Kennywood is not the Islands in the Stream counterpart to singer Dolly Parton's Dollywood. (Turn to Herschend Family Entertainment for that distinction). It does own and operate four amusement parks in Pennsylvania: Kennywood Park, Idlewild & Soak Zone, Sandcastle Waterpark, and Pittsburgh's Riverplex, a traditional picnic-type park located next to Sandcastle. Kennywood Entertainment Company, Inc. markets its parks for group outings, and offers event planning and catering services. Kennywood Entertainment was founded in 1898. It is a subsidiary of Spanish theme park company Parques Reunidos.

The San Diego Padres Baseball Club joined Major League Baseball as an expansion team in 1969, the same year as the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals), and the Seattle Pilots (later the Milwaukee Brewers). The franchise boasts two National League pennants, its first in 1984 and its last in 1998. San Diego fans attend baseball services at PETCO Park. A group led by CEO Jeff Moorad controls more that third of the team; BMC Software co-founder John Moores owns the rest.

The Virginia Lottery operates a variety of instant-win and numbers games that benefit the state's public education programs. In addition to scratch-off tickets and drawings, Virginia takes part in the multi-state Mega Millions game. Proceeds from the lottery are used to fund K-12 education programs. Virginia residents voted to create the lottery in 1987.

Derby County Football Club is a professional football team that competes in the UK's Football League Championship. Better known to supporters as The Rams, Derby County F.C. was founded in 1884 and plays host at Pride Park Stadium. The football club is owned by an investment group led by US-based sports consulting firm General Sports & Entertainment.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company operates 100 luxury hotels in some 20 countries offering premium accommodations and amenities for both business and leisure travelers. Its hotels can be found in prime destinations and are consistently rated among the best in the world. The company operates about a dozen time-share properties under the Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Ritz-Carlton Residences brands. Ritz-Carlton was established in 1983 when real estate mogul and former CEO William Johnson acquired the rights to the name made famous by Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz. Today it is a part of hotel giant Marriott International.

Papa John's International makes a lot of dough -- pizza dough, that is. The company operates the world's #3 pizza chain (behind YUM! Brands' Pizza Hut brand and Domino's) with about 3,500 pizzerias across the US and in about 30 international markets. Its restaurants offer several different pizza styles and topping choices, as well as a few specialty pies such as The Works and All the Meats. Papa John's locations typically offer delivery and carry-out service only. It owns and operates more than 600 locations, while the rest are franchised. Founder and co-CEO John Schnatter owns more than 20% of the company.

This company's menu for success features fried chicken and biscuits. A leading fast-food company, AFC Enterprises operates the Popeyes restaurant chain, the #2 quick-service chain specializing in chicken behind YUM! Brands' KFC. Operating under the name Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, the chain boasts about 1,950 locations in the US and in more than two dozen other countries. The restaurants feature Cajun-style fried chicken that is typically served with buttermilk biscuits and a variety of sides, including Cajun rice, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, or french fries. Customers can also select such items as chicken sandwiches, chicken strips, and fried fish and shrimp. About 40 Popeyes locations are company-owned.

Zyng International brings pan-Asian cooking right to your table -- almost. The company operates about a dozen US and Canadian Zyng Asian Grill restaurants that center around a teppanyaki grill where diners can watch as their dishes are being prepared. The menu features a variety of noodle dishes and soups, as well as several specialty meals such as Pad Thai. Patrons can also create their own dishes by choosing a combination of noodles, sauces, vegetables, and other ingredients. Founder Arnold Shostak opened the first Zyng Asian Grill (under the name Zyng Noodlery) in Montreal in 1998.

Stockade Companies started as a single Sirloin Stockade in Oklahoma City in 1966. Since then, we have grown into a multi-concept chain adding Montana Mike’s Steakhouse in 1998 and Coyote Canyon in 1999. We currently operate over 80 restaurants in 9 states and Mexico. Today, Stockade Companies is owned by a management group. The management group led by Tom Ford, a lifelong franchisee, includes Terry Harstad - COO, Steve Schmidt - CFO, and Doug Frieling, Franchisee. Mr. Ford's vision, energy and experience will continue to influence our commitment to providing guests great value and variety.

Sunshine in the village may be lovely, but snow on the ski run is even better. Sunshine Village ski resort in the Canadian Rockies' Banff National Park boasts more than 3,300 acres of skiing terrain, a high-speed gondola, and the 84-room Sunshine Mountain Lodge. The resort also features several restaurants and bars, including the The Alpine Grill and the Mad Trapper's Saloon. The resort has been controlled by the Scurfield family, including CEO Ralph Scurfield Jr. and his brothers John and Sergei, since 1981. Sunshine Village traces its roots back to the 1920s.

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