Cynthia O. Booth, president and chief executive officer of COBCO Enterprises LLC, member of Denison University’s Board of Trustees and of the Denison class of 1979, has been selected as a finalist of the Entrepreneur of the Year competition for South-central Ohio and Kentucky. Booth is a finalist in the category of retail consumer products.
Booth’s privately held company owns seven McDonald’s franchises, four of which were new-construction restaurants that feature Internet access, flat-screen TVs, fireplaces and a contemporary atmosphere. As reported in Business Journals Entrepreneur of the Year (EY) publication, she runs her Cincinnati company under the model: “Consistent business practices net consistent results.”
According to EY, “Booth and her management team realized quickly that the key to operating a successful restaurant is not only developing consistent business practices but also creating an atmosphere that enhances customer loyalty. To reverse declining sales and decreasing customer counts at her first two restaurants, Booth replaced each management team, creating a new vision to deliver exceptional customer service and improve market share.
Today, all COBCO restaurants are posting strong results, and one of Booth’s sons became a second-generation owner in 2013.
Booth was formerly a banker with Firstar Bank (currently US Bank) where she held several positions at the vice president and senior vice president levels. She was one of the highest-ranking female executives at Firstar and the only African-American serving at an executive level. Booth has been featured in Fortune Magazine as an Outstanding McDonald’s Franchisee and has appeared on the cover of Cincinnati Business Women.
In her term as the State of Ohio representative at the White House Conference on Small Business in Washington, D.C., Booth represented the views of small business owners throughout Ohio. She is the recipient of a number of community and civic awards, including the YWCA Career Women of Achievement, University of Cincinnati School of Business Distinguished Service Award, Cystic Fibrosis Woman of Valor Award, State of Ohio Minority Retailer of the Year, and Association for Corporate Growth Deal Maker Award (an affiliate of the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce).
Booth currently serves as chair on the board of the YWCA and is a member of the US Bank Advisory Board, Federal Reserve Bank Advisory Board, United Way Board, Cincinnati Museum Center Board, Women’s Capital Club and the Cincinnati Chapter of the Links.