Champs Restaurants

[Markey]

It looks like this thread begins with Champs & Maggies, (owned by the same guys who were originally part of Jim's Coffee Shops from San Antonio). It seems to get sidetracked by other discussions but I will continue on the Champs/Maggies part.

I graduated college May of 76. Moved to Houston and went to work for Jim's as a mgr. Hired by Terry Parsons, who had recently hired his college  friend Don to be a mgr. trainer. At that time there were 6 Jim's in houston. All owned by  Jim Hasslocker from S.A. Parsons worked for Jim. Jim had two partners in S.A. Between  the time I went to work there and 1980 Jim's 2 partners and Parsons teamed up together and took over Houston operations. Jim had no interest in growing Houston. At that time they were required to change the name of the Houston Jim's  and it became Champs. No relation to the sporting goods store. 

Parsons opened 3 more locations. All called Champs.  Locations were I 45/1960, Bingle/290 and the 3rd I can't recall at the moment but it wasn't Wilcrest. That was Jojos. That particular jojs was managed by a former Jims manager who managed the Braeswood Jims across from the bayou. Sometime,   I think it was just before 1980 Parsons and company purchased the old Reeds Red Derby on San Pedro in S.A., remodeled it and named it Maggie's.

I was asked along with another Champs mgr. to go to S.A. and get it going and take it to a 24 hr. operation. Which we did. Very successfully.  So successfully that Parsons started planning the next Maggies at I45 near Greenspoint which I  was going to be the G.M.

Not sure if anyone is still interested in This Jims,Champs,Maggies conversation anymore.  If so I will try to pick up and continue at a later date. Must close for now.

[IronTiger]

On 3/14/2018 at 4:45 PM, Markey said:

It looks like this thread begins with Champs & Maggies, (owned by the same guys who were originally part of Jim's Coffee Shops from San Antonio). It seems to get sidetracked by other discussions but I will continue on the Champs/Maggies part.

I graduated college May of 76. Moved to Houston and went to work for Jim's as a mgr. Hired by Terry Parsons, who had recently hired his college  friend Don to be a mgr. trainer. At that time there were 6 Jim's in houston. All owned by  Jim Hasslocker from S.A. Parsons worked for Jim. Jim had two partners in S.A. Between  the time I went to work there and 1980 Jim's 2 partners and Parsons teamed up together and took over Houston operations. Jim had no interest in growing Houston. At that time they were required to change the name of the Houston Jim's  and it became Champs. No relation to the sporting goods store. 

Parsons opened 3 more locations. All called Champs.  Locations were I 45/1960, Bingle/290 and the 3rd I can't recall at the moment but it wasn't Wilcrest. That was Jojos. That particular jojs was managed by a former Jims manager who managed the Braeswood Jims across from the bayou. Sometime,   I think it was just before 1980 Parsons and company purchased the old Reeds Red Derby on San Pedro in S.A., remodeled it and named it Maggie's.

I was asked along with another Champs mgr. to go to S.A. and get it going and take it to a 24 hr. operation. Which we did. Very successfully.  So successfully that Parsons started planning the next Maggies at I45 near Greenspoint which I  was going to be the G.M.

Not sure if anyone is still interested in This Jims,Champs,Maggies conversation anymore.  If so I will try to pick up and continue at a later date. Must close for now.

 

I thought Jim's was the one that bought up a number of Shoney's in central Texas before closing them all down again, and if that's the case was Champs like Shoney's?

[Markey]

Glad to see you caught my addition to the conversation Iron Tiger.

 

 I left the Champs/Maggies  organization in 1981 and took a management job with Furs cafeteria mainly to get away from the late night hours. 

Parsons and his 2 partners owned the Jim's (Champs) in Houston.   Hasslocker had required the Houston guys to change the name of the Houston Jim's as a condition if he would release those stores to them.  Jim Hasslocker owned all the rest of the Jim's, most of those being in San Antonio and Austin.  Hasslocker began the business many years before with a bunch of small hamburger joints under the name of Frontier Enterprises. He also owned Tower of Americas Restaurant in S.A. and the Magic Time Machines, one  in S.A and the other on Riverside Dr. in Austin, (there might have been 1 in Dallas also), as well as a couple of larger coffee shops they called Magic Platters, ( I believe), and a couple of hamburger shops named after his daughters. One of those was on 410 somewhere around the exit of Fredricksburg road. The other one was off of 410 over near Walzem Rd across from the mall. It was called Julies.  

