The Kansas City Royals Baseball Corporation owns and operates the Kansas City Royals professional baseball franchise. An expansion team originally bankrolled by Ewing Kauffman, the Royals joined Major League Baseball in 1969 and finished first in its division six times in 15 years with the help of Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett. The franchise boasts two American League pennants and one World Series championship in 1985. The team plays host at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium. David Glass, who formerly served as CEO of Wal-Mart, has owned the Royals since 2000.

The Resort Company was founded in 1998. The Resort Company operates more than 20 condo and hotel resorts in Vail, Beaver Creek, and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Resorts include The Inn at Steamboat and the Lion Square Lodge. All properties offer restaurants, meeting rooms, and concierge assistance to book ski trips, shopping excursions, or fine dining. The Resort Company offers packages at many of its locations that include accommodations, skiing, meals, and other amenities; some are targeted to families with small children. In addition to regular hospitality amenities, the company also offers property management and condo association management services.

Augusta National is an exclusive golf and country club that boasts about 300 members, including many business leaders, political figures, and of course notable golfers. Membership is by invitation only; the club does not allow women to become members. Augusta National organizes and runs the famed Masters golf tournament, generating revenue through broadcast rights fees and sponsorships. The course was designed and built by golf champion Bobby Jones and Scotsman Alister Mackenzie in 1932 and hosted the first Masters event two years later.

Sheraton was founded in 1937 by Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore. The chain was acquired by Starwood in 1998; it is Starwood's largest brand. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts operates a leading chain of upscale hotels with about 400 locations in some 75 countries. The company's properties target both business and leisure travelers with full-service accommodations, fine dining, and other amenities. Its Four Points by Sheraton brand includes approximately 150 additional properties, which typically feature smaller locations with basic service and amenities such as high speed Internet access and fitness centers.

S.S. Lazio is one of two soccer teams representing Rome in Italy's Lega Nazionale Professionisti (National Professional League). Also known as the biancocelesti for their white and light blue uniforms, the team was founded in 1900 and plays host as the gargantuan Stadio Olimpico, which it shares with rival A.S. Roma. (The two teams play one another twice a year in what is known as the Rome derby.) The club boasts two championship titles (its last in 2000) and four Italian Cups.

Compagnie des Alpes is one of Europe's leading leisure operators with more than 35 properties in more than half a dozen countries. Its portfolio includes 14 major skiing destinations in France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, including Tignes, Les Arcs, and La Plagne. All its ski properties sit above 9,900 feet. Compagnie des Alpes also operates about 20 amusement and leisure parks through its Gr�vin & Cie subsidiary, including Parc Asterix and Musee Grevin. About 24 million people visit its sites each year; a majority of those visits are to the French properties. The company was formed in 1989.

If you want some Italian cooking from this company, apparently all you have to do is ASK. ASK Restaurants is a leading casual dining operator in the UK with about 120 locations. The chain's menu features a variety of pasta dishes and rustic-style pizzas, as well as several choices of antipasti. In addition to its flagship brand, ASK operates the Zizzi chain of upscale Italian eateries that offer authentic Italian favorites in a contemporary setting at about 100 locations. ASK is a unit of Gondola Group, which also owns the PizzaExpress chain. Brothers Adam and Sam Kaye started the company in 1993.

Catalina Restaurant Group is pretty casual about dining. The company operates and franchises more than 200 casual-dining restaurants under the Carrows and Coco's names. Its Carrows Restaurant chain offers family dining fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at about 90 locations. Several of the eateries are open 24 hours a day. Coco's Bakery Restaurants feature fresh-baked goods, burgers, sandwiches, and breakfast items at 110 locations. Most of Catalina Restaurant Group's properties are found in California with additional locations in Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada. Formed in 2002, the company is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Zensho Co.

The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) deals in luxury. The group owns and operates about two dozen deluxe hotels and commercial and residential properties in Asia, Australia, and North America. Its Peninsula Hotel brands are located in major cities such as Bangkok; Beijing; Beverly Hills, California; Chicago; Hong Kong; Manila; New York City, and Tokyo. Its properties also include the Quail Lodge Resort and Gold Club in Carmel, California. HSH is the oldest hotelier in Hong Kong (it was founded in 1866 as the Hongkong Hotel Company). The Kadoorie family controls the company, as it has for more than 100 years.

Sonny's Franchise Company operates a chain of barbeque restaurants under the name Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Q. It has more than 130 mostly franchised eateries that specialize in barbecue beef, chicken, pork, and ribs served with a variety of complementary sides, such as beans, coleslaw, and french fries. Sonny's locations, which also offer catering services, are found mostly in nine Southern states. In addition to its restaurants, the company sells bottled barbecue sauces online and in retail locations across the country. Floyd "Sonny" Tillman and his wife Lucille opened their first barbecue joint in 1968. Bob and Jeff Yarmuth bought Sonny's in 1991.

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