By Maureen N. Maratita

David A. Alcorn is the 2023 Guam Business Magazine Executive of the Year.

If David A. Alcorn, president of GFS Group; had not taken a chance in life and accepted a job in Guam, who knows where he would be today.

But because of that decision, Alcorn found a life partner (who he also works side by side with at the GFS Group) and began to settle into life in Guam.

His ability to take chances — and calculate risk — would also stand him in good stead when business opportunities arose in Guam and elsewhere.

Originally from Orange County, Calif., Alcorn was working at Smitty’s Pancake House in Honolulu, when opportunity knocked.

Philip A. Schmidt, then a partner in Smitty’s and King’s restaurants, saw potential in Guam. In 1975 he offered Alcorn a job to work in a King’s restaurant on the island, soon to open at Gibson’s Department Store complex in Tamuning — now the site of Guam Premier Outlets. Alcorn said yes and headed to Guam.

The original King’s was a 3,800-square-foot restaurant, with a 45-square-foot cocktail lounge and a fast-food corner, Alcorn told the magazine in 2020 — on the 45th Anniversary of King’s doing business in Guam.

He says, “After Typhoon Pamela in 1976 our business and Guam’s economy took off. Shortly after, King’s opened 24 hours a day.”

In 1985, Alcorn — by then a longtime manager of King’s, and his wife, Lucy — now CEO of GFS — bought the restaurant from Schmidt, its remaining partner.

Since then, King’s has moved within the GPO complex and is now a freestanding building and a second restaurant opened in Compadres Mall in Dededo.

In July 2013, the restaurant officially became a member of the GFS group of companies.

GFS purchased Kings Restaurants LLC through a stock purchase and transfer agreement from former owners Freddy Van Dox and David Alcorn.

In 2015 Schmidt visited Guam for the 40th Anniversary of King’s, and the Alcorns hosted a reception at the Dusit Thani Resort for the business community to welcome him. During his visit, Schmidt had nothing but good things to say about the Alcorns and their progress in building the GFS Group.

Eduardo R. Ilao president of JMI-Edison has known Alcorn for more than 30 years.

He says, “I consider him one of my best friends, a brother and my business idea sparring partner.”

The two regularly meet for breakfast meetings, Ilao says. “This is where we discuss all kinds of topics — family, business, travel, sports — and a lot of other things.”

Ilao says the GFS Group fully supports the community in a variety of ways.

Since I’ve known [Alcorn], GFS has been involved in many charitable organizations.” Ilao says these include the Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross. Lucy M. Alcorn; also donates her time by serving as a member of the board of directors of the chapter.

In addition, Ilao says other organizations GFS supports include “the Make-A- Wish Foundation and the Guam Tennis Association. These are just a few of the organizations he regularly supports,” he says of Alcorn.

King’s has served politicians, businessmen, military personnel and tourists and provided consistent affordable dining for island families. “It was a joke once that a large portion of the Guam business deals were done on a napkin in King’s,” Alcorn told the magazine in 2020.

“Throughout 45 years of changes in business lines, King’s has always been the cornerstone of our group,” Alcorn told the magazine.

It’s no secret he plans to expand the chain to Dededo and Mangilao.

Aside from King’s, GFS grew in the restaurant business through the years and its portfolio of popular brands today includes Ruby Tuesday at GPO and Domino’s at the Navy Exchange Guam.

The COVID 19 pandemic affected the GFS Group — just like so many other businesses everywhere, to include Guam.

Alcorn made the tough decision to close Chuck E Cheese’s at GPO. GFS was part owner of the franchise. The arcade and food business had offered families and their children a unique experience. Chuck E Cheese’s closed on Oct. 18, 2020, after 10 years of doing business.

It was something of a miracle that any of the GFS restaurants made it through the pandemic, as readers can imagine and empathize with. King’s offered take-out when that was allowed, and when restaurants were allowed to offer outdoor dining in Guam canopies and table and chairs appeared at both locations. GFS watched the progress of Ruby Tuesday like a hawk.

Alcorn had taken his early success and experience at King’s Restaurants and began to look towards catering contracts.

The Alcorns incorporated Global Food Services Inc. in July 2003 and won their first contract on Guam on Oct. 1, 2003.

The contract was with Raytheon Technical Services Guam for the operation of food services and other Moral Welfare and Recreation activities and would launch GFS as a contractor in the field.

