Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue I, 2013 | Page 22

MEGA
A native of Indianapolis, Copus, who
operates 25 Hungry Howie’s in Michigan,
Indiana, and Utah, grew up in a family of
eight in a 900-square foot home, made
cozier by parents who welcomed any
neighborhood child in need of a meal
or bed. Copus learned to problem-solve
at an early age from his late father, who
taught his son not to “cry over spilt milk”
and, instead, focus on what you can do.

A native of
Indianapolis, Copus
operates 25 Hungry
Howie’s in Michigan,
Indiana, and Utah.

“His family was his wealth,” Copus
says of his father, who died 31 years
ago. “He always had a positive outlook
on everything. We would say that if a
strong wind would blow the roof off of
our home, he would look up and say, ‘It
is sunny outside.’”
His “can do” attitude has helped Copus over the years both personally and
professionally, whether it was starting his

PERSONAL
First job: Paper route, raking leaves, shoveling snow. I worked at various
pizza shops during high school and college.

opened two more stores the next year. So really this wasn’t a mistake, but it
sure felt like it for the first few years.

Formative influences/events: Grew up on the east side of Indianapolis,
a family of eight living in a 900-square-foot home with one bath. Both of my
parents spent part of their youth growing up in orphanages. My parents did not
have much, but were very giving. Our home was always open to neighbor kids
who needed a place to sleep or a meal. If we did something wrong, we would
be subjected to my father’s lectures, which were usually a lot of questions to
help us understand what we did and
how it affected the people around us.
He would make us look at our actions
from many different points of view. This
helped me develop a good skill set for
problem-solving.

Decision I wish I could do over: Sorry, but I don’t dwell on what could
have been. Always looking forward. Can’t do anything about the past.

Key accomplishments: Going to
college (Indiana University), earning a
degree in accounting and passing the
CPA exam. Being married for 30 years
and having four great children, two on
their way to medical school and two in
undergraduate schools. Most recently, I
was named Hungry Howie’s Franchisee
of the Year.
Biggest mistake: I accepted a job
as director of finance and accounting for
a $500 million company. Morale was
terrible. It took me several months for my staff to open up to me. Then one
day my boss came into my office and said that I needed to earn respect and
that I needed to fire three people. I told him that he would have to fire me.
Ultimately, I did not fire three people and he did not fire me, but about a year
later my job was eliminated. At the time, my wife was pregnant with our third
child and Southeast Michigan was in a recession. I spent 10 months looking
for a job with no luck. It was at this time that I decided to buy myself a job.
I looked at many different types of franchises and settled on Hungry Howie’s
Pizza for several reasons. I worked at pizza shops all through high school and
college. Hungry Howie’s had their “Flavored Crust” niche. I liked their products
and was a customer at the location about half a mile from my home (now I am
an owner of that store). They were the only franchisor that had me take a psychological profile test to see if I would be successful before asking me for any
money. I signed for my first store in 1990 and lost money the first year, and I

20

Multi-Unit Franchisee Is s ue I, 2013

Work week: 45 to 50 hours, usually, try to keep weekends open for family.
How do you spend a typical day? Up at 6:30 a.m. Eat breakfast (very
important) and get to the office around 8 a.m. Review prior day’s sales, labors,
and key statistics. As an accountant, I
use this information to help guide my decisions: must control food and labor costs
to make money; evaluate the effectiveness of our advertising and marketing.
Favorite fun activities: Boating,
camping, fishing, spending time with my
family, and cooking.
Exercise/workout: At least a halfhour walk daily.
Favorite tech toys: My smartphone.
What are you reading? I am a
sucker for spy novels. I just finished reading the sixth book in the Jason Bourne
series.
Best advice you ever got: Work
hard, but work smart. Don’t dwell on things that you can’t control. Don’t look
back, always look forward.
What gets you out of bed in the morning? My alarm clock.
What’s your passion in business? To enjoy what I am doing. To help
guide and develop my employees to reach their potential and achieve their
goals.
How do you balance life and work? Family is very important to me.
I will always make time for family. But I will always put in the time I think is
necessary to get my businesses on target to achieve the goals I have set.
Last vacation: 30-year wedding anniversary in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Person I’d most like to have lunch with: My father, who passed away
31 years ago.