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Springfield, MO
Restaurant operator and franchisor Big Whiskey’s relocated its headquarters to Ozark from downtown Springfield.
Big Whiskey’s Marketing Director Laura Head Elliott confirmed the move and provided a news release to Springfield Business Journal.
“Moving the office from downtown Springfield to Ozark has been pretty bittersweet for me,” Big Whiskey’s co-founder Paul Sundy said in the release. “I’ve spent my entire professional career working downtown, so this is a big adjustment.
“We outgrew our space and had a great opportunity to elevate our home office structure with the Ozark property. So it just made sense for our company.”
Elliott said the company relocated Jan. 21 to 2120 W. Calhoun St., a building Sundy’s Tri-Property Group LLC purchased in 2015 for undisclosed terms. Located near highways 65 and CC, the 15,000-square-foot building was previously a HealthMedX LLC office. HealthMedX was purchased in October 2016 by Netsmart Technologies Inc., which recently consolidated its local operations into the former Enactus world headquarters.
Big Whiskey’s is occupying 5,000 square feet in the building, and Tri-Property Group is marketing the remainder for lease. Big Whiskey’s former 1,950-square-foot headquarters on the first floor at 315 Park Central East — adjacent to the original restaurant that opened in 2006 — also is owned by Tri-Property Group. It’s also up for lease, in addition to its top-floor lofts, according to the release.
“The space is set up for us to grow into it at our own pace,” Sundy said in the release of the new Ozark headquarters. “Plus, the easy access to Highway 65 and the central location between all our stores makes it convenient for us to host potential franchisees coming from out of town.”
At its Ozark corporate office, Big Whiskey’s employs 11 people and oversees 575 workers systemwide, not including those at franchise restaurants, Elliott said. Revenue cannot be disclosed until the company’s franchise disclosure document is updated with recent figures, which is expected to be complete by the end of the first quarter, she said.
Elliott said Big Whiskey’s newest restaurant — one of two franchises planned in Las Vegas — is scheduled to open Feb. 19. It will join eight corporate-owned restaurants and two franchise-operated eateries, according to the release.
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