The hotel business, which has brought Larry Williams considerable success, was an accidental vocation.
In 1986, a national tragedy occurred that forever altered the course of Larry’s life. While he was working at NASA, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, which not only resulted in heartbreaking loss of life but also hundreds of employees being laid off.
Larry was among those let go, setting him on the path to becoming the hotel industry leader he is today.
In fact, Larry is working to revitalize downtown Shreveport, Louisiana by taking over a vacated hotel property and bringing in SpringHill Suites and TownePlace Suites. Boston’s Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar will occupy the 6,000-square-foot main floor, giving guests an exceptional dining experience, diverse menu, full-service bar and strong brand recognition.
Strong Business Acumen and an Eye for Worthwhile Investments
Larry, vice president of Orchid Global Hospitality, has spent more than 30 years in the hospitality industry. He got his start as a desk clerk in a small hotel in Coco Beach, Florida. He’s held virtually every position within hotel operations at facilities ranging from 35 to 1,200 rooms.
Focusing on business development, operations and marketing, Larry has worked with some of the world’s largest hotel brands, including Hilton Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Walt Disney World Resorts, Choice Hotels, Wyndham Resorts, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Best Western Hotels and Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
He eventually went on to co-found Hospitality Solutions Incorporated, a hotel management company. Over the course of three years, he helped grow the company from startup to over 30 hotel management contracts.
In 2015, Larry started working with his current business partner, Jag Dhillon, who initially brought the franchise opportunity with Boston’s to Larry’s attention.
“Jag heard about Boston’s through his friends and colleagues and had been looking for the right concept to fit within the space in Shreveport,” said Larry.
Larry and Jag met with the Boston’s team in 2019, when they first discussed including the restaurant franchise brand with their dual-branded hotel development project.
What Drew the Hoteliers to Boston’s Franchise
After meeting the Boston’s franchise development team and seeing a restaurant first-hand, Larry and Jag knew they had a unique opportunity on their hands.
There were no other restaurants like Boston’s in the local market — not to mention the diversity, breadth and quality of the menu, which features more than 80 items. The Boston’s menu is built with scratch-made food that spans culinary landscapes from Thai-inspired wraps and quinoa bowls to signature pizzas and gourmet pasta dishes. Complementing the food items are beers sourced from local breweries and craft cocktails, adding to the community-oriented aesthetic Boston’s is known for.
The restaurant and sports bar franchise also brings name-brand recognition and the ability for Boston’s regulars to make use of the brand’s rewards app, which spurs repeat patronage.
“The Boston’s team is a seasoned group of professionals who go the extra mile to set you up for success,” said Larry. “They offer a fair franchise fee that gives you access to training and ongoing assistance.”
The business partners were also impressed by Boston’s international footprint, with more than 400 locations across Canada, the United States and Mexico. The brand’s expansion has been spurred by a flexible restaurant model that fits in:
- Suburban Settings – offering two experiences under one roof, combining a full-service, family-friendly casual dining restaurant and a separate sports bar.
- Urban Downtown – adapting to large cities with a trendy with a more refined concept where you can notice a beautiful mezzanine, state-of-the-art sports bar and lounge section, historical sports artwork, polished concrete floors, butcher block tables and much more.
- Non-traditional Locations – fitting into hotels and airports while keeping the familiar Boston’s brand and innovative design alive.
In the Shreveport market and with the dual-branded hotels, it’s rare to be able to have a restaurant in the building, Larry mentioned.
“It provides an exceptional added value for guests — having an elevated quality of food available for dine-in, room service and pool-side service,” he added.
The six-story hotel will also be a source of economic development for the region. With SpringHill Suites on the bottom three levels and TownePlace Suites on the top three floors, there will be a total of 207 rooms available to guests.
“The city was highly receptive to the idea to us bringing Boston’s into the area,” said Larry. “The restaurant alone will bring in more than 50 jobs to the area — with the hotels, there’ll be roughly 100 employees on staff.”
Larry expects the restaurant to open by September and the hotels to be available for guests by December this year.
Boston’s Franchise Growth in 2021
The Boston’s franchise in Shreveport is the first of two Larry has planned with Orchid Global’s hotel development strategy. The group has signed on to open a second restaurant in Denver in a Four Points by Sheraton/Marriott hotel located nearby Denver International Airport. Larry anticipates this location to open in early summer 2022.
“Depending on the success of these first two locations, we’d certainly consider pursuing other opportunities elsewhere,” said Larry.
In 2021, 80 percent of Boston’s openings will be non-traditional locations; end-cap, inside or adjacent to hotels, like the new locations in Marriott and Holiday Inn properties.
