Daily Business Report — Feb. 2, 2011

Restaurant Investors Target Chains

Four veteran restaurant industry executives have formed a San Diego restaurant investment and management consulting firm to target chain restaurants. “Essentially, we seek to invest — either capital or expertise — in concepts that we believe have unmet potential,” said Kevin Relyea, CEO of the firm — K3R Capital Partners. The company’s specific targets include under-performing restaurant chains with annual revenues above $50 million, strong regional concepts that lack breakout capital to expand and mature restaurants requiring market repositioning. The four principals have worked in restaurant chains over the past 30 years and have managed more than 1,000 restaurants.

Relyea, managing general partner and CEO, began his career as a grill cook with Jack in the Box and eventually became vice president of operations, later becoming president of the family dining division of Family Restaurants Inc. and later chairman, CEO and president. In 1998, Relyea and his team led Family Restaurants in a merger with the Lee Iacocca-led Koo Koo Roo Inc. which was made up of the Koo Koo Roo, Hamburger Hamlet and Color Me Mine brands.

Chief Financial Officer Robert T. Trebing Jr. was an executive with Family Restaurants Inc., which operated more than 700 restaurants under brands El Torito, Houlihan’s, Coco’s and Carrows. He also served as chief restructuring adviser for a fast casual Mexican restaurant company that operated 178 stores in 12states and franchised 196 stores in 17states.

Roger K. Chamness, managing general partner, began a 20-year restaurant career at Grace Restaurant Co. as a financial analyst and became president of Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurants Inc., a $280 million division of Prandium Inc.

Robert L. Carl, managing general partner, was first involved in the high-tech industry, serving in management roles at Pulse Engineering and Spectrian Corp. In 1998, Carl moved from high-tech to consumer branded business at Prandium Inc., leading  public and media relations for the El Torito, Chi-Chi’s, Casa Gallardo, Koo Koo Roo, Hamburger Hamlet, Charley Brown’s, Las Brisas and Keystone Grill brands.

Cubic Subsidiary Receives Navy Support Services Contract

Cubic Worldwide Technical Services Inc., a subsidiary of Cubic Corp., has been awarded one of eight contracts for training systems support services by the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in Orlando, Fla. The contracts, worth a combined $900 million, were awarded to support more than 900 training simulators for the Navy and Marine Corps and for other governments. As part of the award, the company also received an order for operations, maintenance and instructional support for E-2C training devices at Navy facilities in Norfolk, Va., and in Point Mugu, Calif. The order is valued at $14.5 million. Work under the major contract will be performed in various locations inside and outside the continental United States and is expected to be completed in September 2018.

Yardi Systems Acquires San Diego’s REEPCO

Santa Barbara-based Yardi Systems, which makes software for the real estate and property management industries, has acquired Real Estate Electronic Publishing Co. Inc. (REEPCO) of San Diego for an undisclosed price. REEPCO owns and operates InternetCrusade, a national technology training organization for real estate professionals, and RealTown (the industry’s oldest online real estate community). REEPCO’s entire management team and employee population will remain with the company and operate from its San Diego offices.

Leap Appoints Chief Operating Officer

Raymond J. Roman has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Leap Wireless International Inc. in San Diego. Roman’s responsibilities will include overseeing the company’s marketing, network operations, customer care and retention and supply chain management. He succeeds Al Moschner, who retired. Roman has more than 20 years of operational and managerial experience. He most recently held several senior executive positions at Dell Inc. starting in 2007 and has held senior-level positions at Motorola Inc., Ameritech Corp. and Kraft Foods Inc. Roman holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.

Westcore Names VO and Chief Accounting Officer

Gary R. Gagné has joined Westcore Properties as vice president and chief accounting officer. He brings more than 16 years of real estate, accounting and finance experience in the areas of private equity, asset management, commercial property and land development, financial reporting and information systems. Gagné previously served as the vice president of accounting and corporate controller for Newland Real Estate Group. Before that, he was corporate controller for LNR Property’s commercial property division in Newport Beach. Gagné’s also was audit manager for Ernst & Young LLP in its real estate audit and assurance practice. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston College.

