Tired of swings in the real estate market, Alvaro ''Al'' Cabrera became a Burger King franchisee in the mid-1980s because he was looking for stability.
Little did he know what a wild ride it would be.
Cabrera started as his father-in-law's partner in a Burger King on Southwest Eighth Street and 68th Avenue in Miami. A couple years later, Cabrera struck out on his own with two restaurants.
But even as he was struggling to sell enough hamburgers to pay his bills, Cabrera was dreaming of something bigger. At that time, big meant five restaurants. Even in his wildest dreams, he never imagined that one day he would have 259 stores, making him Burger King's second-largest franchisee...

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/ ...