Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2014 | Page 24

2014 MVP AWARDS
BY DEBBIE SELINSKY

Man of Many Hats
Former NFL pro thrives with lots of balls in the air

W

hen you look at the life and career of multi-unit
franchisee Don Davey, you’ll notice a pattern.
From professional football (he was an NFL
defensive tackle for 10 years) to his 20-unit
ownership of Firehouse Subs franchises to the six Ironman
competitions he’s completed, everything requires discipline,
tenacity, focus, and a competitive nature.
Sound tough? Not to Davey, who was named the IFA’s
2013 Franchisee of the Year. In fact, he eats it up. “As an
entrepreneur, I love being completely responsible for both
our successes and our failures. It’s stressful, but extremely
rewarding,” he says.
“Some people look at my life as hectic and chaotic,” says
Davey, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“But I thrive with lots of balls in the air. I guess you could
say I’m opportunistic.” Two more balls Davey is juggling
successfully: he founded an investment firm that manages
more than $150 million, and he is involved with the NFL’s
Player Engagement program.
One example of Davey taking advantage of an opportunity was signing on with Firehouse Subs. “My [Jacksonville]
Jaguar teammates and I had been eating at Firehouse several times a week because we loved the food. I got to know
Robin and Chris Sorensen there. At first they weren’t sure
they were going to make it, but I stayed close to them and
watched them grow over the years. By the time I retired
from football, they were selling franchises. My wife Kristen
said, ‘You eat there so much, you might as well own one.’ So
I decided to carve out Orlando.”
The father of five daughters praises the Sorensons, the
firefighter brothers who founded Firehouse Subs, for their
great family values. “They treat their employees and franNAME: Don Davey
TITLE: Owner/CEO, DKSS Subs (Florida), Badger

Development Group (Wisconsin area developer),
and Badger Restaurant Group (Wisconsin franchises)

NO. OF UNITS: 20 Firehouse Subs
AGE: 46
FAMILY: Married to high school sweetheart Kristen; 5

daughters: Livy, Carly, Kuki, Chloe, and Kasey

YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 12
YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION: 12

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MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE III, 2014