Success Stories

If you've played, coached, or watched a sport on the University of South Carolina (USC) campus, there's a good chance you've eaten a Firehouse Sub from Judy and Charlie Divita.
The Divitas operate six Firehouse Subs in the greater Columbia, S.C., area, including one nestled in the heart of the USC campus. They made their competitive mark by developing a proprietary customer database catering to visiting college sports teams. Their blueprint has evolved over the years to include a commitment to all facets of educational life and the communities their restaurants serve. This synergy between business smarts and higher learning is a natural for the Divitas, winners of Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine's 2012 MVP Innovation Award.
The couple, both quality specialists, are now knee-deep into their second career and are making the most of it...

When Kevin Osterfeld's "dream job" as a stockbroker didn't turn out so dreamy, he decided to switch things up.
"When I was a stockbroker, I would eat at Philadelphia Steak & Subs in downtown Cincinnati. I loved the food, so I decided to buy the restaurant, which would become a Penn Station East Coast Subs restaurant," he says. "I knew nothing about the restaurant business. I knew nothing about franchising. I didn't really even know how it worked, but I was young and reckless and thought I'd figure it out."
Twenty-five years later, it's clear that Osterfeld did "figure it out." Recipient of Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine's 2012 MVP Influencer Award, he now owns 18 Penn Stations in Ohio. He also is an active participant in charitable ventures and franchise organizations and a busy family man...

When Edwin Sarkissian and his family emigrated from Iran to the United States in 1996, he was a young boy who longed for a computer.
"When we arrived in America, we didn't have much. I remember being so excited to go to Best Buy and look at computers. I couldn't afford one. My mom tried to get a credit card, but because we hadn't been here that long she was declined. I was so sad that day," recalls Sarkissian, now 28.
Fortunately, a church member donated an older computer to him. "It had a lot of problems, but just moving the mouse made me so happy," Sarkissian says. "Now, my laptop and electronic devices are in perfect condition. I take good care of them because I learned how to appreciate everything I have."
To earn money for a bike, the young Sarkissian rode the bus to work at McDonald's...

Ed Doherty knows how to "wow" people. In fact, he has command of the word and he knows how to use it. He uses "wow" as an adjective, as in the "wow factor," and he uses it as a noun, as in "that's a wow." But he most often uses it as a verb. "We want to wow our guests every time. We want to wow our employees and our suppliers. And an okay is not a wow," he says.
Doherty, now the 12th largest franchisee in the U.S., jokes that he wishes he'd trademarked his use of "wow," because it was part of his company's mission statement long before it became everyday language.
That passion, partnered with the success of his 97 New York- and New Jersey-based restaurants (five brands, including Applebee's and Panera Bread), garnered Doherty Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine's 2012 MVP Spirit of Franchising Leadership Award...

A conversation with mega-franchisee Ed Doherty is invariably sprinkled with a lot of "wows." He uses "wow" as an adjective, as in the "wow factor," and he uses it as a noun, as in "that's a wow." But he most often uses it as a verb. "We want to wow our guests every time. We want to wow our employees and our suppliers. And an okay is not a wow," he says.
Doherty, now the 12th largest franchisee in the U.S., jokes that he wishes he'd trademarked his use of "wow," because it was part of his company's mission statement long before it became everyday language.
That passion, partnered with the success of his 97 New York- and New Jersey-based restaurants (five brands, including Applebee's and Panera Bread), garnered Doherty Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine's 2012 MVP Spirit of Franchising Leadership Award...

On Cathy Amato's first day as a Jack in the Box management trainee in the early 1980s, her trainer questioned whether Amato was up for the rigor ahead--changing grease vats, scrubbing floors, and crazy hours.
"He was really like, 'Real girls don't want to do this kind of work,'" Amato remembers.
He didn't know Amato, who along with partners Martha Jordan and Rick Riley, collectively own and operate 55 Subway restaurants in San Antonio and Austin, along with Mooyah and Ruby Tuesday brands. The winner of Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine's 2012 MVP Role Model Award truly believes she is in a business that rewards hard work with opportunity.
"I never had any aspiration or skill set that would necessarily help me be successful in the restaurant industry," she says...

