that Joe Waller has been promoted to Vice President of Operations and will oversee this new division within the company. Waller has spent more than 25 years in the restaurant industry, including the past two years serving as Director of Operations for GPS Hospitality's Ohio region. Prior to that, he spent 14 years at Arby's running 82 restaurants as Senior Director of Operations in Indiana.

"We are fortunate to have someone of Joe's caliber within the GPS family to lead an expansion of this size and magnitude," Garrett said. "He brings a deep knowledge of GPS' systems and culture that's essential for the success of our new division."

"I couldn't be more excited about this growth opportunity. I've had the great privilege of being part of GPS for the past two years and have seen firsthand how the company's value of Service-Obsessed drives our daily interactions with our guests," said Joe Waller, VPO of GPS Hospitality. "I'm confident that our new team, who has an impressive depth of knowledge and experience, will bring this valuable part of the GPS culture to life."