Andy and Anissa Patel are the principal owners of the Cape Catfish team. Andy is a native of Gujarat, a state in Western India, and came to the United States in the 1980s, and Anissa is a native of Jamaica. Andy’s journey began working at a Wendy’s in Laurel, Maryland, and Anissa also began through working at a Wendy’s in Jupiter, Florida. They came to meet each other through the Wendy’s restaurant franchise.
It was all uphill from there. In 1992, the Patel’s bought a failing IHOP restaurant and doubled its volume in under a year. Then, in 1994, they purchased their second IHOP and won an award for the highest sales increase among all IHOPs nationwide. They received “Franchisee of the Year” from Florida’s IHOPs in 1994, 1995, and 2002.
The Patel’s are presently developing their newest venture, Dogwood Social House, a premier sports bar and social house. Locations include Cape Girardeau, MO, Ellsville, MO, O’Fallon, MO, and O’Fallon, IL.
Outside of their success in the business world, they also love spending time with their family. Andy and Anissa have four children, and are grandparents to Liam (5) and Sophia (1). They love the community of Cape Girardeau, and are excited to help Cape and its residents grow and prosper.