If you've played, coached, or watched a sport on the University of South Carolina (USC) campus, there's a good chance you've eaten a Firehouse Sub from Judy and Charlie Divita.
The Divitas, operators of six Firehouse Subs in the greater Columbia, S.C., area, including one nestled in the heart of the USC campus, made their competitive mark by developing a proprietary customer database catering to visiting college sports teams. Their blueprint has evolved over the years to include a commitment to all facets of educational life and the communities their restaurants serve. This synergy between business smarts and higher learning is a natural for the Divitas, winners of Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine's 2012 MVP Innovation Award.
The couple, both quality specialists, are now knee-deep into their second career and are making the most of it...

They say everything is bigger in Texas. Eric Werner seems to believe the legend as he continues building his empire in the Lone Star State.
We last visited with Werner in 2008 when he had just signed a deal with the up-and-coming LA Sunset Tan franchise. He had just become one of the brand's first franchisees and an area developer for the Dallas area. He's quite familiar with the Texas market because he's been operating dozens of Subways there for almost 20 years. When we checked back with him recently to see how things were going, his vivacious response was, "Of course everything is going very well!"
He currently operates 56 Subways, with plans to open three more this year. Sales, he says, have been up dramatically the past 3 years thanks to the 'Any $5 Footlong' promo and solid operations...

On Cathy Amato's first day as a Jack in the Box management trainee in the early 1980s, her trainer questioned whether Amato was up for the rigor ahead--changing grease vats, scrubbing floors, and crazy hours.
"He was really like, 'Real girls don't want to do this kind of work,'" Amato remembers.
He didn't know Amato, who along with partners Martha Jordan and Rick Riley, collectively own and operate 55 Subway restaurants in San Antonio and Austin, along with Mooyah and Ruby Tuesday brands. The winner of Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine's 2012 MVP Role Model Award truly believes she is in a business that rewards hard work with opportunity.
"I never had any aspiration or skill set that would necessarily help me be successful in the restaurant industry," she says...

Anil Yadav is a repeat achiever in the pages of Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine. We first interviewed him in 2008 when he had "only" 78 Jack in the Box restaurants and 16 Denny's. Just two years later, when he was named one of the magazine's MVP Award winners, he had expanded to 155 Jack in the Boxes and 26 Denny's.
Today, another couple of years down the line, he's done it again, staking claim to 227 Jack in the Boxes and 30 Denny's. For the record, that makes him the largest Jack in the Box franchisee in the country. He also has become involved with Marco's Pizza as the broker for both the Northern and Southern California markets (so check back with us in 2 more years).
It's all quite amazing when you consider his present-day empire began in 1984 in Northern California, when the teenaged Yadav took a part-time job as a Jack in the Box fry cook to help pay for college...

It's easy to see why Houston-based franchisee Atour Eyvazian was honored with Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine's 2012 MVP Noble Cause Award. His story of a treacherous escape from war-torn Iran at age 19, followed by his move to the U.S. to achieve the American dream as Jack in the Box's largest individual operator, writes itself. Along the way, he has practiced business the same way he lives life--with passion and unwavering support for those in need.
"I grew up looking at life from a different angle," says Eyvazian. "Everything we do, every line of work, is about serving people in some capacity, about adding value to somebody's life. At the end of the day it is all about what you do for other people."
Eyvazian's journey began in 1984, when his parents helped him escape across the rugged mountains of Iran on foot, only to be arrested and jailed as he crossed into Turkey...

They work hard to build businesses that provide for their families. They create jobs and give back to their communities. They're innovators unafraid to do things differently, often on a large scale. They are among the superstars of franchising, and Multi-Unit Franchisee is honored to recognize six of these winners with our 2012 MVP Awards.

Cathy Amato
Role Model Award
For providing an example for others to follow in franchisee success
Cathy Amato's got her first job at 14, busing tables and washing dishes at the Highway Cafe in La Vernia, Texas. Today she and her partners operate 55 Subway restaurants in San Antonio and Austin, and since 1992 she has worked for the Subway development office for South Central Texas...

The last time we visited with Eric Werner, he had just signed a deal with the up-and-coming LA Sunset Tan franchise. That was 2008, and he had become one of the brand's first franchisees and an area developer for the Dallas area. He's quite familiar with the Texas market because he's been operating dozens of Subways there for almost 20 years. When we checked back with him recently to see how things were going, his vivacious response was, "Of course everything is going very well!"
He currently operates 56 Subways, with plans to open three more this year. Sales, he says, have been up dramatically the past 3 years thanks to the Any $5 Footlong promo and solid operations.
"I may have owned a few more Subways when you did the last profile, but I had some great offers to buy some of my stores so I sold them," he says...

