Are there other multi-unit franchisees, inside or outside of the restaurant industry, whom you look up to or learn from?

One of my favorite cartoons shows a little girl coming home from her first day at school. With a warm, loving smile her mother asks, “What did you learn in school today?” With a sad, defeated look on her face, the girl replies, “Not enough. I have to go back tomorrow.”

Leading a multi-unit restaurant franchisee organization is a lot like that.

The most successful franchisees are lifelong learners, continuously seeking ways to improve on their path to growth. Naturally, being smart people, they don’t try to reinvent the wheel. After all, they’ve bought into a system they believe will help them achieve their goals. So they look to people ahead of them on that path for clues, tips, advice, and even a shoulder to cry on during their worst times.

Fortunately, in franchising, veteran franchisees—having been on the receiving end themselves when they started out—are there to step in as mentors and role models. As the saying goes, “Making it on your own doesn’t mean making it by yourself.”

We asked several successful multi-franchisees who they look up and learn from.

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DAVID OSTROWE

Company: Founder & CEO, O&M Restaurant Group
Brands: Captain D’s Seafood, Burger King, Taco Bueno, Taco Bell, Blaze Pizza, Personalized Management Associates, O&A Consulting, 180 Business Solutions, Career Lead
Years in franchising: 34 (24 on the franchisee side, 10 on the franchisor side)

Ostrowe is the Incoming Chair of Franchise Update’s 2025 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference. In addition to his successful franchise operations and related businesses, he’s served as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Digital Transformation and Administration, and was Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Oklahoma’s Lottery Commission.

For me, learning from others is a lifelong mission. I’ve gained invaluable insights from both good and bad bosses, as well as from peers who are outpacing me. My competitive nature drives me to strive for excellence constantly.

In franchising, I’ve learned significant lessons from various experiences. One memorable experience was dealing with a franchisor who was more focused on extracting fees than growing the brand. Their short-sighted approach ultimately led to their failure and negatively impacted many franchisees.

On the positive side, I've had the privilege of working with incredible industry leaders. My first major deal was with Darin Harris, then with Captain D’s (he’s now CEO of Jack in the Box). It was a straightforward, win-win deal.

Another notable experience was with Jose Padilla, Steve Wiborg, and Glen Helton at Burger King. In less than 30 minutes, we negotiated a deal to save a Burger King market. These champions exemplify the power of collaboration and mutual growth.

Surrounding yourself with people who foster win-win relationships is crucial. Their support and vision make business not just manageable, but also rewarding.

GREG FLYNN

Company: Chair & CEO, Flynn Restaurant Group
Brands: 1,200 Pizza Hut, 460 Applebee’s, 360 Arby’s, 280 Taco Bell, 295 Wendy’s, 125 Panera Bread, 35 Planet Fitness
Years in franchising: 25

There are many I admire, but the top of my list is probably Ed Doherty.

(Editor: Ed Doherty is Chairman and Co-CEO of Doherty Enterprises, which operates more than 150 restaurants: Applebee’s, Panera, Chuy’s Fresh Mex, 2 of its own brands, and Sola Salon Studios)

EVAN FU

Brand: 2 Charleys Cheesesteaks & Wings
Years in franchising: 1

In addition to being a franchisee, Evan Fu is Franchise Development Manager for Charleys Philly Cheesesteaks.

I’ve found tremendous value in organizations like the IFA and Franchise Update’s Multi-Unit Franchising Conference. They’ve provided an excellent platform to connect with successful franchisees and brand leaders across the industry. Their stories and experiences have been invaluable, both in shaping my decision to pursue this path and in navigating current challenges.

I make it a point to visit other Charleys stores regularly. It’s a great opportunity to engage with successful franchisees and learn from their approaches to various aspects of the business. Their insights have been consistently helpful.

I’m always eager to meet leaders from different industries, too. There’s so much to learn from diverse perspectives. And I’m still on the lookout for mentors who can provide broader inspiration for both my professional and personal growth.

This networking and continuous learning approach has been crucial in my journey as a multi-unit franchisee. It’s about staying open to new ideas and experiences, which ultimately helps in making better decisions and facing challenges head-on.

FRANCHISEE BYTES

What is your business philosophy?

Creating a culture of inclusiveness and belonging where all are welcome, exceeding customer expectations in everything we do, holding ourselves accountable at every step, embracing change and innovation, and looking for new ways to grow our organization and ourselves.
—Joseph Omobogie, President/Owner, Golden Management LLC, 14 Golden Chick, 11 Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 4 Marco’s Pizza, 2 Thai Express, 1 Captain D’s. He is Franchise Update’s 2024 American Dream MVP for achieving remarkable success in his new country.

My business philosophy is simple. We want to always be growing, through both the total number of locations and people. I want to continue to provide a road map for employees to continue to be promoted with more and more opportunities. This will let us grow into more communities where we will be able to have a big effect on the community as a whole, whether it is through connections with local schools or through just overall good customer service.
—McLain Hoogland, President, Hoogland Restaurant Group, 117 Marco’s Pizza. He is Franchise Update’s Single-Brand Leadership MVP for achieving leadership with a single brand.

Be a people-first leader. I make sure I am constantly available to my team through calls, emails, and messages. I serve my team and care about them as employees and as people. I always want to see how I can help them.
—Bill Aseere, CEO, Space Cowboys Restaurant Group, 17 Donatos Pizza, 3 Guthrie’s Chicken, 2 Whit’s Frozen Custard

Do what’s right and stand by your principles. Treat people right and do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I’m a big believer in what comes around goes around. If you do right for someone today, that act will eventually come back to you at a certain point.
—Bill Mathis, Multi-Unit Franchisee, 3 Subway, 1 Caribou with 4 more in construction

Build great businesses by building great people.
—Milo Leakehe, Managing Partner, Imbue Capital, 3 Crumbl Cookies, 1 PayMore Stores, 1 Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 1 Rolling Suds, 1 Solve Pest Pros

Success is not only measured in profits, but in the positive effect we have on the communities we serve and the development we see in employees.
—Phillip Scotton, COO, Primo Partners, 23 Ben & Jerry’s, 2 Starbucks

If you treat your employees and customers right, pray, and make sound business decisions, success will follow.
—Stephanie Moseley, President, Pisa Pie Enterprises, 6 Marco’s Pizza

Without growth, it is just a full-time job. You need to enjoy what you do.
—Nadeem Saleem Bajwa, CEO, Bajco Group, 207 Papa John’s