Chicago Sam's Franchise GPS

In this episode of Chicago Sam's Franchise GPS, host Sam Stanovich sits down with Andy Freivogel, Co-Founder of Science On Call, to dive deep into solving the restaurant industry's most frustrating technology headaches. Coming straight from the hospitality trenches—from barista and fry cook to IT director—Andy breaks down how multi-unit operators and franchisees can streamline bloated tech stacks, eliminate operational friction, and protect top-line revenue.

From safeguard measures like $50 backup internet setups to evaluating AI software without falling for industry hype, this episode offers a complete blueprint for restaurant leaders looking to build reliable, high-performing tech infrastructure while keeping hospitality at the core.

Topics Covered

1. Protecting the Revenue Pipe: Why backup internet, online ordering stability, and card reader redundancies are essential to prevent lost sales.
2. Demystifying Restaurant AI: How to leverage automation for labor and operational tasks while leaving room for human discernment and review.
3. Smart Franchise Scaling: How franchisors growing from 10 to 50+ units can standardize tech infrastructure without reinventing the wheel or locking into bad vendor contracts.
4. Strategic Tech Budgeting: Where to allocate your next $5,000 in technology investment to maximize store-level impact and team adoption.
5. Hospitality-Driven IT Support: Why technical help desks need empathy, restaurant experience, and real-time responsiveness during Friday night rushes.

Key Takeaways

• Protecting Cloud-Based Revenue: With up to 70% of orders coming through digital channels, investing in a $50/month secondary internet connection is the single best insurance policy against catastrophic sales loss.
• AI Requires Human Oversight: AI tools excel at crunching data and speeding up administrative workflows, but operators must maintain human judgment to verify outputs and prevent costly mistakes.
• Standardize Before Scaling: Growing franchisors shouldn't build custom point-of-sale systems early on; standardizing widely adopted, proven tech stacks makes expansion smoother and avoids operational friction.
• Invest in System Training: Technology only delivers ROI if store-level teams know how to use it; dedicating funds to hands-on staff training unlocks hidden software features and lowers operational anxiety.
• Empathy in Tech Support: Effective restaurant IT support relies on technicians who understand store urgency and hospitality, solving issues fast so team members can focus on serving guests.

Episode Links

Connect with the Speakers on LinkedIn:

• Host: Sam Stanovich LinkedIn
• Co-Host: Justin Egan LinkedIn
• Featured Guest: Andy Freivogel LinkedIn

Connect with Craveworthy Brands / Featured Concepts:

• Craveworthy Brands Official Website
• Science On Call Official Website
• Craveworthy Brands Instagram
• Gregg Majewski LinkedIn
• Gregg Majewski Instagram

Subscribe on Audio Platforms:

• Franchise GPS on Apple Podcasts
• Franchise GPS on Spotify

Watch on YouTube:

• Craveworthy Brands YouTube Channel

In this episode of Chicago Sam's Franchise GPS, guest host Justin Egan (VP of Growth Marketing, Craveworthy Brands and Co-Founder, Wing It On!) is joined by Matt Ensero, Co-Founder & President of Wing It On!, and Robert Riddle, Regional Vice President of Operations for Fresh Brothers. Together, they break down Craveworthy Brands’ powerful co-branding strategy—bringing America’s award-winning wings and Southern California’s premier pizza under one roof.

From kitchen workflow optimizations and shared tech stacks to grassroots local community marketing, this episode offers a complete blueprint on how franchisees can maximize unit-level economics, increase Average Unit Volume (AUV), and drive higher guest frequency without overloading store staff.

• The "Game Day Trifecta": Why pizza and wings naturally complement each other without cannibalizing core revenue.
• Operational Simplicity: Streamlining complex menus to minimize kitchen bottlenecks, shared equipment, and cross-utilize staff.
• Franchise Economics & Synergy: How adding a complementary concept into a single footprint optimizes rent, labor, and startup costs.
• Local Grassroots Marketing: Building hyper-local brand awareness by engaging community heroes like police and fire departments.
• Authentic Quality Standards: Why award-winning buffalo sauces, scratch-made dough, and premium ingredients create long-term customer loyalty.

