George Naddaff, a serial entrepreneur and recognized visionary, is considered by many to be the Guru of Franchising in America. He is frequently featured in leading business publications such as Forbes, Success, Entrepreneur, The Wall Street Journal, and in numerous trade publications. A personal favorite is presented in the February 2008 edition of Inc. Magazine entitled, “How I Did It – From Spit’n Shine Boy to Boston Chicken and Beyond.”
George began his career in food service when he co-founded International Foods, which operated 19 Kentucky Fried Chicken Franchises in the Greater Boston area and was sold in 1970. In 1988, George founded and until 1993 served as Chairman and CEO of New Boston Chicken, Inc. (“Boston Chicken”), a company that operated and franchised limited service restaurants specializing in rotisserie-roasted chicken. In 1992, he sold the company to a group of Blockbuster Video executives, and shared in its record setting IPO (143% first-day increase) in 1993. The company is now known as Boston Market.
In addition to Boston Chicken, George has been significantly involved with several other successful concepts including the founding of Mulberry Child Care Centers, which had over 90 company-owned childcare centers when it was sold to Kindercare, America’s largest chain. George also founded Living and Learning Schools, which operated more than 50 upscale childcare facilities and was sold to Kindercare in 1980. In addition, he founded VR Business Brokers, the nation’s largest business brokerage franchise with over 350 offices, which was acquired in 1986 by Christies, LLP, London. In 1984, as a director and investor in Sylvan Learning Centers, George helped launch their franchising effort which today has over 1,100 units.
Throughout George’s career, he still finds time to present annually to the Entrepreneurial Masters Program, and he received an all-time high rating of 9.82 for his 18 consecutive year participation. In 2010 he was awarded an honorary recognition for this service.
Today, George is Chairman and CEO of UFood Restaurant Group, a “better for you” publicly-held company that operates and franchises fast-casual restaurants featuring healthy meals in traditional and non-traditional locations with an emphasis on airports, military locations and hospitals nationwide.
