Chargers Football owns and operates the San Diego Chargers professional football team, a charter member of the American Football League (AFL) and current member of the National Football League (NFL). Barron Hilton (the son of hotelier Conrad Hilton) founded the team in 1959 as the Los Angeles Chargers; it moved to San Diego in 1961 and won the AFL championship two years later. The AFL and NFL merged in 1970. Despite its lengthy history, the franchise has made just one trip to the Super Bowl (a loss to the San Francisco 49ers following the 1994 season). Alex Spanos, who owns construction firm A. G. Spanos Companies, has owned the Bolts since 1984.

HOB Entertainment has the low-down, dirty blues -- and that's a good thing. HOB Entertainment, Inc. owns and operates a dozen House of Blues clubs that offer food, drinks, and live music from some of the top blues and rock performers in the country. In addition to its House of Blues clubs, HOB holdings include the Commodore Ballroom (a small-sized music venue in Vancouver), as well as eight amphitheaters in cities such as Seattle, Los Angeles, and Cleveland. Isaac Tigrett, an American entrepreneur and co-founder of the first Hard Rock Cafe in London, opened the first House of Blues venue in 1992. HOB is now a subsidiary of live music conglomerate Live Nation Entertainment.

Formerly known as The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club joined the National Hockey League as an expansion team in 1993. Anaheim made its first playoff appearance in 1997 and reached the Stanley Cup finals in 2003 (losing to the New Jersey Devils); the team captured its first NHL championship in 2007. The Ducks franchise was originally granted to entertainment goliath Walt Disney, which named the team after its 1992 hockey film, The Mighty Ducks. Billionaire Henry Samueli, who co-founded computer chip maker Broadcom, and his wife Susan purchased the franchise from Disney in 2005.

NexCen owns and manages seven brands covering Quick Service Restaurants ("QSR") and Retail Footwear and Accessories, generating revenue through the franchising of those brands worldwide. NexCen's franchised brands include five QSR brands: Great American Cookies, MaggieMoo's Ice Cream & Treatery, Marble Slab Creamery, Pretzelmaker and Pretzel Time and two franchised Retail concepts: TAF (The Athlete's Foot) and Shoebox New York. NexCen currently has approximately 1,700 franchised stores across its brands, located in over 35 countries worldwide. NexCen Brands, Inc. strategy is to create value for its stakeholders (including shareholders and franchisees) through the franchising and marketing of its brands. NexCen, through its advertising, marketing and public relations teams, markets its brands to drive greater consumer awareness and brand equity and to grow its presence worldwide through its network of franchised retail outlets. NexCen also recognizes that, as a royalty-based business, its success depends upon the success of its franchisees and through its franchisee support network, advanced information-technology systems, real estate and store opening support teams, continually seeks to provide a turn-key solution and create value for its business partners.

Contours Express caters to the ladies. Contours Express franchises a chain of women-only fitness facilities that offers weight-bearing equipment (rather than hydraulic equipment) especially designed to fit women's bodies. Contours Express claims that its CardioFit 29-minute workout decreases the risk of osteoporosis and provides faster results than standard gym equipment. There are currently more than 750 Contours Express fitness centers in the US and about 30 additional countries. Contours Express was founded in 1998 by fitness center veterans Daren Carter and Charlie Woodward.

Tarsadia Hotels operates about a dozen mostly upscale hotels in California (in Anaheim, Los Angeles, Napa Valley, San Diego, and San Francisco), including the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. The company's brands (such as Marriott, Hilton, and Doubletree), are in high-end tourist areas and are a cut above the usual limited-service establishment. Tarsadia Hotels also offers sales, marketing, IT, HR, and accounting services to hospitality companies. Tarsadia Hotels was founded in 1976 when B.U. Patel and his sons Mike and Tushar acquired the 20-room Dunes Motel in Anaheim in 1976.

Milan may have Da Vinci's Last Supper, but local soccer fans cheer for these artists on the pitch. Milan A.C. (known to English speakers as AC Milan) is one of the more popular and successful soccer teams in Italy's Lega Nazionale Professionisti (National Professional League), claiming 17 Serie A championships (its last in 2004) and 18 other international trophies. The club, known to supporters as the Rossoneri for their red and black jerseys, was formed in 1899 by British expatriate Alfred Edwards and is controlled today by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Milan A.C. plays host at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, more commonly known as San Siro.

Bagels and coffee are key ingredients for this company. Einstein Noah Restaurant Group is the largest bagel shop operator in the US, with more than 690 company-owned and franchised locations in more than 35 states. Its flagship chain, Einstein Bros. Bagels, offers more than a dozen varieties of fresh-made bagels and spreads, along with coffee, pastries, and a menu of sandwiches and salads at its more than 530 outlets. In addition to Einstein Bros., New World operates the Noah's New York Bagels and Manhattan Bagel chains. About 430 of the bagel shops are company-owned, while the rest are operated by franchisees or licensees. Investment firm Greenlight Capital controls about 65% of Einstein Noah.

Banyan Tree Holdings Limited is a manager and developer of resorts, hotels, and spas worldwide. As of December 31, 2008, the company managed and/or had ownership interests in 25 resorts and hotels, 68 spas, 65 retail galleries, and 2 golf courses. Segments The company’s segments include Hotel Investments, Hotel Management, Hotel Residences, Spa Operations, Property Sales, and Gallery Operations. Hotel Investment: The company owns and manages luxury hotels under its own brands, as well as hotels that are managed by other operators. Hotel Management: The company manages properties under the Banyan Tree and Angsana brands for other owners as well. Hotel Residences: Properties are primarily sold under the brand name Banyan Tree Residences, which is part of the company’s hotel operations. Spa Operations: The company manages spas within its own resorts and also resorts owned by other hotel/resort operators. It also manages the tropical garden spa concept. Property Sales: Properties are sold by the company’s subsidiary company Laguna Resorts & Hotels and its subsidiaries.

This company is cooking up something involving frosty, cold beverages. Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group owns a chain of more than 30 casual dining spots in about 20 states that feature beef, seafood, and pasta items along with a selection of hand-crafted beers. The brewpubs operate mostly under its signature banner; other locations carry the such names as Big River Grille & Brewing Works, Bluewater Grille, and Ragtime Tavern. A small number of Gordon Biersch locations are operated by franchisees. The company was founded as Trolley Barn Breweries in 1992 and acquired the dining operations of independently owned Gordon Biersch Brewing in 1999.

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