This company hopes its crème brulee, croissants, and quiche prove as memorable as Proust's famous teacake. La Madeleine operates a chain of more than 60 la Madeleine Bakery, Café & Bistro casual dining locations in Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana, offering French country cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurants, which welcome patrons with such interior appointments as a stone hearth and handcrafted wood tables, use a cafeteria-style serving line and limited table service. Each location also sells a variety of fresh baked goods. French native Patrick Leon Esquerré started the business in 1983. La Madeleine is owned by a group of investors including Paris-based restaurant operator Groupe Le Duff.

You can certainly go to Sammy's for a sammy, but most people go for the pizza pies. Ladeki Restaurant Group owns and operates Sammy's Woodfired Pizza, a chain of upscale casual dining restaurants with about 20 locations in Southern California and Nevada. The eateries are known for their gourmet pizzas baked in wood-fired ovens, but they also serve sandwiches, pasta dishes, salads, and a selection of tapas. In addition to its flagship chain, Ladeki Restaurants operates an upscale Asian-fusion concept called Roppongi Restaurant and Sushi Bar, and it offers catering services through Mosaic Catering. Restaurateur Sami Ladeki started the Sammy's Woodfired Pizza chain in 1989.

West Ham United operates the professional football team West Ham United FC, known to its supporters as "The Hammers." Competing in the English Premier League, the club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and boasts three FA Cups. West Ham United generates revenue primarily through sponsorships and broadcasting rights, as well as through gate receipts. It plays host at Boleyn Ground in London. David Sullivan and David Gold, who previously controlled the team Birmingham City, acquired a 50% stake in West Ham in 2010 from CB Holdings, a consortium of Icelandic banks led by Straumur Burdaras Investment Bank.

This patrician gives a thumbs-up to quick-service pizza. Noble Roman's operates a chain of about 820 franchised quick-service restaurants located mostly in high-traffic areas, such as shopping malls, college campuses, and military bases. Operating primarily under the names Noble Roman's Pizza, Noble Roman's Express, and Noble Roman's Pizza & Subs, the eateries offer a limited menu of pizzas, pasta, and sandwiches. Noble Roman's also has some restaurants operating under the Tuscano's Italian Style Subs brand, as well as a self-service concept designed for convenience stores. The company's restaurants operate in about 45 states and in Canada, Guam, and Italy.

John Ritter of Chicago, Illinois, had an after-school job working at a local ice cream shop. One of the best perks of the job was getting to eat ice cream just out of the machine—before it had been packed and frozen solid. The experience of tasting smooth, creamy, fresh-made ice cream made an indelible impression on young John. John joined the Navy and became an aerial photographer, and then started a career in film animation after leaving the service. John met and married Bonny, and together they built a life in Chicago where they raised six children. After 35 years in animation production, John decided to retire.

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe certainly doesn't lack ingenuity. The Native American tribe owns and operates Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley on the Mille Lacs Reservation in rural east central Minnesota. The casinos offer bingo, blackjack, poker, slot machines, and table games. The resorts also have restaurants, an amphitheater, an events and convention center, an RV park, a golf course, and various retail operations. Nearby Lake Mille Lacs offers fishing, hiking, and snowmobile rentals. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe belongs to one of six groups making up the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

QMH Ltd. company is owned by a consortium of private equity investors comprised of the Whitehall 2001 Funds, Goldman Sachs, and Regina Investments Sarl. QMH is a leading operator of mid-priced hotels in the UK with a portfolio of nearly 20 properties. Most of the company's hotels operate under the Holiday Inn brand, but QMH also operates a handful of Crowne Plaza and Best Western hotels. The properties are located mostly in smaller markets, and target both business and leisure travelers with a range of amenities including business centers and conference rooms, as well as health and fitness clubs.

The Milwaukee Bucks professional basketball franchise joined the National Basketball Association in 1968 and earned a championship title just three years later with the help of Hall of Fame player Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). The team has made one other appearance in the NBA Finals in 1974. Hometown fans support the Bucks at Milwaukee's aging Bradley Center. Local businessmen Wesley Pavalon and Marvin Fishman were originally awarded the basketball franchise. Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl, whose family started the Kohl's department store chain, has owned the Bucks since 1985.

Manchester United Limited company owns and operates Manchester United Football Club, one of the most popular and successful soccer teams in the world. Known to supporters as The Red Devils, Man U boasts 18 championship titles in the UK's Premier League, as well as 11 FA Cup titles. Manchester United generates revenue primarily through ticket sales at venerable Old Trafford stadium, as well as through broadcasting rights and sales of Red Devils merchandise. Man U was founded as Newton Heath in 1878 before changing its name in 1902. It is owned by American tycoon Malcolm Glazer, whose holdings include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL team.

Park Resorts is a leading campground operator in the UK with more than 35 vacation spots throughout the country. The parks offer accommodations for recreational vehicles (caravans), as well as caravan rentals and some vacation homes. Park Resorts' properties also provide such amenities as beaches, indoor pools, and other recreational or entertainment facilities. Private equity firm GI Partners controls the company.

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