An experienced restaurant operator and entrepreneur is adding to his portfolio with an ownership change of two Checkers and Rally’s locations in metro Atlanta.
The fast-casual restaurants in Decatur and Doraville are now under ownership of Shiraz Surani. They are located at 2148 Lawrenceville Highway and 5801 Buford Highway, respectively.
The franchise is close to Surani’s heart; Checkers and Rally’s is where he and his wife had their first date.
“I asked her, ‘Where would you like to dine?’ She said, ‘There’s a Checkers and Rally’s down the street, let’s go there.’ I said, ‘Are you sure?’ She said, ‘Yes, I’m positive.’ So Checkers and Rally’s is where me and my wife had our first date.”
Surani has been an entrepreneur for more than 20 years as a franchisee of brands like Little Caesars and PITA Mediterranean Street Food. His entrepreneurship has spanned multiple industries, but restaurants have always been his passion.
This isn’t Surani’s first time owning a Checkers and Rally’s; he oversaw a store about 10 years ago, a chapter that shares a start date with the birthday of his daughter. He always knew he wanted to own a Checkers and Rally’s, especially after its first-date significance. He was about to close a deal on a location with limited time to sign the contract before the opportunity would slip away. One small problem: His wife was in labor.
He was able to sign the contract and give the deposit right after his daughter was born, just in time to return to his family and soak in the newborn bliss.
“Checkers and Rally’s is close to my heart,” Surani said.
Checkers and Rally’s began individually in the 1980s before teaming up in 1999. There are now nearly 800 locations across the U.S., including 74 in Georgia.
The chain specializes in drive-thru fast food, with a menu that includes burgers, hot dogs, wings, chicken tenders and bites, shakes, and the seasoned fries they’re known for. Surani sings the praises of the Big Buford, a classic menu item: two hand-seasoned beef hamburger patties, topped with two slices of melted American cheese, iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, dill pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise on a toasted bakery-style bun.
“That’s one of my favorite sandwiches,” Surani said. “Everybody just loves it.”
He is excited to continue growing a brand he’s passionate about.
“Checkers and Rally’s is a special brand for me,” he said. “I have worked with this brand for a long time. I’m looking to move forward with this brand and grow.”
