Own Your Own (OYO) launches a $1 million restaurant competition to find the next business owner in the town of Burgaw, North Carolina.
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Win a $1,000,000 Restaurant

BURGAW, N.C., Dec. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Have you ever wanted to own your own restaurant? What if it came with a $1 million budget to design and build the place of your dreams? Well, that dream is about to come true for one lucky entrepreneur. A new company, Own Your Own, is launching a nationwide competition to find the next restaurant owner in the town of Burgaw, North Carolina.

The charming town of Burgaw sits near the North Carolina coast and has been featured in nearly 40 well-known Hollywood films and TV series.

"I fell in love with Burgaw immediately but realized too many of the buildings were empty," says Richard Johnson, a Wilmington, NC based entrepreneur. "I set out on a mission to help revitalize the downtown commercial district and get more foot traffic to support the local businesses."

Johnson knows how important a vibrant restaurant scene is to a community. He's already built two eateries in Burgaw, Fat Daddy's, a New York style pizzeria, and Burgaw Brewing Company.

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"I guess it's not every day that someone comes up to you and says, 'Can I build you a restaurant?'," says Johnson. "But it works. I find someone who wants to own a restaurant, build it for them and hand it over with a reasonable lease. They get their own restaurant, and the town has a new gathering place."

The idea to launch a competition hit Johnson when he was thinking about concepts for a third restaurant. Johnson says the best part about his model is that it can be used to help other small towns. That's why he launched OwnYourOwn.com, a site where want-to-be entrepreneurs can enter to own their own business.

About Richard Johnson
Johnson's decision to buy a Super Bowl ad in 1999 has been described as one the 10 gutsiest moves in entrepreneur history. After building Hotjobs, taking it public, and selling it to Yahoo, Johnson is now focused on family and philanthropy. Since founding Masonboro.org, a non-profit to preserve public access to Masonboro Island, Johnson has continued to invest in what he calls social entrepreneurism.  The good before profit model combines two of his greatest passions: socially important projects and giving back to the community.

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About Burgaw
This charming town sits 30 miles from the North Carolina coast. Incorporated in 1979, Burgaw owes its existence to the railroad that was built in 1838 and is home to the oldest remaining train depot in the state. The intact character of the commercial buildings, its well-kept quaint southern homes, friendly people, along with the picturesque courthouse square containing the handsome 1934 Pender County courthouse, combine to make Burgaw one of the state's best preserved small towns.

Contact: Taylor Wilhelm-Kork
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (443) 683-6593

SOURCE Own Your Own

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