Owning multiple units can be demanding. How do you ensure a balance between work and personal life, and what practices help you manage stress?

“Your money or your life?” That was the challenge to British highway travelers in the 1600s and 1700s from highwaymen intent on relieving said travelers of their valuables (or lives). For multi-unit restaurant franchisees in the 21st century, this is not an either/or question, but one of balance; the two are inextricably interconnected. While running multiple restaurants is not exactly a life-and-death situation, if your business fails, your house is on the line, and you’re the sole provider in your household, it certainly can feel that way.

For restaurant operators navigating the franchise highway in 2024, things can get “pretty crazy” sometimes, says Evan Fu, one of more than a dozen multi-unit restaurant franchisees who answered this week’s question. Their answers depend on where they are in their lives, both personal and business. Are they just starting out as a franchisee or ready to sell? Do they have young children at home or have they grown up, perhaps working in the family business? Is their sector or brand doing well or in decline as consumer tastes (and budgets) change?

Then there’s the 24/7, always-connected conundrum: Can you disconnect? Do you even want to? Should you? Again, it depends. Do you have a strong, independent management team, or do you feel the business can’t get along without you for a few days?

Let’s take a look at how these successful multi-unit restaurant operators are managing to have successful personal lives. (Hint: It’s a process.) As the highwaymen of yesteryear said, “Stand and deliver!”

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EVAN FU

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

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

Owning multiple units can be pretty crazy sometimes, but I’ve figured out a few ways to keep things in check. First off, I always remind myself that there’s no such thing as finishing all the work—there’s always more to do! So I use this trick I learned from Stephen Covey’s book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” I sort my tasks into important and urgent, important but not urgent, that kind of thing. It helps me figure out what I really need to focus on. Then, I’m always asking myself, “Can someone else handle this?” If I can pass a task to one of my employees, I do it. I try to focus on the stuff that only I can do.

Work is a big part of my life, but family and health—both physical and emotional—are super-important too. They might not always seem urgent, but they’re crucial. So I make sure to block out time in my schedule for family, hitting the gym, and going to church. It’s like making appointments with myself, and I try not to break them. It’s not always perfect, but this approach helps me keep all the plates spinning without losing my mind. It’s about finding that sweet spot between work and everything else that makes life worth living.

TRACY BOUWENS

Company: President, Freedom Enterprises
Brands: 59 Scooter’s Coffee
Years in franchising: 18

Finding work/life balance was very hard for me in the early years. I have discovered that I am far better and accomplish more when I keep that balance in check in my life. The way I am able to do that is to be very organized with my time and efficient in how we get things done. I have a notebook by my side throughout each day to write down thoughts as I go. Then when my day ends, I don’t find my mind racing with loose thoughts flowing in every direction. The notebook will be there tomorrow.

JEREMY MUSIC

Company: Franchisee, Front Porch Coffee
Brands: 16 Scooter’s Coffee, 1 Wingstop, 1 Billy Sims BBQ, 1 Jersey Mike’s (under construction)
Years in franchising: 5

Maintaining balance is easier now because when I worked full-time and did all this stuff on the side, I worked all day, all night, weekends, all the time. At least now, sure, I do work every day, but now it’s on my schedule, on my timeline. I can take my kids to doctor appointments now and don’t have to worry about a meeting coming up on my calendar.

RACHEL WALLACE

Company: Franchisee/CEO, CHF (Cup Half Full) Investments, SRW Management
Brands: 25 Subway, 3 Scooter’s Coffee open (11 total signed), 1 Best Western Plus
Years in franchising: 20

That starts with having a fiancé who appreciates your work life and even works for the company. My life doesn’t revolve around my job, but I do need people in my life who can respect what I do. That means understanding that at any given time my phone may ring or a text may come through that is work-related. It takes a special person to understand this and, luckily, I have that person in my life. He also recently came on as the director of construction for the company and has become an integral part of building the new Scooter’s buildings, as well as remodeling many of the Subways and other repair work. I have also taught my staff how to handle most every situation.

SEDRICK TURNER

Company: President/Owner-Operator, Global Midsouth Corp.
Brands: 8 Checkers (with 1 under construction), 6 Rally’s
Years in franchising: 30

Scheduling activities outside of work and taking time off for several vacations throughout the year.

ROGER WAGNER

Company: Chief Operating Officer, BRG, M2R, W2B
Brands: 20 Burger King, 12 Moe’s Southwest Grill, 5 Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Years in franchising: 31

For me, they intertwine. I may be off doing something with my kids, but I’m still able to be available and help guide people through synergistic conversations and making good decisions. With today’s technology it’s easy to balance both at the same time.

VICKI DUNN-MARSHALL

Company: CEO, VDM Management Group

Brands: 24 Little Caesars, 1 Dog Haus Biergarten 

Years in franchising: 40

When you love what you do it’s not work, it’s more like responsibilities. Balancing responsibilities is time management. I’m probably a B-student at time management. I tend to run out of day before my to-do list gets done.

TALISIN BURTON

Company: Managing Member, Burton Foods
Brands: 14 Dunkin’, 1 Baskin-Robbins, 1 Jimmy John’s
Years in franchising: 8

I would say I’m getting better at it, but you should really ask my wife. I think early on it is really hard when your business is a newborn and takes a ton of attention 24/7. As the business matures, just like any child, it requires less and less from the parent.

