ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s been 10 years since a local restaurateur co-founded one of Albuquerque’s most popular fast food chains. He sold Twisters back a few years ago, and now he’s working to give back to local veterans with a unique restaurant idea.
Gary Hines said the mission of this new restaurant is to honor those who’ve served. He hopes the unique menu will inspire his customers to give back.
There’s a Twisters in almost every neighborhood. It’s one of the most established brands in Albuquerque, even starring in “Breaking Bad.”
“Dos Pollos Hermanos, yeah,” said Army veteran Tina Tabor.
“They’ve been around for a while and there is quite a few in Albuquerque,” said Bernalillo resident Charles Chavez.
Co-founder Gary Hines sold the franchise back in 2015.
“There’s a burrito on every corner and we wanted to do something unique enough to get people excited about it,” Hines said.
Hines said these days, burritos are no longer his specialty.
Next month he’s opening Stripes Biscuit Company, which is located at 5701 Gibson Boulevard SE, and as you can guess by the name, biscuits are the central theme.
“Whether it’s catfish or chicken, they all come out with a biscuit stuffed about eight inches high,” Hines said.
Hines said this business venture is about more than a specialty menu.
“I’ve opened more than 30 restaurants here in Albuquerque and this is more of an experiment to give back,” Hines said.
From the red and blue exterior, to the photos of the local veterans hanging inside, Hines has made it his mission to honor veterans.
“We’re going to do a business-government partnership one that could hopefully be a win-win,” Hines said.
Once the restaurant is up and running, Hines says 15 percent of the net profits will go to the VA hospital across the street. VA officials said these type of community partnerships are vital.
“We really depend on those whether it’s monetary or for our veterans clothing program our comfort item program,” said Sonja Brown, Associate Director New Mexico VA Healthcare System.
Hines is hopeful his new effort will have a domino effect and other businesses will give to a cause as well. Hines said his current staff is in training.
The restaurant is set to open the first week of February. Hines said he’s hoping to hire local veterans as well
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