How do you ensure that each of your units maintains brand consistency, while also catering to local tastes and preferences?

Welcome to the third issue of Multi-Unit Restaurant Franchisee—Paths to Success. Each newsletter features a single question, with responses from different multi-unit restaurant franchisees speaking directly from their experience. It is emailed to subscribers every 2nd & 4th Monday.

A second section, “Franchisee Bytes,” features responses to a more personal question from a different group of multi-unit operators (favorite book, who they’d like to have lunch with, best advice, what do people not know about them, last vacation, etc.).

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TAMRA KENNEDY

Company: Twin Cities T.J.’s

Brands: Taco John’s (6)

Years in franchising: 40

We use sales data to zero in on market preferences to tailor local marketing efforts. Each community has their favorite menu items, and, through their purchases, our customers point us to decisions around extending limited time offers, offering selective discounts, and even building in standard value days. They buy what they love, and we listen!

RYAN FEGHALI

Company: Cedars Group  

Brands: Little Caesars (28), plus 2 in development

Years in franchising: Franchisee for 7+ years

A cardinal element of participating in a franchise system lies in upholding uniformity, not just in the product we offer but also in the customer experience we deliver. This consistency is pivotal across diverse markets, and its success hinges on the robust systems we implement for training and operations. Our approach is underpinned by the astute leadership of our district managers, coupled with a strategic investment in technology, ensuring these systems are effectively sustained.

Moreover, we are focused on market trends and consumer behaviors. Recognizing the popularity of specific items in certain locales, we endeavor to craft tailored specials around those items while ensuring they are “Hot-N-Ready” during peak hours. This strategy is designed to expedite customer interactions, rendering them more efficient and seamless, thereby enhancing the overall consumer experience.

SHANNA TURNER

Company: T4Entreprises

Brands: Scooter’s Coffee (4)

Years in franchising: Scooter’s Coffee franchisee since 2017; started as a barista with Scooter’s in 2007

We’re very big with training. We, of course, partner with Scooter’s Coffee corporate’s training, but we’re also very particular about being thorough in our local store training. I have a district manager over each of my territories, and their main responsibility is brand consistency. I rely on them to develop leaders and coach managers to ensure our locations adhere to the brand’s guidelines regarding product delivery, customer service, and speed and efficiency.

Whenever we hire new staff, we have them attend our initial 25-hour training. We typically do five consecutive, 5-hour training shifts. And we confirm with our new hires that they’re available for those five consecutive days. We’re presenting a lot of material and we don’t want there to be any gaps in their training. In my experience, it takes about three weeks for someone to become fully confident in being a barista. They get faster at completing orders, their muscle memory is better, and they don’t have to think through the process quite as much. I attribute that quick ramp-up to our comprehensive, in-depth training program.

DAVID PLAIT 

Brands: Hungry Howie’s (21) 

Years in franchising: 35

I’ve been part of the Hungry Howie’s brand since 1989 and have seen many things change over those years. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the commitment my family and I have to the brand. In overseeing 21 Hungry Howie’s locations, it’s critical for me to keep a pulse on how each store is doing, from operations to an employee level. There is a level of understanding you gain from being at arm’s-length to every storefront, checking whether operations are running smoothly—and if not, then why? Our team has been able to fine-tune a strategic formula to ensure that all locations are operationally sound by investing our time in each community, testing the product across locations, asking locals what their pizza of choice is, and determining customers’ preferences by immersing ourselves in the local community. All of this is all essential. As a franchisee, doing your due diligence to make sure every restaurant is effectively serving its community is key for a successful business.

