Hudson’s Grill to Sell 3 Restaurants in County

Hudson’s Grill of America Inc., which moved its headquarters from Ventura to Dallas when it changed ownership in mid-1993, has agreed to sell its three Ventura County restaurants to buyers who will operate the units as Hudson’s franchises. A fourth Hudson’s Grill, in Ventura, was sold late last year.

Two of the 1950s-themed restaurants--in Westlake Village and Simi Valley--are to be purchased by a company headed by Davis J. Beckham, a former Hudson’s vice president and director. The Oxnard unit is to be sold to a firm owned by its manager, Alvaro Hernandez, reports Bob Fischer, a Hudson’s attorney.

Fischer says Hernandez’s company will pay $228,000, plus a $25,000 franchise fee, and will sign a long-term equipment lease. The price for the Westlake Village and Simi Valley units will total only $116,000 but will include franchise fees and hefty equipment leases, Fischer says.

Hudson’s has also agreed to sell its Lancaster restaurant and plans to pay down its debt to former president Travis Bryant. After the planned sales, all but two of the 14 Hudson’s Grills will be franchised, Fischer reports. The company intends to sell the remaining two units and embark on a nationwide franchising program.