• Incremental Revenue Without Cannibalization: Adding an award-winning wing concept like Wing It On! into a pizzeria does not steal sales from the core pizza product; instead, it unlocks new dining occasions and delivers incremental top-line revenue.
• Streamlined Kitchen Execution: Successful co-branding relies on operational simplicity. By consolidating prep (such as using a single base buffalo sauce with customized spice blends) and leveraging existing kitchen profiles, operators avoid staff burnout and operational friction.
• Capital Efficiency for Franchisees: Rather than building two separate brick-and-mortar stores, co-branding allows franchisees to sell two high-demand products under one roof—sharing rent, labor, and tech stacks for a fraction of the buildout cost.
• Boot-on-the-Ground Community Marketing: To launch a virtual or co-branded concept successfully, teams must focus on local community outreach—such as sampling with local police/fire departments and train staff on active in-store upselling.
• Quality Is Uncompromised: Bringing together two best-in-class products (100% natural Wisconsin mozzarella, California tomatoes, and 11-time award-winning Buffalo sauces) ensures that neither pizza nor wing quality is sacrificed in the co-branded model.

Episode Links

Connect with the Speakers on LinkedIn:

• Host: Sam Stanovich LinkedIn
• Co-Host: Justin Egan LinkedIn
• Featured Guest: Matt Ensero LinkedIn
• Featured Guest: Robert Riddle LinkedIn

Connect with Craveworthy Brands / Featured Concepts:

• Craveworthy Brands Official Website
• Wing It On! Official Website
• Fresh Brothers Official Website
• Craveworthy Brands Instagram
• Gregg Majewski LinkedIn
• Gregg Majewski Instagram

Subscribe on Audio Platforms:

• Franchise GPS on Apple Podcasts
• Franchise GPS on Spotify

Watch on YouTube:

• Craveworthy Brands YouTube Channel

In this episode of Chicago Sam's Franchise GPS, guest host Justin Egan sits down with Alexis Gillette, Vice President of Marketing at Craveworthy Brands, to deliver a tactical masterclass on local store marketing, grand opening strategies, and unit-level restaurant growth.

Alexis leverages over 22 years of experience across retail, experience-based businesses, and major restaurant brands like Raising Cane's to break down why so many first-time operators struggle with customer acquisition—and how focusing on local community relationships outperforms digital ad spend every single time.

Key Takeaways

• Moving Beyond Digital Ads: First-time franchisees often rely too heavily on Meta ads, coupon drops, and email blasts, but the true driver of sustained restaurant sales is local store marketing (LSM) and grassroots community involvement.
• The Pre-Opening Marketing Trap: Investing paid advertising dollars before your doors are open yields a zero ROI; pre-opening efforts should focus strictly on physical signage, person-to-person networking, and local community engagement.
• Building a Local Influencer Network: Sustainable local traffic comes from embedding your restaurant into the neighborhood by partnering with "community heroes"—including local schools, teachers, first responders, and youth sports organizations.
• Demystifying National Ad Funds: A high-performing franchisor ensures national ad funds are conservatively managed and maximized for "working media" that directly drives local foot traffic rather than corporate overhead.
• Lessons from Soft Openings: Never host a major grand opening splash on day one; utilize a soft opening period to let your staff get necessary operational reps so you deliver an exceptional guest experience when the big crowd arrives.

Episode Links

Connect with the Speakers on LinkedIn:

• Series Host: Justin Egan
• Featured Guest: Alexis Gillette
• Learn More About Franchising: Craveworthy Brands Official Website

Connect with Gregg / Craveworthy Brands

• Craveworthy Brands Official Website
• Craveworthy Brands Instagram
• Gregg Majewski LinkedIn
• Gregg Majewski Instagram
• Subscribe on Audio Platforms:
• Franchise GPS on Apple Podcasts
• Franchise GPS on Spotify
• Watch on YouTube
• https://www.youtube.com/@CraveworthyBrands

"Chicago Sam" Stanovich sits down with Donovan McAdams, President of Vendita Digital, to deliver a tactical, unfiltered masterclass on modern franchise go-to-market (GTM) strategies, local store marketing, and customer acquisition.

Donovan leverages over ten years of commercial construction experience and digital strategy expertise to break down why so many franchise operators plateau—and how to build a scalable, repeatable marketing engine that converts digital scrollers into loyal, repeat customers.

