Grupo Colón Gerena hosts convention to outline future growth
The event honored long-serving managers and service excellence at its 119 restaurants in Puerto Rico.
Around 200 managers from Grupo Colón Gerena (GCG), the franchisee of Applebee’s, LongHorn, Olive Garden, Sizzler and Wendy’s in Puerto Rico, gathered for the company’s second convention, held under the motto “Sabores Únicos, eres la receta hacia el éxito” (“Unique Flavors, You’re the Recipe for Success”).
With 119 restaurants in Puerto Rico, the event showcased the company’s growth, leadership development, operational excellence and long-term commitment to its employees and the communities it serves.
The convention brought together top executives from all departments, who shared achievements, challenges and strategic goals to drive the company’s continued growth, officials said.
“As a lifelong entrepreneur, I can assure you that you can have all the capital in the world, great ideas and a lot of desire, but if you don’t have competent, committed and responsible people walking with you, you will not be successful,” said José Colón-Gerena, president of GCG.
“If we think about all the challenges we have overcome in almost five decades of our companies, in each one of them we were able to move forward thanks to you,” he added.
Held at the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel, the event included leadership workshops that covered mindfulness tools, generational workplace integration strategies, and techniques for adaptability to change to help managers improve their leadership skills and drive results.
During the convention, 65 awards were presented in various categories to honor managers with 10, 20, 30 and 40 years of service at GCG. The Service Star Award recognized restaurants that exceeded expectations in guest service.
The Safety & Compliance Award was given to restaurants excelling in workplace safety and regulatory adherence, while the Highest Sales Increase Award honored managers who led their teams to boost sales through operational excellence, service quality and effective marketing integration.
The Restaurants of the Year awards were given to Wendy’s Isabela and Ponce Monte, LongHorn Ponce, Olive Garden Bayamón, Sizzler Dorado and Applebee’s Hatillo.
The convention also recognized the careers of Carlos Falto, David Ferreira-Pérez and Miguel Velázquez for their 40 years of service. Colón-Gerena also received this award, marking four decades of leadership in various positions within the organization.
This year, GCG introduced the President’s Award, the company’s highest distinction, to celebrate exceptional leadership, long-term performance and dedication to GCG’s success. The award was given to Falto, vice president of operations at Wendy’s, who has served the company for 40 years; and Mike Snoddy, executive vice president and chief operating officer of GCG, who has spent 40 years with the Wendy’s brand internationally, including the last 12 in Puerto Rico.
“Both have demonstrated impeccable leadership, extraordinary work efforts and have had significant achievements within GCG,” company officials said.
