Who Said That?

"I decided to suck it up and take the risk."

Burger-selling Checkers' chief executive, Rick Silva, at first wanted to run the other way when producers of the CBS TV reality show Undercover Boss approached him to film a segment.

"I did not want to do this show," Silva said Friday. Why not? "This smells," he thought at first. "It was worrisome. I can't control the environment."

Nevertheless, the Tampa CEO of the 800-restaurant fast-food chain saw an upside for some publicity for Checkers, a modest-sized burger business scrapping against such behemoths as McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King — not to mention dozens of other fast-food options from fried chicken to tacos.

Checkers knows exactly what it's selling. One of its slogans is "permission to indulge" and the chain sells a fifth or more of its beef-, cheese- and bacon-laden burgers and fries late at night to folks who, Silva says, are definitely not looking for a salad.

In the end Silva, 47, opted to do the show, which he says interviewed 100 CEOs for just 13 spots. "I decided to suck it up and take the risk."

Read more at the Tampa Bay Times.