WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM THIS MAN? WITH HELP FROM RAY KROC AND GEN. PATTON, ALBERT OKURA BUILDS AN EMPIRE ON CHICKEN.Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer To get big in the chicken biz, Albert Okura just needed some time behind the fryer and Ray Kroc's autobiography. To rule the world, he'll need something a little more concrete. Twenty-one years ago, he started a chicken joint in Ontario that he called Juan Pollo. Today, he's head of a 30-unit chain that does $32 million worth of business, spanning from the Inland Empire In·land Empire A region of the northwest United States between the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains, comprising eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, northern Idaho, and western Montana. Farming, lumbering, and mining are important to the area. to East Los Angeles East Los Angeles, uninc. city (1990 pop. 126,379), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a residential suburb of Los Angeles, in an industrial area. It has a large Mexican-American population. There is a performing arts center and a cultural center. A junior college is there. . Down the road, the 53-year-old entrepreneur has a 50-year-plan to take his roasted birds across the world, built on principles any entrepreneur can follow in his business. ``My goal in life was to be the best in the world at something,'' the 53-year-old Okura said. ``I'm not going to be the best in sports, not going to be the smartest, not going to be the richest, but how many people wake up in the morning and say I want to sell more chicken than anyone else in the world? That's something I could do.'' It's an unusual goal, but he's got a well-defined road map to get him there: Start small, find the right niche, grow slowly locally, hire some good people and push out far beyond into new areas. While Okura's concept calls for certain steps, such as buying a professional sports The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. franchise and opening stores in China, that most enterprises may not require, his basic ideas ring true for any sort of company. ``The most important thing to do is come up with a detailed plan for the first year,'' said Daniel Duran, an associate professor of business administration at Whittier College The liberal arts university was founded in 1887 by members of the Religious Society of Friends, who named it after Friends (Quaker) poet John Greenleaf Whittier. Student athletes at Whittier College are known today as the Poets in his honor. . ``If you can figure out all the smallest details, you're going the right way. You've got to clearly define what your strategy is, what your goals are and what sort of money you'll need to get there.'' When Okura began, he had no formal business education, no management training, nothing but stints at Del Taco Del Taco is a chain of North American fast-food restaurants specializing in Mexican-style offerings as well as American foods such as burgers, fries and shakes. The first Del Taco restaurant was founded in Yermo, California in 1961 by Ed Hackbarth and David Jameson. and Burger King. He never finished college, but read psychology texts and biographies of Kroc, the creator of the modern-day McDonald's, Henry Ford and Gen. George S. Patton “George Patton” redirects here. For the 19th century Scottish jurist and politician, see George Patton, Lord Glenalmond. George Smith Patton Jr. GCB, KBE (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a leading U.S. . Today, his restaurants go through 150 tons of chicken a week and he uses the original McDonald's offices as his own. The business has done so well for him, he bought the entire town of Amboy for $425,000 last month, with plans to use it to promote his restaurants in surrounding communities. ``It takes a lot of guts, hard work, diligence and a little bit of luck,'' said Robert Small, dean of the Collins School of Hospitality Management at California State Polytechnic University
Brent Hopkins, (818) 713-3738 brent.hopkins(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) Albert Okura, the owner of Juan Pollo, will open a new restaurant on E Street near the Orange Showground showground n → ferial m; real m (de la feria) showground n → champ m de foire showground show in San Bernardino. Okura of Chino Chino (chē`nō), city (1990 pop. 59,682), San Bernardino co., S Calif.; founded 1887, inc. 1910. It is the business and processing center of a diversified farming (notably dairying) area. started with one eatery based on rotisserie chicken, and with planning, he now owns a chain of 30. Jennifer Cappuccio/Staff Photographer LaFonzo Rachal Carter/Staff Photographer Box: Words of Wisdom |
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