Rise & Dine™ Franchise Team
G. P. “Butch” Velie- President and CEO
Mr. Velie co-founded and has been involved as a principal of Rise and Dine Restaurants, Inc. (the "Company") since its inception and currently serves as President and CEO. He has more than 20 years of experience in franchising. He served as Vice President, General Counsel of the Columbus, Ohio-based Charley’s Grilled Subs restaurant chain from 2002 until 2005; and as Executive Vice President, General Counsel with Health Management Group, Inc., an Akron, Ohio-based franchisor of weight loss centers from 1998 until 2002. From 1985 until joining Health Management Group, Inc., he was an attorney in private practice in Columbus, Ohio. From 1982 until 1985, he served as Corporate Counsel for G.D. Ritzy’s, Inc., a Columbus, Ohio-based, publicly-owned quick-service restaurant chain and franchisor.
Joseph D. Deavenport- Executive Vice President and COO
Mr. Deavenport co-founded the Company and serves as its Executive Vice President and COO. His company PRD of Missouri, Inc. (“PRDM”) became the Area Representative for Rise & Dine™ Restaurants for the state of Missouri. Companies affiliated with PRDM currently own and operate franchised Rise & Dine™ restaurants in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area
Prior to his affiliation with Rise & Dine™ restaurants, Mr. Deavenport was Vice President-Central Region for The Coca-Cola Company, and served in various management positions with The Coca-Cola Company for sixteen (16) years.
Michael J. Stasko – Chairman
Mr. Stasko co-founded the Company and serves as its Chairman. His company Buckeye Peach’s, LLC (“Buckeye”) is the Area Representative for Rise & Dine™ Restaurants for the state of Ohio. Companies affiliated with Buckeye currently own and operate Rise & Dine™ Restaurants in Central Ohio. Mr. Stasko has been in the food service industry for more than thirty (30) years. He has been co-owner of Best Restaurant Equipment & Design, Inc. (“Best”), a large Columbus, Ohio-based restaurant design and equipment supplier for nearly twenty (20) years.
William E. Rosen - Vice President of Operations
Mr. Rosen is Vice President of Operations for the Company, and currently serves in that capacity for Buckeye. He has more than 30 years of experience in restaurant operation and food service. Prior to joining Buckeye, he was the Columbus Prepared Food Specialist for Giant Eagle, Inc., a Pittsburgh, PA-based grocery store chain. For more than 20 years prior, he served in various consulting and multi-unit operations and managerial capacities with restaurant franchisees of the Ponderosa, Western Sizzlin’, Checker’s, Ryan’s Family Steakhouses, and Golden Corral chains.
To learn more about this opportunity, please contact our franchise team or complete and return the Franchise Application (pdf).