Key Takeaways

• Moving Beyond AI Hype: While AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are transforming content workflows, relying strictly on automated images and generic graphic posts causes brand engagement to plateau. Today’s consumers buy into authentic human stories, relatable founder backgrounds, and brand trust—not synthetic AI claims.
• The "Circulatory System" of Marketing: Marketing fails when touchpoints are disjointed. A successful franchise funnel operates like a human circulatory system, seamlessly connecting your website, social media, local SEO, paid ad engine, and physical brick-and-mortar customer experience.
• Why Influencers Are Not a Strategy: Chasing viral 5-million-view influencer posts provides short-lived equity and often targets the wrong audience. Sustainable growth requires an evergreen, data-backed marketing engine designed specifically for your local Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
• Bridging Real Estate Data with Local Marketing: Site selection data—including heat maps, traffic drivers, local sports complexes, and co-tenancy metrics—should directly inform your local SEO, keyword strategy, and geofenced ad campaigns.
• The Media Consumption Era: Social media has shifted from personal social networking to short-form media consumption. Franchises must publish face-to-camera thought leadership, short-form video content, and clear value propositions across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Google Business Profiles.

Episode Links

• Learn More About Vendita Digital: Visit Vendita to discover marketing solutions for your restaurant franchise.
• Learn More About the Software: Visit Baizel.AI to explore trials and predictive tools designed for real estate operators.
• Corporate Umbrella: Learn about enterprise solutions at Vendita.
• Learn More About Franchising: Craveworthy Brands Official Website
• Subscribe on Audio Platforms:
• Franchise GPS on Apple Podcasts
• Franchise GPS on Spotify
• Watch on YouTube
• https://www.youtube.com/@CraveworthyBrands

Connect with the Speakers on LinkedIn:

• Series Host: Sam Stanovich
• Featured Guest: Donovan McAdams

"Chicago Sam" Stanovich sits down with Brandy McAdams, Chief Revenue Officer at Vendita AII, for an in-depth masterclass on navigating commercial real estate, site selection, and lease negotiations for franchise operators.

Commercial leases are a 5-to-10-year commitment—akin to a business marriage. Brandy reveals how modern franchise brands are abandoning manual site tours in favor of AI-powered market mapping and data analytics. Whether you are a first-time franchisee or scaling a multi-unit portfolio, this episode provides actionable tactics to protect your financial downside and secure prime fast-casual locations.

• AI-Powered Site Selection vs. Traditional Hunting: How machine learning, virtual site mapping, and traffic data replace days of driving markets and collecting paper broker fliers.
• Post-COVID Fast Casual Real Estate Trends: Why grocer-anchored centers and daily commute routes outweigh ghost kitchens, and how dedicated pickup/delivery parking impacts top-line revenue.
• Structuring the Letter of Intent (LOI): Alignment of rent structures with brand Average Unit Volume (AUV), leveraging Tenant Improvement Allowances (TI), and gray shell vs. second-generation site deliveries.
• Mitigating Personal Guarantee Exposure: Strategies for negotiating rolling or burning guarantees, capping landlord liability, and substituting higher upfront deposits to avoid passing lifetime lease liabilities to heirs.
• Critical Lease "What-If" Clauses: Essential protections regarding assignment/subletting rights, HVAC/AC maintenance thresholds, grease trap installation requirements, and storefront casualty liabilities.

Episode Links

• Learn More About the Software: Visit Baizel.AI to explore trials and predictive tools designed for real estate operators.
• Corporate Umbrella: Learn about enterprise solutions at Vendita.
• Learn More About Franchising: Craveworthy Brands Official Website
• Subscribe on Audio Platforms:
• Franchise GPS on Apple Podcasts
• Franchise GPS on Spotify
• Watch on YouTube
• https://www.youtube.com/@CraveworthyBrands

Connect with the Speakers on LinkedIn:

• Series Host: Sam Stanovich on LinkedIn
• Featured Guest: Brandy McAdams on LinkedIn

Are you blindly trusting ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude to map out your next franchise location? In this episode of Franchise GPS, host "Chicago Sam" Stanovich sits down with Doug Sullinger, tech veteran and founder of Vendita AI, to break down why open-source AI tools are actually costing you time, money, and valuable real estate deals.

