Franchise Interviews

We are meeting with Prakash Karamchandani (PK), the Co-founder of Balance Grille. Balance Grille, the Asian Fast Casual concept that is redefining the franchising and restaurant industries. The brand is focused on clean eating, menu transparency, authenticity, and tech innovation, setting it apart from its competitors and position itself as the rising leader of the Asian Fast Casual Category.Balance Grille has been turning heads throughout the fast-casual industry since it was founded in 2010, solving for nearly every issue facing the restaurant arena today and instead turning them into key differentiators for the brand.

Every Business Has A Story

The innovators behind this industry disruptor are co-founders Prakash Karamchandani (PK) and HoChan Jang (CJ) — two buddies-turned-business-partners. CJ handles all kitchen operations, while PK’s focus is on the business side of things, including refining kitchen efficiencies, overall customer experience, and franchising. In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

This podcast was one of our first historic shows, with Bob Goggins, VP of Franchise Development for Service Brands International, talking about the company and the particular franchise opportunities offered. Discover if this is an opportunity that is right for you.

We are meeting with Michael Kraner, founder of My Backyard Sports. Founded in 2017, My Backyard Sports has been committed to providing its clients with high-end products and services that create unmatched sports experiences at home or in the community—offering customized small, medium, and large-sized sports projects, My Backyard Sports services residential and commercial clients - including homes, schools, churches, recreation centers, condominiums, real estate developers, and businesses. The brand offers a unique and valuable concept by promoting health and staying active both physically and psychologically. We play a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast in Part Two.

Marty and Don have suggested Street Smart Franchising is a must read for anyone looking to buy a franchise.  It is now a must listen to interview!  Understand How to Run a Profitable Franchise from “Street Smart Franchising” Author Joe Matthews “Street Smart Franchising” Author Joe Matthews talks about the KASH model of success and the skills you need to have as a franchisee to be profitable.

Over a decade ago, we met with Sam Ballas, the founder of East Coast Wings + Grill. Today we are meeting with Mark Lyso, CFE, Chief Development Officer at East Coast Wings + Grill. East Coast Wings + Grill is a full-service, family dining wings franchise that spotlights buffalo wings. Guests can choose from 60 award-winning wing flavors and seven heat indexes to create over 420 combinations of Buffalo-style wings. Our secret East Coast Wings + Grill wing sauce has been a catalyst in winning the Best Hot Sauce at the National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo, NY. East Coast Wings + Grill prides itself in offering a complete dining experience by providing a warm and inviting atmosphere and a variety of menu items, including signature burgers, flatbreads, skillets, craft beer, and exceptional hospitality. Their mission is to find the best entrepreneurs to join our chicken wings franchise and stay committed to helping these franchisees succeed. In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast from entrepreneur Darren Guccione.

On this date (2/13/2009), Franchise Interviews met with the Jersey Mike’s franchise opportunity. While the brand has grown significantly, Jersey Mike’s still makes sub sandwiches the same way they have been since 1956. Here is our original interview from 14 years ago!

We are meeting with Charlie Graves, Chief Executive Officer of Athletic Republic, the pioneers in the sports training industry. Athletic Republic offers state-of-the-art training that unlocks the potential of any athlete, helping them perform at their best. Over the past 30 years, their science-based protocols and specialized equipment have helped more than two million athletes of all ages achieve their goals. The brand takes safety seriously and trains every athlete to perform at the highest level. In Part Two, we play a clip form our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

Many years ago, we created a spinoff podcast called Great Quotes in Franchising. Great Quotes in Franchising features some “aha” moments from our weekly podcast. Today’s Great Quote in Franchising comes from Tom Scarda. Tom is a franchise consultant for FranChoice and the author of The Magic of Choosing Uncertainty. Tom is excellent at providing analogies on topics like motivation and entrepreneurship. Today’s Great Quote in Franchising is called, “It Doesn’t Hurt Enough,” but we will let Tom explain this notion.

We are meeting with Joshua Malik- CEO of the Joshua Tree franchise opportunity. Since 2005, Joshua Tree has built a reputation in the Lehigh Valley & Buxmont areas as one of the most trusted names in tree services, lawn care, and pest control. From its humblest beginnings, Joshua Tree has dedicated itself to standing out from our competition with a strong focus on training and professionalism.

Every Business Has a Story

The idea of being able to climb trees for a living sounded like a dream job but starting his own business by the time he was 30 years old was still daunting.

Joshua grew the business slowly and steadily, getting all the right systems and processes for tree pruning, removal, plant health care, and other services. This systematic approach has made Joshua Tree Experts what it is today, a thriving organization with happy team members and thousands of satisfied customers.

A recognizable and tested brand with 16+ years of experience and multiple branch offices

Proven and refined systems/processes for operations, training, sales, and more

Proof of recurring revenue streams

Excellent gross profit margins across tree pruning and removal, plant health care, and other divisions

Key employee retention

Excellent client retention rates

An established and healthy network of vendors, resources, franchisees, and discount programs

In Part Two, we play a clip from Steve Beagleman from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

According to Parys et al (2023), "the deadline for filing a federal tax return is April 18, 2023. If you request a tax extension by April 18, 2023, your tax return will be due on October 16, 2023. But there's a catch — your tax bill will still be due on April 18. Getting a tax extension gives you more time to file your tax return, but it does not provide more time to pay your taxes."

PA Josh Horn once suggested there would be so many more valuable private businesses if they would redirect the time and energy used on tax avoidance into value creation. 

First, we discuss tax tips with Craig Cody. As a Certified Tax CoachTM, Craig Cody belongs to a select group of practitioners throughout the country who undergo extensive training on various tax planning techniques and strategies to become and remain certified. Craig has co-authored an Amazon bestseller, Secrets of a Tax-Free Life, with this organization. Their clients include, but are not limited to, Medical Professionals, Clothing Sourcing Businesses, and Commercial Electrical Companies. Craig answers the following questions:

What is the biggest mistake you see small business owners making regarding taxes?

How can business owners use their CPA to their Advantage?

Next, we play a clip from our interview with Tab Burkhalter: Founder and CEO of Numbers House, which specializes in helping entrepreneurs legally start their businesses, Tab will discuss the following topics on this show:

* The most common tax deductions franchise owners overlook

* You can borrow from your 401k to start a franchise, but should you?

* Financial and tax implications of opening a second franchise location

* Exit strategies for franchise owners