One of the Tri-State's largest owners and operators of franchise restaurants is Jasper, Ind., based B.R. Associates Inc.
Headed by the group's founders Bob and Lovella Ruckriegel, BR includes a total of nearly 160 Long John Silver's, Wendy's, Grandy's Country Cookin' and Denny's restaurants in the Tri-State and Michigan.
The restaurant business also rubbed off onto the Ruckriegels' sons, Sid and Al. The sons have Sidal, Inc., which runs Jojos in Evansville and some area Rally's and Papa John's restaurants.
Bob Ruckriegel, 70, first got into the restaurant business in 1964, opening Jerry's Restaurant in Jasper.
His BR Associates now does about $115 million in total sales a year and employs between 3,500 to 3,600 associates.
Like others in the restaurant industry, Ruckriegel faces a growing amount of government bureaucracy, including increased documentation of business practices where health and labor requirements are involved.
Ruckriegel also feels the challenge of more fierce competition and of increased costs for food and employee health benefits.
Ruckriegel said BR Associates isn't in a growth mode as much as it is a mode to re-image its current restaurants.
"We don't really grow a whole lot per year unless we make an acquisition when the opportunity knocks," he said.
A recent opportunity came in December 2003 when BR bought nine Long John Silver's stores at one time.
Ruckriegel said he doesn't expect BR to get much bigger, however.
"We can only do justice to so many chains. If we wear too many hats our ears will drop down," he said.