Meet the Franchising Team
Richard Danker
Forty years of foodservice experience including the ownership of two landmark restaurants, Danker’s & Danker’s West, located in Washington, DC. Mr. Danker’s success was recognized in Who’s Who in restaurants during the 1980′s. Danker’s Restaurant appeared in no less than seven books and countless stories. In 1988, he became one of the original investors in Outback Steakhouse of Tampa, Florida and subsequently founded Dank’s Deli in 1993, which he sold in order to devote full attention to Glory Days Grill.
Robert Garner
Thirty-eight years of hospitality industry management and executive experience starting in 1977 as Assistant Manager with Roy Rogers Family Restaurants. He continued on to positions of General Manager for a Burger King Franchise group and Regional Director for Family Entertainment Centers, a Franchisee of Chuck E Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre. Robert served for 12 years as a Regional Director and the National Vice President of Operations for Vie de France Corporation, a national chain of high quality restaurants operating in twenty states. All of his hard work and experience was applied towards the Glory Days Grill entrepreneurial undertaking in 1995.
Jeffrey Newman
Forty years of experience in the hospitality industry including nine years of management at Steak and Ale Restaurants of America and five years as Regional Director and Vice President of Operations for Family Entertainment Centers, which at that time became the largest franchisee of Chuck E Cheese’s Restaurants. Subsequently became Vice President and later President of Vie de France’s Restaurant Division. During 1990, he was appointed to the board of directors. He maintained responsibility for company owned restaurants across the United States, and developed and implemented a national franchising program.
Mr. Garner and Mr. Newman led the restaurant division of Vie de France out of deep financial losses to record levels of profitability and positioned themselves as innovators in the food industry. Seeking the challenge of creating a new restaurant concept from scratch, Mr. Newman and Mr. Garner teamed together with Mr. Danker in 1995 and collectively developed Glory Days Grill, a full service, casual dining restaurant that has a special appeal for families. Each of them has personally operated a Glory Days Grill restaurant, which has provided them with the hands-on knowledge requisite for entrepreneurial success. Since April 1996 when the flagship operation opened in Burke, VA, the company has grown to 23 high volume restaurants and quickly has become one of Metropolitan Washington’s most popular places to dine.
Gary Cohen
Thirty-seven years in the restaurant industry starting his career in Marriott Dinner House restaurants as a Kitchen Manager, Dining Room Manager and Bar Manager. Promoted to General Manager at 24 years old and promoted to District Manager by Gilbert/Robinson when they acquired the group of restaurants in 1986. Gary served as Director of Operations and eventually Vice President of Operations for Vie de France Bakery Cafes from 1990 -2003, and he served as President of That’s Amore Restaurants from 2003-2006. In 2006, he joined Glory Days Grill as Director of Development and has served as Vice President of Operations since 2009.