Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue II, 2012 | Page 21

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B R A N D

By Kerry Pipes

In Love with Franchising
Following his muse to a successful career

A

fter earning a degree in computer
science from the University of
Delaware, Craig Colby set up his
own consulting and programming business for the first decade of his
career. He was successful, but he didn’t
enjoy it. In fact, he says he dreaded going to work every Monday.
“It became just a job and I didn’t like
my life much then,” says the 48-year-old
today. Colby says he realized that loving
his work was an important objective for
both his career and his quality of life. “I
believe in a person doing what they love
to do. I love food and restaurants, so I
made it my business.”
His first “love affair” was with Burger
King where he—along with his twin
brother—built a system of 15 units before selling them. Today, he operates four
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and four
Così restaurants in southern New Jersey
and Delaware. The expansion-minded
Colby recently signed a development
agreement with Tio Juan’s Margaritas
Mexican restaurants for 5 locations in
5 years, with the first scheduled to open
in Wilmington, Del.
Colby says he spends about 75 percent
of his time in development these days,
but still makes time to visit his restaurants when he can. You might even find
him working the front counter. “I like
to help once in a while to stay in touch
with the team and guests. I actually enjoy
running a register—and I’m very good
at it since I do all the programming.”
By the end of this year, Colby plans
to have added three Margaritas and another Red Robin to his growing portfolio. “This should effectively double our
company’s revenues or better,” he says.

Multi-Unit Franchisee Is s u e II, 2012



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