According to Glimpses Media’s files, in 2011, the GFS Group secured a $12 million HubZone contract awarded by the U. S. Navy’s Fleet Industrial Supply Command in San Diego Calif. The contract was to provide Mess Attendant Services for six galleys in the San Diego Area to include the Naval Station 32nd Street Galley, the Navy Amphibious Base Coronado Galley, the Navy Base Coronado North Island Galley, the Oceanside BUD Satellite Galley, the Sub Base Point Loma Galley and the Fleet Anti-submarine Warfare base Galley. The contract was for one base year plus four option years. Services included serving food cleaning dining facilities/equipment/utensils and cashier services, according to the solicitation.

GFS also campaigned for local companies that do business in Guam to be given the chance to bid on contracts, according to Glimpses Media files.

Alcorn has never looked back, and GFS currently has a list of contracts in the military market sector in Guam and in other areas, and in the U.S. mainland, which allows the group to offer employment to hundreds of employees.

In 2013, the Guam Regional Medical City contracted the GFS Group to provide patient meals and cafeteria services for the then-new hospital and GFS continues that relationship today.

According to Marianas Business Journal files (sister publication to Guam Business Magazine) in 2014, the five Guam Department of Defense Education Activity schools were due to be without the School Meals Program for the start of the school year on Aug. 25.

The GFS Group stepped in to help through an emergency transition. Alcorn told the paper at the time that GFS was able to provide meals due to its prior experience.

“We performed that contract several years ago, so we understand the logistics.” Alcorn said. “We have a large number of food businesses on island, so we tapped into our resources.”

GFS continues to service the schools, through a relationship with Sodexo Guam as a consultant.

Other contracts it currently holds include providing Naval Hospital Guam with Dietetic Patient Services, and the U.S. Marine Corp.’s Regional Feeding for Camp Pendleton, Calif. and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina (a subcontract).

The group is currently bidding on other opportunities.

Clifford A. Guzman, vice president of operations for GFS; has worked with Alcorn for more than 20 years.

He says, “As president, Dave always has his ear to the ground and his finger on the pulse of our island. He has an amazing gift of the gab, a memory like an elephant and the uncanny ability to turn some wild idea or concept into an inspired success. Dave has never been afraid to take on a new challenge or risk when he thought an opportunity was there.”

Alcorn is also detail oriented when it comes to group interests, Guzman says.

“Dave is hands on with the business and keeps an unwavering eye on our bottom line and the overall performance of our local or military contracts and commercial ventures.”

The Alcorns care for their employees, wherever they work in the various units of GFS.

“Just like Lucy our CEO, Dave is fiercely loyal to our employees and treats everyone in the company like family. He is always empathetic to their needs and goes out of his way to help them whenever possible. This has paid off in dividends as GFS has developed a reputation as an employer of choice for the over 1,100 team members we have working in Guam, California and North Carolina.”

Alcorn can also be seen in the various outlets of the group. “Dave is also very sensitive to our clients and our customer needs — regularly walking through our restaurants saying hello to our diners and ensuring they are comfortable and properly served,” Guzman says.

“Working with Dave truly has been challenging, adventurous and fun and I consider it an honor to be partnered with him and Lucy. … It has and will continue to be an amazing journey with so much more to look forward to.”

GFS has developed a sterling reputation as a U.S. Department of Defense contractor both on and off-island in food service, generating about $40 million in annual sales.

The GFS Group is regularly featured in the Bank of Guam ASC Trust List of Top Companies in Micronesia, published by Guam Business Magazine.

In the 2023 November-December List feature, Alcorn described Guam’s economy as being in “interesting times.” He says in the magazine, “Revenue and sustainability have greatly changed with pressure on tourism not recovering, but yet Guam’s overall economy seems to be stable – far more than it has been in the prior years.”

In other correspondence with Guam Business Magazine in December, he says that he is now “positioning GFS and its subsidiaries to be successful and profitable in recovery from COVD economics, inflation and the changing business environment.”

The GFS Group celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2023.

Alcorn and GFS support the Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Guam Chamber of Commerce, the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Guam Tennis Federation, and many other non-profits.

The Alcorn’s four children are Mara Alcorn, Dereck Alcorn, Cassandra Alcorn, and Nicholas Alcorn, and Alcorn has said he is developing the next generation of Alcorn’s to take over when the time comes. Dereck Alcorn serves the group as vice president of restaurant operations and Nicholas Alcorn serves as vice president of quality assurance.

Alcorn says he enjoys life with his wife and family, his grandchildren, tennis, traveling, and rock concerts.

Most of all, he says, “I have been enjoying everything about my life on Guam for the past 47 years.”