La van hawkins biography template

Use Edit. Create biographies about characters from a novel quickly and in a structured way. At Edit. They contain predefined sections and fields that you can fill in as easily as in a Word document, including:. Get spectacular designs for your biography! Use it in a school, magazine, or website. On Saturday, Hiram Jackson , the CEO of Real Times Media, posted a tribute on social media calling Hawkins his longtime friend and an "entrepreneurial beast," who was "a one-of-a kind personality!

Hawkins was a former Chicago gang member who pulled himself out of poverty and struck it rich in the fast-food business. After operating fast-food franchises in Baltimore and Philadelphia, Hawkins moved to Detroit. Hawkins has said in interviews his first job was sweeping floors at his uncle's McDonald's. Providing employees with accelerated opportunities to rise through franchise ranks, Hawkins permitted the attainment of financial rewards sooner than in other fast-food chains.

Hawkins also provided salary increases of two to three dollars per hour for minimum wage earners 90 days into employment, marking the first of five job promotions toward general management positions. Hawkins fulfilled his objective at Checkers to facilitate economic development and empowerment in black communities through his motto of "teach, reach, and motivate.

These activists successfully established opportunities for African Americans while simultaneously boycotting businesses that engaged in unfair employment practices toward blacks. His detractors groused that Hawkins followed his own policies only when they insured that he made a profit. Despite the success of his Checkers restaurants, and the fact that he was the largest franchise owner in the Checkers chain, Hawkins soon decided, according to Restaurant Business magazine, that he "wanted something bigger.

Born in in Chicago, Illinois; married Wendy, divorced Education : Attended private high school in Chicago dropped out in tenth grade. Worked at McDonald's franchise, South Chicago, c. Sweet Georgia Brown , owner, —. In Hawkins found what he wanted when Burger King approached him and asked him to front their newly planned program to set up franchises in urban inner cities.

Burger King Express Ways are particularly suited to the inner city environment, and rely heavily on drive-thru traffic. The partnership, the largest of its kind in the fast food industry, benefited from the creation of Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities. Such areas became part of a major federal initiative in to boost urban economies, giving tax breaks as an encouragement for business growth.

The first group of the proposed Burger King sites included 25 restaurants specifically designed for their appeal to urban African Americans. These sites were constructed between March of and September of in Washington, D. The Chicago locations had African-American owners and employed approximately 2, people from surrounding neighborhoods.

Similar plans were made for sites in Washington, D. By , however, Hawkins' relationship with Burger King began to sour. He personally owned 28 franchises, but he charged that Burger King was jealous of his success and trying to keep him from owning and operating more restaurants. After months of legal haggling, the litigants settled out of court.

The partnership, the largest of its kind in the fast food industry, benefited from the creation of Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities. Such areas became part of a major federal initiative in to boost urban economies, giving tax breaks as an encouragement for business growth. The first group of the proposed Burger King sites included 25 restaurants specifically designed for their appeal to urban African Americans.

The Chicago locations had African-American owners and employed approximately 2, people from surrounding neighborhoods. Similar plans were made for sites in Washington, D. By , however, Hawkins' relationship with Burger King began to sour. He personally owned 28 franchises, but he charged that Burger King was jealous of his success and trying to keep him from owning and operating more restaurants.

After months of legal haggling, the litigants settled out of court. Hawkins had enjoyed generally positive press coverage prior to the lawsuit, but the publicity attendant on the suit brought out allegations from those within the industry who claimed that he was self-motivated and unwilling to acknowledge efforts by other franchisees.

Hawkins' supporters—and they were numerous—pointed out his half-million dollar donations to local churches and school programs in neighborhoods boasting his Burger Kings. Following his break with Burger King, Hawkins invested heavily in Pizza Hut franchises in Detroit and surrounding areas. Eventually, he owned nearly such franchises. As with his Burger Kings, Hawkins invested heavily in promoting his Pizza Hut restaurants in urban areas.

He placed large posters of himself in restaurants, and customers and employees came to know his striking physical presence. The 6-foot, 2-inch, pound Hawkins visited his stores frequently. Pulling up in his beige Bentley and dressed impeccably, Hawkins motivated his employees and encouraged his customers to feel at home. By the early s, his company, Hawkins Food Group L.

Hawkins sensed that it was time to open his own, high-end restaurant, and he hired some top restaurant personnel to help him create Sweet Georgia Brown, a southern-themed restaurant that opened in Detroit's revitalized downtown. Hawkins announced plans to franchise the concept, further expanding his empire. The opening of Sweet Georgia Brown was part of Hawkins' larger plan to take his image upscale, away from the fast-food business that had made him wealthy.

Hawkins' personal wealth had become apparent—he owned homes in Detroit and Atlanta, and was a prominent backer of black political candidates—and he hoped to use the prestige of a high-end restaurant chain as leverage to rise higher in the world of business and politics. Then, the floor fell out from under the flamboyant entrepreneur.

In Hawkins' had been fined an undisclosed but allegedly substantial amount for failing to pay taxes owed by several of his restaurants. Then, in June of , Hawkins was indicted on three charges in the Philadelphia city government corruption scandal, including conspiracy to commit fraud, fraud, and perjury. The indictment brought to light a number of outstanding claims against Hawkins.

In addition to these financial woes, Hawkins' wife of ten years, Wendy, divorced him and demanded expensive alimony payments. However, the combined damages from the criminal charges, his personal misfortune, and his business failure—Sweet Georgia Brown was briefly closed in for failure to pay taxes—appeared to put the once-successful entrepreneur in danger of declaring bankruptcy.

It remains to be seen in late whether the man Ebony once hailed for his ambition and drive to succeed could overcome these obstacles. Detroit Free Press , February 23, , p. A1; February 28, , p. E1; May 10, ; October 7, Restaurant Business , November 15, , pp. Washington Post , December 13, , p. F1; September 11, , p. A10; January 30, , p.

Hawkins, La-Van — gale.

La van hawkins biography template

Learn more about citation styles Citation styles Encyclopedia. Hawkins, La-Van gale. La-Van Hawkins — Businessman, restaurateur Few people have risen so far—or fallen so fast—as businessman and restaurant owner La-Van Hawkins.