How do you differentiate yourself from the competition?

The competition in the restaurant industry is fierce. A recent study showed that 17 percent of restaurants failed in their first year, and around 51 percent survived past their fifth year in business. Even in a strong market with a popular brand, restaurant operators cannot assume success.

Franchise Update asked several multi-unit restaurant franchisees how they differentiate themselves from the competition. They use many different strategies, either operationally or by establishing strong connections with their customers. Some focus on excelling in the foundational aspects of restaurant management by providing good food, clean surroundings, and superior customer service. Talented teams and proven systems are essential to delivering consistent results.

In some cases, intangible qualities such as a strong staff culture or a fun and welcoming atmosphere for guests can help a restaurant stand out from others. Restaurants can ingrain themselves in the community through events or sponsorships, or by supporting local organizations, especially in times of need. That can be especially important for a franchise brand to remind its customer base that it is locally owned and part of the community.

In this week’s Franchisee Bytes, we asked several multi-unit restaurant franchisees where they see themselves over the next five or 10 years. Not surprisingly, the answers from nearly everyone reflect plans for aggressive growth. That growth can be marked through the number of units, revenue, system upgrades, or team members employed. See below for the plans some top multi-unit restaurant franchisees have for the future.

Pushpak Patel

Company: Mitra QSR and CMG Companies
Brands: 173 KFC and Taco Bell
Years in Franchising: 18

In quick service, most operators compete on the same handful of things: speed, price, location, and people. All of them matter. But over time, the operators who separate themselves are the ones with great people, supported by great systems. Everything else can be copied. A strong team that executes the same way every day, backed by the right tools, cannot.

Our job is to put the right people in the right place at the right time, then give them systems that let them do their best work. Across 173 restaurants, consistency does not happen by accident. It comes from training, clear expectations, and processes simple enough that the right decision is the easy decision. Build strong teams, then give them systems that remove friction instead of adding it. Strong people and strong systems produce strong results.

Victor Miltiades

Company: Home-Grown Industries of Georgia, Inc.
Brands: 3 Mellow Mushroom
Years in Franchising: 26

Mellow Mushroom has always stood apart because of its unique culture, creative menu, and guest experience. We offer stone-baked pizzas made with quality ingredients, but what really differentiates us is the atmosphere. Every location has its own personality while maintaining the brand’s distinctive vibe. We strive to create a place where families, friends, and community members want to gather, not just a place to grab a meal.

Matthew Keiser

Company: Paxton Keiser Enterprises
Brands: 22 Taco John’s, 1 Nothing Bundt Cake
Years in Franchising: 8

Our dedication to the communities we serve is truly what sets Taco John’s apart from the competition. For example, during the government shutdown earlier this year, we offered free “Community Special Meals” to help those struggling to make ends meet. It had such a huge impact that people wanted to pay it forward and buy meals for others. Our vendors even offered to donate resources so that we could keep up with the traffic. It’s important to be there for the communities we are in, not just to sell food but to support the people when they need it.

Soo Heu

Company: Heu Hawaii LLC
Brands: 2 Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop
Years in Franchising: 3

I differentiate myself from the competition by focusing on the fundamentals. I believe that without building and maintaining a strong foundation, it's difficult to achieve sustainable growth. My priorities are food quality, customer service, and cleanliness. Food quality starts with consistency. Our managers conduct quality checks twice daily during shift changes, tasting ingredients and verifying that everything meets our standards before being served to guests. We strictly follow FIFO procedures and carefully inspect all deliveries to ensure product quality from the moment it arrives.

Customer service is equally important. We teach our team that saying “Welcome” and “Thank you” is part of the uniform. We strive to create a positive and enjoyable work environment because the energy of our team is reflected in the guest experience. When employees enjoy what they do, customers can feel it. Cleanliness is another area where we refuse to compromise. A clean restaurant creates confidence in our guests and demonstrates pride in our operation.

Brent Weaver

Company: BWR Enterprises, Inc.
Brands: 3 East Coast Wings + Grill
Years in Franchising: 21

My wife, Sherry, and I set ourselves apart from the large wing chains by staying close to our community. We grew up in the same small town where we first opened, so people already knew us. When we help with local school programs, we are working with our old elementary and high school teachers. We also back our local fire departments. Every three months, we choose one and donate 15 percent of a day's earnings. Because of those relationships, we are not just another wing restaurant. We work to be ingrained in everything that is happening in our community.

Franchisee Bytes

Where do you want to be in five years? 10 years?

In five years, I see our business almost doubling in size. In 10 years, I see us expanding into different types of businesses to help support or complement our main business.
-Andy Cabral, CEO, Vigario Management, 25 Dunkin’, 9 Baskin-Robbins

In 10 years, I could see myself owning 20 units. During that time, I want to continue to grow personally and within my community. As long as the passion and drive are still there, I want to keep doing this for as long as I can.
-Shak Patel, Multi-Unit Franchisee, Breaking Bread LLC, 6 Potbelly, 1 The Halal Guys

I want to continue creating impact and opportunity through the Dave’s Hot Chicken brand. We currently have 60 store agreements in place with the goal to grow to more than 80 locations over the next seven to eight years.
-Lawrence Kouri, Multi-Unit Owner-Operator, 22 Dave’s Hot Chicken

In the next five to 10 years, we aim to grow the Bajco Group team to 15,000+ employees from our current 5,000 globally. We always keep in mind that we have grown past our goals.
-Nadeem Bajwa, Co-founder and CEO, Bajco Group, 270+ Papa Johns

To have 200 7 Brew locations by 2030. In the next five years, I would like to be the premier multi-brand franchisee in America. I have the same goal for the next 10 years, but probably with additional brands. That isn’t just being the largest franchisee, but to be an employer of choice and developer of careers and talent.
-Joey Pierson, CEO & CFO, Tacala Companies, 381 Taco Bell, 38 7 Brew

Within the next decade, we hope to achieve 150 units and a $1 billion valuation.
-Chris Aslam, CEO & Principal, Rock Strategies and various entities, 59 Jack in the Box, 5 Golden Chick, 5 Hawaiian Bros Island Grill

My biggest goal for our company is to update our mom-and-pop processes to make things easier for our support teams. In five years, I’d like for us to feel confident in our systems and tech stack for our support departments. Our 10-year goal is to be an industry-leading MUMBO, recognized for our operations and support departments.
-Alex Karcher, Operating Principal, JCK Restaurants, 61 Carl’s Jr., 11 Jersey Mike’s Subs, 8 The Human Bean, 8 Dave’s Hot Chicken, 1 Hawaiian Bros Island Grill

I love what I do, but I know my kids are more than ready to take over the business. The business will be in good hands, so my wife and I look forward to more travel.
-Tom Lovelace, Owner/President, Tom Lovelace Group, 96 Papa Murphy’s