As for Parson's gang or Jim buying up any of the Shoney's, I don't recall that. The Champs in Houston were the same buildings as Jim's. Just a name change. Probably a few menu changes as time went along. I think there was a buffet table added about the time I left to S.A. for Maggies. Shoney 's, Jim's, Champs were all similar in concept. All coffee shops that also served lunch and dinner just like Denny's. Most of them 24 hour, except the Braeswood location

[IronTiger]

1 hour ago, Markey said:

Glad to see you caught my addition to the conversation Iron Tiger.

 

 I left the Champs/Maggies  organization in 1981 and took a management job with Furs cafeteria mainly to get away from the late night hours. 

Parsons and his 2 partners owned the Jim's (Champs) in Houston.   Hasslocker had required the Houston guys to change the name of the Houston Jim's as a condition if he would release those stores to them.  Jim Hasslocker owned all the rest of the Jim's, most of those being in San Antonio and Austin.  Hasslocker began the business many years before with a bunch of small hamburger joints under the name of Frontier Enterprises. He also owned Tower of Americas Restaurant in S.A. and the Magic Time Machines, one  in S.A and the other on Riverside Dr. in Austin, (there might have been 1 in Dallas also), as well as a couple of larger coffee shops they called Magic Platters, ( I believe), and a couple of hamburger shops named after his daughters. One of those was on 410 somewhere around the exit of Fredricksburg road. The other one was off of 410 over near Walzem Rd across from the mall. It was called Julies.  

As for Parson's gang or Jim buying up any of the Shoney's, I don't recall that. The Champs in Houston were the same buildings as Jim's. Just a name change. Probably a few menu changes as time went along. I think there was a buffet table added about the time I left to S.A. for Maggies. Shoney 's, Jim's, Champs were all similar in concept. All coffee shops that also served lunch and dinner just like Denny's. Most of them 24 hour, except the Braeswood location

 

The only reference I could find of Shoney's becoming Jim's is this link and another long-dead forum post (assuming that SicEm365 puts back up the old BaylorFans archive) about the Shoney's there becoming Jim's. I know I had another source but it was lost (along with Shoney's in Waco opening in 1993). The sale didn't seem to affect Houston, probably because of Champs being there, as Shoney's existed in Houston in the mid-1990s.

[Susan T]

I have a question along this thread. There used to be a JoJo's in Humble TX that I believe turned into a Champs along 59. It is now an IHOP. Can someone confirm for me if it was Champs?

[chapnick136]

Space Ghost I was feeling a little nostalgic so I looked up my old place of employment and found your comment. I worked at the Federal Rd. location many years ago and was their the day they shut the doors. I totally for got about the train, thank you for the reminder!!! Our location couldn't afford the $5,000 a month increase in rent but I think the company just couldn't keep up with the competition anymore. The chain was in existence for a long time and I suppose it ran it's course. I have fond memories as I was  18/19 and still a wild child. 

[SpaceGhost]

On 7/29/2018 at 1:39 AM, chapnick136 said:

Space Ghost I was feeling a little nostalgic so I looked up my old place of employment and found your comment. I worked at the Federal Rd. location many years ago and was their the day they shut the doors. I totally for got about the train, thank you for the reminder!!! Our location couldn't afford the $5,000 a month increase in rent but I think the company just couldn't keep up with the competition anymore. The chain was in existence for a long time and I suppose it ran it's course. I have fond memories as I was  18/19 and still a wild child. 

 

Glad you enjoyed it! Do you have any pictures? If so we'd love it if you shared them!

[Reefmonkey]

I remember that Champs at 290 and Pinemont near my dad's office that was there at least into the 90s. I think I ate there two or three times.

 

I was more a JoJo's fan as a teenager. It's where my high school debate team would go after a lot of in-town tournaments, the one on 1960 near Stuebner Airline.

[Tom Milton]

Terry Parsons died in 2013 in San Antonio TX. I knew back in the 1980's when he was CEO of all the Champs restaurants here in Houston. As I recall, there were at least 6-8 all over the city, from the east side, to NW Houston, to SW Houston. I was in the advertising business and he was a client of mine for a bout 2 -3 years. I just found out today that he passed when I typed in his name on line, and saw the obit from San Antonio. He was a solid business man, had a good sense of humor, great work ethic, and truthful without deception. I tried to go to the link for the commercial, but it would not show. He was a star running back at Trinity University in TX in the 60's. 

 

Tom Milton