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dward Garland "Billy" Murphy Jr. may be a soft-spoken MIS executive with a Southern accent, but he knows what it's like to be in a position of power, literally. Before opting for a career in restaurant technology, he had a stint at Texas Utilities, where he programmed the systems that controlled the electrical grids of the entire state.
"Unlike most meals, electricity is the only thing that's consumed the moment it's produced," he quipped. But feeling constrained by the pace of decision-making that comes with working for "regulated bureaucracies," Murphy re-energized his career about six years ago by enter ing the world of foodservice technology, a move that has led to his current post as director of MIS of Consolidated Restaurant Cos. Inc. of Dallas.
The newly incorporated concern operates the 67unit El Chico chain and 11 Good Eats units, along with the El Fenix chain and the Cantina Laredo, Casa Rosa, Mother Mesquite and Lucky's concepts. Also in the works but not yet finalized is a deal that would merge CRC with the Spaghetti Warehouse chain.
Murphy envisioned that there will be "some synergies" which could be realized with the proposed merger. For example, Spaghetti Warehouse already has moved to the NT version of RemoteWare, while El Chico runs the OS/2 version.
Still, he conceded that managing...