--- title: "Drive-Thru Done Right: Checkers and Rally’s Opens Location in Ruskin" url: https://burnaze.com/article/92de7985-f9d3-4764-b872-9acb7efc3ee2 source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20250324_drivethru_done_right_checkers_and_rallys_opens_location_in_ruskin.html category: "Burger" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Burger" topics: ["Development & multi-unit","Operations"] published: 2025-03-24T12:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T18:56:45.627Z image: https://imgs.franchising.com/brands/social/checkersdriveinresta.jpg --- # Drive-Thru Done Right: Checkers and Rally’s Opens Location in Ruskin **TL;DR:** Checkers and Rally's has opened a new location in Ruskin, Florida, marking a return to the area. The location is owned by Bingham, a seasoned entrepreneur and commercial real estate developer who has opened multiple Checkers and Rally's locations across Florida. *originally published in Franchising.com on 2025-03-24. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20250324_drivethru_done_right_checkers_and_rallys_opens_location_in_ruskin.html).* ## Story “Growing up, Checkers was a big part of my daily routine, and I’ve always loved the brand,” said Bingham. “When I saw an opportunity to reintroduce Checkers and Rally’s to Ruskin, I knew it was the right move not just for my business, but for the community. The local community deserves great food at a great value, and we’re ready to deliver.” Bingham is a seasoned entrepreneur and commercial real estate developer with over 20 years of experience in retail and restaurant development. Since joining Checkers and Rally’s in 2019, he has opened multiple locations across Florida, leveraging his expertise in site selection and operations to drive growth. His background in developing retail spaces, including Dunkin’ and other restaurant brands, uniquely positions him to revitalize the Ruskin location, ensuring its long-term success. With a strong commitment to quality and community engagement, Bingham is focused on delivering a top-tier guest experience while expanding Checkers and Rally’s presence in Central Florida. “Will exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit that drives Checkers & Rally’s forward, said Robert Bhagwandat, Senior Director of Franchise Development at Checkers Drive-in Restaurants. “His ability to identify strong locations and continue to develop them has been key to his success, and we’re thrilled to see him bring our bold flavors back to Ruskin. We look forward to supporting him as he continues to expand in Florida.” Merged in 1999 to form one concept, Checkers and Rally’s primarily operates through a proven franchise model, in which owners benefit from brand recognition, operational support, and marketing resources. Potential franchise prospects can develop on less than half of an acre, which is half the size of competing drive-thru concepts. Checkers and Rally’s current strategy is targeting select markets throughout the United States, particularly in South and Central Wisconsin, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Southern California, Las Vegas, Florida, and South Carolina. Based in Tampa, Fla., Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., an iconic and innovative drive-thru restaurant chain known for its bold, craveable food, famous fries, exceptional value, and people-first attitude, operates and franchises both Checkers® and Rally's® restaurants. With over 700 restaurants and room to grow, Checkers and Rally's is a proven brand with flexible building formats that is aggressively expanding across the country. Checkers and Rally's is dedicated to being a place where franchisees and employees who work hard can create opportunities for themselves, their families, and their communities. In recent years, the brand has earned several of the industry's most prestigious awards including Franchise Times Top 500, Entrepreneur Top 500, Franchise Business Review’s “Satisfaction Award,” “Top Food Franchise” in 2023 and “Most Profitable Franchise” in 2022. The brand also earned recognition for its best-in-class training and education programs, winning four prestigious Brand Hall Group awards in 2024. Checkers Drive-In restaurant franchises are small but efficient making our restaurants easy to operate and typically reduced overhead costs. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - Restaurants (sector) - unit expansion (topic) - franchise development (topic) - restaurant opening (topic) - Dunkin' Brands (company) - Checkers (company) - Rally's (company) - Robert Bhagwandat (person) - Ruskin (location) --- Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20250324_drivethru_done_right_checkers_and_rallys_opens_location_in_ruskin.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/92de7985-f9d3-4764-b872-9acb7efc3ee2).