Doug pulls back the curtain on how open models are only about 60% accurate and discusses the absolute danger of "garbage in, garbage out" data. Together, Sam and Doug explore how Vendita AI's tailored site analysis platform, Baizel AI, is drastically speeding up the timeline for multi-unit operators—taking an eight-month selection process down to mere minutes using highly validated, investor-quality data sets.

If you are a restaurant owner, franchisee, or commercial real estate investor trying to navigate the massive wave of AI buzzwords without losing your "gut instinct," this masterclass in data validation and predictive scoring is exactly what you need.

• The Critical Danger of Open-Source Data: Open-source AI models like ChatGPT and Claude are only about 60% accurate when it comes to real estate, creating massive operational risks because "garbage data in" inevitably leads to "garbage decisions out".
• The Speed-to-Deal Competitive Advantage: In competitive commercial real estate markets with multiple competing offers, utilizing predictive software like Baizel AI can compress an arduous eight-month site selection process down to mere minutes.
• The Power of Master Data Management & Validation: High-quality site selection requires aggregating data from multiple credible, third-party, and government sources to validate scraped web information and build an accurate, holistic data credibility score.
• Synthesizing Hard Data with Gut Instinct: True success in restaurant and franchise real estate comes from capturing a veteran operator's intuition and utilizing custom AI models to back up that "gut instinct" with predictive, investor-quality analytics.
• Software Agility in the AI Era: Specialized technology platforms built by industry experts can implement nationwide data updates—such as mapping out every brownfield site in the United States—in a matter of days rather than years.

Episode Links

• Learn More About the Software: Visit Baizel.AI to explore trials and predictive tools designed for real estate operators.
• Corporate Umbrella: Learn about enterprise solutions at Vendita.
• Learn More About Franchising: Craveworthy Brands Official Website
• Subscribe on Audio Platforms:
• Franchise GPS on Apple Podcasts
• Franchise GPS on Spotify
• Watch on YouTube
• https://www.youtube.com/@CraveworthyBrands

Connect with the Speakers on LinkedIn:

• Series Host: Sam Stanovich on LinkedIn
• Featured Guest: Doug Sullinger on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share Franchise GPS with someone in the hospitality or franchise world.

Everyone talks about franchising like it’s as simple as signing an agreement and opening a restaurant. But the real game begins the exact second you start looking for commercial real estate. One bad lease, an unreliable general contractor, a delayed permit, or a location chosen for the wrong reasons can bleed your dream business dry before you ever open your doors.

In this episode of Chicago Sam’s Franchise GPS, guest host Justin Egan of Craveworthy Brands sits down with Nick Waeltz, Senior Vice President of Construction and Real Estate for Craveworthy Brands. With over 25 years of architectural design, restaurant development, and commercial construction experience (including foundational years at Jimmy John's) , Nick pulls back the curtain on the critical mistakes first-time franchisees make and how to avoid them.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur preparing to sign your first franchise agreement, actively scouting locations, or an experienced multi-unit operator expanding your portfolio , this conversation delivers the exact blueprint needed to safeguard your capital, negotiate ironclad leases, and optimize your build-out timeline.

Key Takeaways & Mentions in This Episode

• Why the Best Sites Are Never "For Lease": Learn why driving around looking for signs in windows is a losing strategy, and why you must leverage plugged-in commercial real estate brokers to find off-market opportunities.
• The "Don't Fall in Love" Rule: Why emotional attachment to a commercial property destroys your negotiating power and how to know when walking away is your most profitable move.
• The Value of Killing a Site: Why spending thousands on up-front architectural and engineering due diligence to vet structural integrity can save you hundreds of thousands in unforeseen CapEx.
• Lease Negotiation Pitfalls: How to negotiate rent commencement dates contingent on receiving permits rather than standard timelines to avoid paying "dead rent".
• Hidden Occupancy Costs: Why focusing solely on the base rent number is dangerous, and how to accurately calculate CAM (Common Area Maintenance) fees, property taxes, and personal guarantees.
• The Restaurant Construction Matrix: Navigating the classic industry trade-off between Fast, Cheap, and Good, and how to properly vet three competing general contractor bids.
• The Hidden Killer of Profitability: Understanding "Lost Sales"—how a delayed opening of just 3 to 4 weeks can secretly cost you $80,000+ in unrecoverable revenue.

