Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2013 | Page 38

2013 MVP
MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy/management style: Organic growth through a
lot of new construction and searching for purchases. Since day one we have
focused on growth, building, and buying. We’ve also consciously been trying to
stay strong in our Texas and Florida markets (Dallas, Houston, and Orlando).
Greatest challenge: The larger we’ve gotten, the more exposure we have
had to legal trouble. That’s one of the reasons we now have four attorneys on
staff to help us make sure we are doing everything by the book. On the corporate level, it’s difficult to find good people who will stick with you. At the unit
level, the problem of employee retention remains. We’re always dealing with
turnover in this business.
How I give my team room to innovate and experiment: Let me
first say that we are a very operations-driven company. So within that I empower each of my brand managers to think and manage on their own. They are
encouraged to problem-solve and develop new ideas. I love when they think
innovatively and try new things. They have that freedom. However, they are
accountable and they must get results.
How close are you to operations? I’m close, but at 400 units I rely on
insight from my brand managers. But I do see the numbers every week and
visit my stores. Believe me, I keep an eye on cash flow.
What do you rely on/expect from your franchisor? It’s very imporcies, and procedures.”
As he told us late last year, remodeling units was on his front burner
for 2013. He wasn’t kidding: 40 so far
this year and dozens more to come.
And he’s always looking for places to
add or build new units. “We would
already have more units built, but we
are facing some tough going getting
building permits for the locations,”
he says. He’s also been busy traveling. The day before we spoke he had

tant to me for the franchisor to take care of the brand. We all have a lot riding
on this business. So I expect them to attract the right franchisees, support us
with marketing, and provide good operations and systems. Good management
at the top of the brand is essential. Popeyes has done a great job of managing
the brand over the past few years.
What do you need from vendors? I expect vendors to deliver the right
products, on time. That should be a given. But I also need them to watch the
dollars and be willing to talk numbers when necessary. Negotiation is important.
How is social media affecting your business? Our brands are all
experimenting with social media to varying degrees. They are putting together
and using systems that capitalize on the marketing and monitoring aspects of
social media. For our part, I hav HH\