Showmars is a Charlotte, North Carolina–based restaurant chain, serving a mix of American and Greek cuisines. It was founded by George Couchell (pronounced "coo-shell") in 1982. As of February 2024, Showmars operates 31 locations and employs over 1,000 employees.
Company history
Founding
George Couchell, founder of Showmars, was a first-generation Greek immigrant, a graduate of Duke University and served as an officer in the United States Navy. He started in the restaurant industry working at Johnny's Grill, a Charlotte-area restaurant owned by his parents. Couchell opened a fried chicken restaurant, Mr. C's, in 1968 in Charlotte and opened the first Showmars in 1982 in Monroe. The chain was named after a Mr. C's employee named Showmar.2
Most Showmars stores are in the Charlotte metro area but the chain has expanded as far south as Lexington and north to the Research Triangle.3
See also
- Dan L. Morrill (2001). Historic Charlotte. Historical Publishing Network. pp. 148–149. ISBN 978-1-893619-20-3.
External links
References
"Showmars Locations". https://showmars.com/locations/ ↩
Gross Klaff, Leslie (2001-05-21). "APPETITE FOR SUCCESS GEORGE COUCHELL BUILT SHOWMARS BY STICKING TO 3 KEY INGREDIENTS". The Charlotte Observer. /wiki/The_Charlotte_Observer ↩
Peralta, Katherine (2018-07-11). "Popular Charlotte-based chain Showmars to expand to Triangle". The Charlotte Observer. /wiki/The_Charlotte_Observer ↩