Craig Colby created his own computer consulting and programming business following his graduation from the University of Delaware. During the next 10 years he built a successful business but didn't enjoy it. Eventually, he hated going to work every day.
"It became just a job and I didn't like my life much then," says the 48-year-old today. Colby says he realized that loving his work was an important objective for both his career and his quality of life. "I believe in a person doing what they love to do. I love food and restaurants, so I made it my business."
His first "love affair" was with Burger King where he--along with his twin brother--built a system of 15 units before selling them. Today, he operates four Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and four Così restaurants in southern New Jersey and Delaware...

By Debbie Selinsky
If there's anything Gavin Hart enjoys more than a vanilla cone at one of his Dairy Queens, it's handing one over to a customer.
"That makes me glad to get up every morning," says the Indiana family man and multi-brand franchisee. "I feel the same way about my Dunkin' Donuts coffee. It's incredible and addictive and I have it every morning while I watch everyone else enjoy theirs. We try to create a family-type environment for our customers in all our restaurants--it makes them want to come back."
Hart, an athlete and a criminal justice graduate of Indiana University, strongly believes that a relaxing, fun, upbeat work environment is largely responsible for the success of his 9 Dairy Queens and 14 Dunkin' Donuts...

Franchisors recognize the best performers in their system with a Franchisee of the Year award (or equivalent). For the winning franchisees, outstanding financial performance, adherence to system and operational standards, and a passion for their business, their brand, and their people are a given. What elevates them is their community involvement, their contributions to the system, and, for the more experienced operators, their desire to mentor their younger counterparts, just as they were mentored early in their own careers as franchisees.

Steven Keys
U.S. Lawns
Sharp as a Blade
In October 1998, Steven Keys converted his residential lawn care business to a U.S. Lawns franchise. He was 25 and had a child on the way...

After earning a degree in computer science from the University of Delaware, Craig Colby set up his own consulting and programming business for the first decade of his career. He was successful, but he didn't enjoy it. In fact, he says he dreaded going to work every Monday.
"It became just a job and I didn't like my life much then," says the 48-year-old today. Colby says he realized that loving his work was an important objective for both his career and his quality of life. "I believe in a person doing what they love to do. I love food and restaurants, so I made it my business."
His first "love affair" was with Burger King where he--along with his twin brother--built a system of 15 units before selling them. Today, he operates four Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and four Così restaurants in southern New Jersey and Delaware...

When Chirag Patel left India 15 years ago, he had mixed feelings about leaving his home and his parents. "India is a beautiful country, but at the time there were not many opportunities to grow professionally. Being an engineer provided me with the background to pursue a better quality of life, so I left to join my wife, who had already moved to the United States to work."
Patel found work as an engineer and consultant. But he soon learned, through his family, that franchising offered big opportunities for anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit.
"At the time I began in the business, my family had seven Dunkin' Donuts units in three states, which allowed me to experience the industry and owning and operating multiple units firsthand," he says...

Anil Yadav has graced the pages (and one cover) of Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine twice before. We first interviewed him in 2008 when he had "only" 78 Jack in the Box restaurants and 16 Denny's. Just two years later, when he was named one of the magazine's MVP Award winners, he had expanded to 155 Jack in the Boxes and 26 Denny's.
Today, another couple of years down the line, he's done it again, staking claim to 227 Jack in the Boxes and 30 Denny's. For the record, that makes him the largest Jack in the Box franchisee in the country. He also has become involved with Marco's Pizza as the broker for both the Northern and Southern California markets (so check back with us in 2 more years).
It's all quite amazing when you consider his present-day empire began in 1984 in Northern California, when the teenaged Yadav took a part-time job as a Jack in the Box fry cook to help pay for college...

Gavin Hart loves his Dairy Queen vanilla cones and Dunkin' Donuts coffee. But he also loves to see his customers enjoy them, too.
"That makes me glad to get up every morning," says the Indiana family man and multi-brand franchisee. "We try to create a family-type environment for our customers in all our restaurants--it makes them want to come back."
Hart, an athlete and a criminal justice graduate of Indiana University, strongly believes that a relaxing, fun, upbeat work environment is largely responsible for the success of his 9 Dairy Queens and 14 Dunkin' Donuts. "We believe good people equals good profits. We treat every employee as family, which creates loyalty and an emotional connection and makes a lot of things easier. We have no theft issues, our retention is good, and we have good employees taking care of our guests...