Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue I, 2016 | Page 19

Spae. “There is a uniqueness about that experience that I think provides a perspective
that maybe a lot of franchisees don’t have.”
So why get back in the game, and why
Vasari? “The combination of being able to
work with a number of talented people and
create something special was important—
and I also loved the brand,” he says. “I felt
strongly that if we moved the company in
the right direction we had an opportunity
with an iconic brand to do great things—
and we have.”
Along the way, Spae has learned from
some of the best, including Dave Thomas,
whom Spae met while working as a division

vice president at Wendy’s. “I was so enamored by him and his approach to business,”
says Spae, who would often drive Thomas
around to restaurants when the founder
stopped in Texas to visit his daughter and
grandchildren. “He was so focused on high
quality and taking care of the guest and
the employee. He would say, ‘We have to
make sure people do things right, but we
have got to be nice.’ That made a huge
impression on me.”
Spae’s time with Dan Scoggin, founder
of TGI Fridays, offered up an industry crash
course as he took on roles in management,
training, and then, as the company’s young-

MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy: Let your eagles fly. You have to be able to hire people
who have the desire, who have passion. If you’re not passionate about your
brand, then why are you here? You can train the skill and develop it, but people
have to want to do it. It’s about the ability to give folks the leeway to grow and
excel in what they do, and guide them along the way. You have to provide continuous development for there to be continuous progression in what they do. So
it’s providing the resources and ability for them to grow, and then it’s up to them
to apply that and accomplish what they need to.
Management method or style: As an up-and-comer, you often don’t listen
to anyone—you do your own thing and that is how you make mistakes. Having
people I have worked for sit me down and say, “All I want you to do is listen” and
teach me how to listen has allowed me to develop a management style where I
spend more time listening to folks than talking to them. By listening you learn a
great deal more than when you are talking.
How do others describe you? (Laughs.) I don’t have a clue. The other day
someone posed a similar question to me of, “What would you like to see on your
tombstone?” I told them that if people can say that I was great husband, dad,
granddad, colleague, and friend, then I know I lived a good life.
One thing I’m looking to do better: Anybody who tells you they’re not
looking to grow their sales isn’t being honest. With all of the changes that took
place in 2014—commodity cost increases, Affordable Care Act changes—it’s
a challenge to improve your margins on a regular basis. So we need to be more
creative and innovative to accomplish our goals. We’re still making those adjustments to grow sales. Operations is always number one, so we’ll continue to focus
on that. We intend to make operations a big focus in 2016.
How I give my team room to innovate and experiment: First of
all, you have to set the right goals. If you’re in a struggling situation, it’s harder
because people under stress tend to want to hunker down. So you have to keep
things light. We have Taco Friday in the office once a month and talk about what’s
going on inside the business. It’s important to also recognize performance. We
give pins to our folks in the field for doing the right things. It’s recognition that
they’ve been doing something really well and rewarding them. There is a tendency in business, unfortunately, to focus on the negative. We should be focused
on the things that are being done right as well. That inspires people to be better
at what they do, rather than being fearful and causing stress, which never leads to
success. It’s important to lighten up some, and that creates a culture and environ-

ment for innovation and experimentation.
How close are you to operations? The greatest joy for me is going in the
restaurants. I tell my folks at the office all the time, “We don’t make money here,
we spend money. Money is made in the field.” We have to do whatever we can
to support them and help them to take care of our guests, and then we have to
be smart about how we spend that money.
What are the two most important things you rely on from your
franchisor? We are new to the Dairy Queen business, so we rely on their advice
and counsel. They have been terrific. Dairy Queen corporate provides the best
support to franchisees that I’ve seen in my career. I’ve told them that, and I tell
others that too. Whether it’s advice and counsel on real estate, food, and any
other area, they provide enormous support. They’re always there and available
by phone. I feel great about our level of support from the corporate team, and
also from our Texas advisory council. They are extremely supportive, and for new
people like us these are [