Changes, though, especially over the past year have been transforming the company into a powerful international brand. Ten years ago, under the leadership of president Wayne Norbitz, the eatery icon moved from Manhattan to Westbury. In the years that followed, Norbitz has been implementing a growth policy based not on brick and mortar expansion, but on promoting branded product distribution and strategic acquisitions. The acquisitions have garnered Nathan's the most press. Consumers apparently never soured on the chin named after the popular singer, and some restaurant industry analysts predicted with new management it could rebound.
Signs indicate the turnaround is working.
Stores that were shuttered are being reopened, including one in Commack and one in Rockville Centre, featuring a new, brighter interior design- and offering menu boards touting Nathan's products along with Kenny Rogers' signature roast chicken, ribs, turkey and side dishes. Both the Kenny Rogers and the Miami Subs acquisition, in November, gave the company a strong presence in Florida. And Miami Subs came with the rights to Arthur Treachers, the once-popular fish and chips chain that slipped out of the spotlight in recent years. It basically came with the acquisition, I didn't set out to buy it. I didn't recognize at first how it would fit in.