DAVE GRONEWOLLER

Company: GC Partners, GRO Restaurant Group, GRO-FS

Brands: Golden Corral (15)

Years in franchising: 31

Ensuring brand consistency while embracing local tastes and preferences is a fundamental aspect of Golden Corral’s approach to providing operational excellence. Over my 31 years of experience owning and operating 15 Golden Corrals across five states, I have embraced this strategy and made it a concentrated focus of our organization’s overall operational plan. For me, it all starts with our General Managers (GMs), who serve as brand ambassadors to the guests and team at each of my locations. When selecting GMs, we prioritize qualities such as respectfulness, intelligence, and a commitment to upholding our restaurant standards. These individuals set the tone for the entire team and play a critical role in decision-making processes that directly impact guest experiences.

At Golden Corral, we pride ourselves on maintaining consistency while also encouraging innovation. Our core menu provides GMs with a framework of tested options, but we also empower them to push the envelope within our brand parameters. Adaptation is crucial when it comes to catering to local tastes. For instance, when we opened our location in Hialeah Miami-Dade County, Florida, which has a vibrant Cuban community, we recognized the need to tailor our offerings to better suit the preferences of our guests within the local community.

One of our most successful endeavors involved moving a GM who understood the local culture to this specific Miami location. Together the restaurant team and their families engaged in extensive taste tests and dialogue to decide what the best localized menu options would be for this location. We also focused on hiring staff members from within the community and involved them in taste testing and menu development. The Golden Corral Operations and Product Development teams collaborated to achieve these outcomes, which resulted in crafting location-specific menu items to be offered in addition to Golden Corral restaurants’ traditional core menu items.

We rely on our GMs to provide valuable insights into menu performance and guest preferences. Trust is paramount in our operations, and by fostering an environment of collaboration and trust, we ensure that our menu offerings continue to evolve in response to changing tastes while remaining true to our brand identity.

Similarly, our marketing efforts are tailored to each restaurant based on recommendations from GMs who understand the local market dynamics. This personalized approach allows us to strike a balance between offering familiar favorites and introducing culturally relevant options, ultimately contributing to the success of all our franchise units. Our marketing coordinator collaborates closely with our GMs to ensure that our marketing strategies resonate authentically with local audiences. While overseeing broader initiatives, our coordinator relies on invaluable insights from GMs to tailor campaigns to each community’s unique demographics, preferences, and trends. This collaborative approach enables us to develop messaging, promotions, and advertising channels that are not only consistent with our brand identity, but that also are locally relevant. By leveraging our GMs’ firsthand knowledge, we can adapt our efforts to reflect local events, sponsor community initiatives, and utilize preferred digital platforms, strengthening our connection with guests and setting us apart in each market that we help support.

In essence, our commitment to maintaining brand consistency while embracing local tastes and preferences, with the support and collaboration of Golden Corral, underscores our dedication to providing exceptional dining experiences tailored to the many communities we serve.

FRANCHISEE BYTES

Person you’d most like to have lunch with

"Paul McCartney"
- Joe Piro, President/Franchisee, Supreme Greens Franchise Group (21 Salata Salad Kitchen, 3 Face Foundrié)

"Unfortunately, she has passed, but the Queen of England. I have always had a fascination with the British monarchy. Queen Elizabeth saw so much during her reign. She is someone who took over at such a young age and was able to navigate in a male-dominated world and develop so much respect. I would love to know all of the things you would probably never get out of her because she was so good at being the queen."
- Rachel Wallace, Franchisee, CEO, CHF (Cup Half Full) Investments, SRW Management (Subway 25, Scooter’s Coffee 3 open (11 total signed), 1 Best Western Plus)

"From the past: King Leonidas, the legendary king of Sparta. From the present: MS Dhoni, renowned professional Indian cricketer."
- Pathik Patel,  President, VAAP Management (16 Dunkin’, 1 Buffalo Wild Wings Go, 1 Curry Up Now)

"Benjamin Franklin"
- Neil Hershman, Owner, CEO (7 16 Handles, 3 Dippin’ Dots & Doc Popcorn, 2 Captain Cookie)

"Grant Cardone or Tilman Fertitta"
- Jeff Burroughs, Franchisee/Owner, Blue Pen Management (27 Sport Clips Haircuts, 4 Rita’s Italian Ice)