LI man owns one of nation's best performing Checkers drive-ins

Khursheed Ahmad of Oceanside opened his first Checkers drive-in through a franchising agreement more than 15 years ago in East Meadow. Now, he's about to open up his sixth Checkers on Long Island, and one of his operations is one of the best performing locations in the country.

The Checkers on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont is the third-highest revenue generating operation in the nation -- out of more than 800 locations the Tampa, Fla.-based fast food company has nationwide. The single location in Elmont brings in roughly $2 million in sales per year, Ahmad said.

Ahmad's sixth Checkers will be debuting on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa in the middle of next week, and will be offering a variety of deals on opening day. He hired about 35 new employees to run the new drive-through.

Ahmad, 62, says his strategy in running a stable operation is building his people skills and focusing on service and quality. Most of his managers have been working for him for more than five years, with some that have nearly hit the decade employment mark.

Before he began his Checkers franchise, Ahmad worked in operations at McDonald's for more than 15 years.

Overall, there are 17 Checkers operations on Long Island. Checkers is known for their double drive-thru locations and seasoned french fries.

Photo: Khursheed Ahmad