Name: Guillermo Perales
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Job: President & CEO, Sun Holdings Inc.
Fun fact: Guillermo is the biggest Latino franchisee in the country and fourth-largest U.S. Burger King franchisee. In 2014 his company was ranked as the 21st largest Hispanic organization in the United States.
Q: How did you get your start in the restaurant industry?
A: After receiving my education from a university in Mexico - where I was born and raised - and my MBA from Texas A&M, I went into business for myself. Thanks to a loan from the Small Business Administration, I was able to buy a Golden Corral franchise.
Over the past 17 years, I’ve been able to grow my company, Sun Holdings Inc., into one of the largest restaurant franchisees in the country from Popeye’s, Golden Corral, Cici’s, Burger King, Krispy Kreme, Arby’s, to T-Mobile. We now operate more than 600 locations in four states, and I’m proud to say that we have created more than 15,000 local jobs.
Q: What sort of opportunities do you think are available to potential restaurant employees?
A: The restaurant industry has offered me incredible opportunities over the course of my career, and I believe that’s true for millions of others across this country, especially in the Hispanic community. My restaurant franchises have expanded to include the largest minority employee base in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Q: What is your approach to the communities that your restaurants serve?
A: I have always believed that a business cannot truly thrive without taking an active role in cultivating strong communities. My restaurants serve over 50,000,000 meals per year, including 50,000 free meals to United States veterans on Veteran’s Day. We also distribute nearly 5 million free meals to underprivileged children through vouchers.This year, we have awarded 158 scholarships to college students in Dallas/Fort Worth and Orlando, Florida.
I am proud of my Hispanic heritage, and do everything I can to help others in my community succeed. I’ve worked to set up funds for Latin American based programs and initiatives in and around Dallas/Fort Worth, and I help fund Latino educational programs and provides incentives for Latino children to stay in school through a Certificate of Achievement awards program.