Colliers Appoints a Vice President and Associate Vice President

Colliers International has named John R. Wertz as a vice president and Derek Applbaum as an associate vice president. Wertz will specialize in the sale of single-tenant net leased properties and sale leasebacks throughout the United States. Prior to joining Colliers, he was director of the net leased properties group at Marcus and Millichap Real Estate Investment Services. since 2004. Wertz received a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Applbaum will focus on office leasing and sales in the Mission Valley and Kearny Mesa submarkets. Prior to joining Colliers, he was an associate director with Cushman and Wakefield. Applebaum began his career in 2000 with BRE Commercial. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona.

Barona Resort Appoints Executive Vice President

Troy Simpson has been promoted to executive vice president/assistant general manager of Barona Resort & Casino in Lakeside. Simpson has nearly two decades of experience in the casino industry and most recently was Barona’s senior vice president of innovation. He also served as executive director of loyalty marketing at the casino. Simpson began his gaming career with an eight-year tenure with Harrah’s Entertainment. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Austin Peay State University in Tennessee.

Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Opens Downtown Office

Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, a California employment law firm, has opened a San Diego office at 501 W. Broadway, Suite 800, in Downtown. Judith Islas and Frances Rogers run the office. Islas has more than 20 years of experience in labor, education and employment law. Rogers provides representation and legal counsel to clients in all matters pertaining to labor, employment and education law. The office phone is (619) 400-4955.

Small Business Workshops

Upcoming SCORE San Diego Workshops:

• Feb. 3 – Effective Marketing: Identifying and Targeting Your Customers – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

• Feb. 4 – Import/Export – 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

• Feb. 8 – Internet Marketing 304: Cost-Effective Internet Marketing Tools – 9 a.m. to noon at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).

• Feb. 8 – Business Basics 101 – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; No charge – please pre-register).

•  Feb. 9 – QuickBooks Basic – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

• Feb. 9 – Business Plan 101: How to Develop Your Best Competitive Advantage – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at National University – Carlsbad (705 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad 92009; pre-paid registration $79, $89 at the door).

• Feb. 10 – Tax Considerations for Small Business – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door).

• Feb. 11 – Legal Issues for Small Business: Organizational Structure – 9 a.m. to noon at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).

• Feb. 12 – Introduction to Starting Your Own Business – 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

• Feb. 14 – Customer Service: The Key to Business Success – 9 a.m. to noon at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $39, $49 at the door).

• Feb. 15 – Financial Statements: What They Mean, How to Use Them – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door).

• Feb. 15 – Marketing for Nonprofits – 9 to 11:30 a.m. at The San Diego Foundation – Liberty Station (2508 Historic Decatur Road, #200, San Diego 92106; pre-paid registration $39, $49 at the door).

• Feb. 16 – Internet Marketing 303: Social Media for Small Businesses – 9 a.m. to noon at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).

• Feb. 18 – Financing Your Business – 9:30 a.m. to noon at National University – Carlsbad (705 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad 92009; pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door).

• Feb. 23 – Business Plan 201: How to Write a Winning Business Plan – 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at National University – Carlsbad (705 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad 92009; pre-paid registration $99, $109 at the door).

• Feb. 25 – QuickBooks Advanced – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

• Feb. 25 – Business Basics 101 – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; No charge – please pre-register).

• Feb. 28 – Restaurant 201 – 9 a.m. to noon at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).

North County:

The Business & Entrepreneur Center and the Small Business Development Center at MiraCosta College will offer free upcoming workshops to help businesses succeed. The workshops will be held at Vista City Hall, 200 Civic Center Drive, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the following dates:

March 1: Increase Sales Using Social Media: Learn how to incorporate social networking into a business.

April 5:  Financing Options for Businesses: Direct lenders and the SBA will discuss financing options for a business.

May 3: Ways to Market A Business: Learn to identify the “right” customer for a business and easy ways to market your business to them.

June 7: Marketing A Business Using Google Tools: Learn how to use Google tools such as ad words, ad sense, Google trends and more.

Bring a lunch to the workshops. Drinks will be provided.

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