Episode Links

• Learn More About Franchising: Craveworthy Brands Official Website
• Subscribe on Audio Platforms:
• Franchise GPS on Apple Podcasts
• Franchise GPS on Spotify
• Watch on YouTube
• https://www.youtube.com/@CraveworthyBrands

Connect with the Speakers on LinkedIn:

• Guest Host: Justin Egan on LinkedIn
• Featured Guest: Nick Waeltz on LinkedIn
• Series Host: Sam Stanovich on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share Franchise GPS with someone in the hospitality or franchise world.

What does it take to grow a franchise brand without hollowing it out?

In Episode 2 of Franchise GPS, host Justin Egan sits down with Cassie Miller, Chief Marketing Officer at Craveworthy Brands, for a conversation that cuts to the heart of one of franchising's hardest problems: scaling without losing the soul.

Cassie has been in the trenches of building and expanding emerging restaurant concepts — and she's learned that the brands that survive rapid growth aren't just operationally sound. They're culturally intentional. In this episode, she shares the frameworks, leadership principles, and hard-won lessons that separate the brands people remember from the ones they forget.

What you'll take away from this episode:

• Why the strongest franchise systems are built on systems, not personalities — and why that distinction is everything
• The "flying a plane" framework for restaurant operations: why consistent processes are the only thing standing between chaos and scale
• How to protect a brand's identity when growth is pulling it in a hundred different directions
• The real role of marketing in franchise growth — and why it's about far more than ads
• What most brands get wrong when they try to scale too fast
• How culture and operations must move together — and what breaks when they don't
• Practical ways operators can deepen guest connections and build genuine community right now

This isn't theory. It's a playbook from someone who has lived it.

Whether you're a franchisee, franchisor, restaurant operator, marketer, or entrepreneur, this episode will reshape how you think about growth, culture, and what it actually means to build a brand worth believing in.

Franchise GPS — Navigate the business of franchising with the people who've already mapped the terrain.

Subscribe. Review. Share. If this episode hit home, send it to someone building something worth protecting.

Follow & Connect:

Connect with Justin Egan https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelstanovich/

Connect with Cassie Miller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassie-scholtens/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CraveworthyBrands

Website: https://craveworthybrands.com

If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share Franchise GPS with someone in the hospitality or franchise world.

Welcome to Episode 1 of Franchise GPS with Sam Stanovich — the podcast where franchise leaders, operators, and entrepreneurs share real-world strategies for building successful businesses and thriving community brands.

In this debut episode, Sam sits down with Nandini Mangroo, multi-unit franchisee of Taffer's Tavern and one of the original operators to join the Jon Taffer franchise family. From opening her first location in Alpharetta to expanding into Midtown Atlanta and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Nandini shares the practical marketing and hospitality strategies that helped turn her restaurants into true community hubs.

This conversation is packed with actionable insights for franchisees, restaurant operators, and small business owners looking to grow traffic, build loyal guests, and create unforgettable customer experiences.

Inside this episode:

• How to successfully launch a restaurant grand opening

• Why “you’re not opening a restaurant — you’re launching a community hub”

• Building local partnerships with apartments, hotels, and businesses

• Using events like the Kentucky Derby and World Cup to drive traffic

• Creating emotional connections that turn first-time guests into regulars

• Social media strategies for restaurant operators with any budget

• How to use limited-time offers and seasonal cocktails to boost engagement

• Tips for planning successful community events and promotions

• Lessons learned from promotions that didn’t work — and what operators should avoid

• Why hospitality, consistency, and intentional marketing still matter most

Whether you’re a first-time franchisee, a restaurant owner, or someone passionate about hospitality and entrepreneurship, this episode delivers practical advice you can apply immediately.

Follow & Connect:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelstanovich/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicago_sam/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CraveworthyBrands

Website: https://craveworthybrands.com

Taffer’s Tavern: https://tafferstavern.com/

If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share Franchise GPS with someone in the hospitality or franchise world.