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After years as a divisional manager of nearly 70 Ground Round restaurants, Dave Armel's oversight of just five Pittsburgh-area stores may come with a little more personal attention.
That's because he now owns them.
Working with a financial partner based in Cleveland named Samih Jaber, Mr. Armel is taking the more than 25 years working in a variety of roles with The Ground Round and becoming a franchisee of the company.
"It's a pretty easy step for me personally," said Mr. Armel. "I've ran this market for so many years, the biggest challenge for me is to let the guest know and understand the new look of the place."
Mr. Armel wouldn't divulge how much he paid for the restaurants or the nature of the acquisitions.
Mr. Armel's story is just one in suburban Boston-based The Ground Round Grill & Bar's current campaign to update and reinvent itself. After years as a restaurant chain that maintained ownership of...