U.S. Chamber's Rick Wade Discusses Growth Plans with Perkins

David Eller
Communications and Strategy Intern, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Published

April 07, 2025

Fuddruckers made its return to the nation’s capital this month, opening a two-level restaurant in Chinatown and plans to expand further to new markets including Baltimore and Charlotte.

Rick Wade, the U.S. Chamber’s SVP of Strategic Alliances and Outreach, sat down with Fuddruckers President and CEO Nicholas Perkins to talk about his career inspirations, challenges, and the burger chain’s new growth.

A Passion for the Food Business

Perkins grew up around the food industry. His grandmother’s cooking was a source of inspiration. Not only did his best friend’s parents own and operate a food service management business, but Perkins also worked in the cafeteria as an undergraduate student at Fayetteville State University. It had a big impact on his chosen career path.

“It inspired me to start my own one day, because I had never seen African American people achieve at the level that they had before when I looked across my own personal family,” said Perkins, who is also President and CEO of Perkins Management Services.

Starting his business, Perkins faced challenges. His goal was to create a minority-owned food business, providing food services to government agencies and universities. It took years to achieve this, at one point including him cooking breakfast for 40-50 people a day at a mental health institution in North Carolina, but Perkins said he found a way.

On his acquisition of Fuddruckers, Perkins thought at the time: “Maybe it's time for me to start looking at ways to diversify the company outside of just solely higher education.” It was a significant growth move, but one that was challenged early on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perkins persisted and under his leadership, Fuddruckers has added new innovations like “Burger Bar by Fuddruckers,” offering a full menu alongside a variety of wines, champagnes, cocktails, and spirits.

The Bottom Line: All Business is Local

Fuddruckers exemplifies how all business is local by embedding itself within the communities it serves. Each new location, like the recent opening in Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown, is tailored to meet the unique tastes and preferences of local customers. By sourcing ingredients from nearby suppliers and creating job opportunities for residents, Fuddruckers strengthens local economies and fosters community connections. Under Nicholas Perkins' leadership, the brand not only delivers its signature dining experience but also invests in the growth and development of the neighborhoods it enters, demonstrating a commitment to local business principles.