VIK PATEL

Brands: More than 245 across various brands: 98 Dunkin’, 64 Rent-A-Center, 38 Popeyes (with 45 by EOY), 28 RimTyme, 23 Take 5 Oil Change (with 30 by EOY), 6 American Family Care (18 more coming, with half already in the works), 2 Brass Tap Craft Beer Bar
Years in franchising: 19

On Monday through Friday, I don’t completely switch off. The reality is there are people who need me on the work front. The virtual world helps a lot, and I’m able to spend time helping with the kids as a result.

STEPHANIE MOSELEY

Company: President, Pisa Pie Enterprises
Brands: 6 Marco’s Pizza
Years in franchising: 6

That’s hard to do with running a business and working full-time. I balance everything and ensure I get at least one weekend to myself per month to recharge and reenergize.

MILO LEAKEHE

Company: Managing Partner, Imbue Capital
Brands: 3 Crumbl Cookies, 1 PayMore Store, 1 Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 1 Rolling Suds, 1 ICX call center, 1 Solve Pest Pros
Years in franchising: 6

When I’m at work, I am 100% at work. I work fast and efficiently. When I’m at home, I try to be 100% at home. It’s mostly a matter of setting up boundaries between the two and fighting off people who try to intrude on those boundaries. The most valuable part of my week is the two-hour weekly planning session where I plan and calendar my entire week.

PHILLIP SCOTTON

Company: COO, Primo Partners
Brands: 23 Ben & Jerry’s, 2 Starbucks
Years in franchising: 11

Most people see it as 50/50, but in reality, work doesn’t have a set schedule. Some weeks, the balance might be 90/10 in favor of work, but other weeks I might be able to focus on my hobbies. It is all about finding a job that you truly have a passion for and then those busy weeks feel rewarding rather than taxing.

ALEX CARNEY

Company: Vice President, TR Hospitality Group, High Plains Brew
Brands: 10 Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers (11 in August), 3 7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee
Years in franchising: 10

I’m extremely fortunate. My wife, Shelby, has embraced my work schedule, ethic, and passion for business. We look at it as give-and-take. If we can sneak out for lunch on a Tuesday, dinner on a Thursday, or a quick weekend getaway to the desert, we’ll do it at a moment’s notice. The food and beverage industry is 24/7, and I love that. I focus on being with my family when it matters and the same for my businesses.

BILL MATHIS

Company: Franchisee, Subway and Caribou Coffee
Brands: 3 Subway, 1 Caribou Coffee with 4 under construction
Years in franchising: 23

I struggle to completely separate myself from the business. When I do take a day off, I try to totally unplug and focus on other things unless an emergency arises.

FRANCHISEE BYTES

What is your greatest management challenge?

1) Finding loyalty with employees. It can be difficult finding good employees in the restaurant industry. Many people view it as a stepping-stone job instead of a career. It can also have a negative stigma with long hours and rude customers. Our goal is to hire talented and loyal employees and build a strong culture. 2) Combating inflation. The restaurant industry in particular faces rising prices on products along with increased wages for labor. Pay is becoming more competitive and we have to keep up with these changes.
—Bill Aseere, CEO, Space Cowboys Restaurant Group, 17 Donatos Pizza, 3 Guthrie’s Chicken, 2 Whit’s Frozen Custard

To keep up the growth goals I have set for myself and my team. My team is constantly pushing to open more locations, and they are the ones who are doing all the work. It takes a lot of time and diligence to find the right locations in the right market, and we are very diligent in site selection. That makes it hard to grow at the speed I would like.
—McLain Hoogland, President, Hoogland Restaurant Group, 117 Marco’s Pizza. He is Franchise Update’s 2024 Single-Brand Leadership MVP for achieving leadership with a single brand.

Ensuring that my team and my community are taken care of.
—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.

Getting our team members and legislators to understand that we are a family business.
—Harsh Ghai, CEO, Ghai Management Service, 140 Burger King, 36 Taco Bell, 28 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

To develop a team over a long period of time. It is exciting, and I enjoy it. I often say that we are not in the pizza business, but rather the people business.
—Nadeem Saleem Bajwa, CEO, Bajco Group, 207 Papa John’s

Finding people with the same level of dedication as I had when I started. The opportunities are endless. People just need to realize that.
—Karl Malchow, Owner, Renegade Pizza LLC, 5 Toppers Pizza

Effective communication with evolving work culture.
—Pathik Patel, President, VAAP Management, 16 Dunkin’, 1 Buffalo Wild Wings GO, 1 Curry Up Now

Labor and food costs.
—Steven Leibsohn, Owner, 35 Wetzel’s Pretzels, 2 food trucks, 1 Twisted by Wetzel’s

Wanting more for people than they want for themselves.
—Sam Askar, COO, Askar Brands, 75 Dunkin’, 42 Church’s Chicken, 1 Papa Romano’s, 1 Blackjack Pizza. Askar Brands is also the franchisor of Papa Romano’s, Blackjack Pizza, Papa’s Pizza To Go, and Breadeaux Pizza