PORT ST. LUCIE PEOPLE
The CHICKEN KING
Jim Carr of Port St. Lucie just can’t say no when asked to
give back to his community, whether it is volunteering
his time, donating money or providing food from the 10
restaurants he oversees.
As president of D-Carr Investments for the past 26 years,
Carr manages the managers who run his nine Kentucky Fried
Chicken franchises from Sebastian to Stuart and one in Lake
Wales. Five of those on the Treasure Coast are two-in-one restaurants,
partnering with Long John Silver’s three and Taco
Bell two. His brother, Mike, operates KFC stores in Kansas
City, Mo.
Carr says his 200 employees are like family. They take over
a restaurant annually for the company Christmas party. “You
have to manage and motivate people to build great teams,”
says Carr. “We treat people with respect. I’m no better than
the kid standing next to me who just got out of high school.”
He credits his father Don’s philosophy for his success “My
dad told me, ‘You aren’t getting into the restaurant business.
You aren’t getting into the chicken business. You are getting
into the people business.’ ” When his father died suddenly of
a heart attack at age 55, the boys who were managing stores
had to step up and take over the chain. “He was driving the
bus,” Carr says. “Personally, it was tough. He was my mentor
and training me to take over. It was a shock, but I kept doing
the things he taught me. I wish he could see the company he
started and where it is today.”
42 Port St. Lucie Magazine
GREG GARDNER
Jim Carr looks over paperwork at his Port St. Lucie office in front of photos of his nine Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants on the Treasure Coast. Carr
began his career working every job in the restaurant business before he became a manager in his father’s company.
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BY GREG GARDNER