Franchise Today

Acceler8Success Group was formed mid-2020, building upon Acceler8Success principles and methods, all proven successful, since 2014. Between them, Founder and CEO Paul Segreto and Erik Premont, President, possess nearly six decades of practical, hands-on experience in the fields of: 

- Entrepreneur & Leadership Coaching

- Business Accelerator Consulting

- Small Business & Franchise Consulting

- Restaurant & Hospitality Consulting

- International Business Development Consulting

- Fractional C-level Management

- Commercial Development Management

- Business & Product Brokerage

- Financial Modeling & Analysis

- Commercial Real Estate Advisory

- Design & Construction Advisory

- Board Advisory

Widely recognized as industry leaders & experts, Acceler8Success Group's leadership have extensive experience as entrepreneurs in small business & restaurants, as senior-level executives within nationally recognized brands, and as franchisees within successful franchise systems. 

Paul Segreto and Erik Premont, right here, this week on Franchise Today!

I'm back next week to kick-off a great line-up of guests for this Spring Season.  C-ya then.-Stan

Best Life Brands is a family of companies focused on the well being of clients at any stage of life and includes - ComForCare, At Your Side, premier franchised providers of in-home caregiving and private-duty nursing services, CarePatrol, the nation’s largest franchised senior placement organization, Boost Home Health Care and Blue Moon Estate Sales, the leading estate sales franchise in the U.S. 

As CEO, JJ Sorrenti oversees the strategic growth of Best Life Brands. A franchising and retailing expert, J.J.has led multiple companies to award-winning results over the past 25 years. Formerly president of Safeguard Business Systems, a division of Deluxe Corporation, his experience also included serving as CEO and board member of Hollywood Tans, CEO of Huntington Learning Centers, and Senior Vice President and General Manager at General Nutrition Centers. JJ is also involved with the International Franchise Association (IFA) and sits on the board of trustees for the IFA Education Foundation.

This week I talk with Scott Gittrich, founder and CEO of TOPPERS Pizza.  Scott Gittrich delivered his first pizza in 1984 while attending the University of Illinois. He dropped out of college after only two weeks into that job to pursue a full-time pizza career. Ever since then, he’s been a “pizza guy” through and through. He loved everything about the business, from the rush of the kitchen and ingredient selection, all the way through to the satisfaction he delivered to his customers.

After years of working for Domino’s working his way up from delivery driver to director of operations for a group of franchisees, Scott’s vision was to be more bold and creative, so he opened the first Toppers in 1991 with a mission to set the standard for high-quality pizza.

Today Toppers has grown to over 70 locations nationwide by consistently giving customers exactly what they want. Our brand’s focus on innovative menu options, bold recipes and world-class technology allowed us to seize the opportunity in a previously untapped corner of the pizza market.

Now, Toppers Pizza is one of the top QSR pizza concepts nationwide. With franchisees achieving a $1,110,000+ average unit volume across the entire system, Toppers Pizza is primed for major growth, and is looking for like-minded franchisees to join their family!  Scott Gittrich joins me this week on Franchise Today to tell us all about it.

Back in 2007, Shuckin’ Shack co-Founders Matt Piccinin and Sean Cook had a craving for fresh oysters. Living in the sleepy coastal town of Carolina Beach, North Carolina, they figured it shouldn’t be too hard to find an oyster bar, right? WRONG.

Realizing they’d stumbled onto an unmet need in their local restaurant scene, Matt and Sean hatched a plan to open their own fresh oyster bar and seafood restaurant. Through cases of beer and plans scrawled on napkins, the pair’s dream materialized as a 900-square-foot monument to domestic seafood, cold beer, and laid-back fun for the locals. 

Shuckin’ Shack was an instant hit, but things didn’t really get cooking until Jonathan Weathington joined the crew in 2014 in franchise development, then quickly becoming CEO. 

Shuckin Shack features fresh, high quality seafood like you’d find in white tablecloth establishments, but in an atmosphere more like a beach shack and certainly way upstream from what you’d expect from fast food. 

 What impresses me most about this brand is it’s leader, and all the right things he’s doing to sustain the growth as he scales this brand. That’s why Jonathan Weathington is this month’s Rising Star.

Marking 62 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, last week the IFA celebrated it's Annual Convention, this year in San Diego and featured speakers that included NBA legend and franchisor, Shaquille O’Neal, Inspire Brands CEO Paul Brown, and Self Esteem Brand’s David Mortensen, along with America’s first black female combat pilot Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour, and author and workforce innovator Seth Mattison.   

I had an open mic on the convention floor and asked nearly 3 dozen industry pros to become speakers, as well.  My question?  What does IFA and it's annual Convention mean to you?  

Here's what they told me!

In the early 2000s, eight Baltimore-Washington Metro Area premier dry cleaners banded together to create a powerhouse brand: ZIPS Dry Cleaners. Together, they brought 100+ years of garment care expertise to the table. Their combined knowledge allowed them to perfect the dry-cleaning process from start to finish.  While known in franchising more for his years in food service, restaurants and hospitality, Bob Barry has actually served on the ZIPS Board, for eight years, prior to assuming the role of President and CEO for these industry disruptors.  The ZIPS difference is their passion for providing high-quality dry cleaning at unbelievably low prices. They have streamlined every part of the dry-cleaning process, from cutting costs and cleaning times to providing the best possible service and prices.  Today, they are thriving at 65 locations nationwide, with commitments in hand for another 150. Here to tell us all about it, is ZIPS President/CEO, Bob Barry.

This week I am happy to feature Katrina Mitchell, someone who seldom takes hold of the mic, or is seen center stage.  Rather, she is usually working behind the scenes, securing center stage keynote opportunities for her ever- growing roster of speakers and/or planning conferences for an expansive roster of franchise brands.  Franchise Speakers Bureau is the ONLY speakers bureau dedicated exclusively to the verticals of franchising, licensing and distribution.   

Katrina Mitchell is the Founder and Chief Matchmaker, at Franchise Speakers.  Launched in 2008, when Katrina was still a successful franchisee herself, she saw the need for a franchise industry speakers bureau that would help franchisors find the perfect speakers, trainers, facilitators, emcees and entertainers, to authentically connect with their franchisees.

At Franchise Speakers, their mission is to help franchisors create fabulous experiences for their franchisees. While their speakers do the talking, Katrina’s team are active listeners… responding quickly with carefully selected speakers/ trainers/ emcees/ or entertainer options, based on the franchisor’s desired objectives. And throughout the process, Katrina and her team, make certain that the presenter options offered for review, will connect seamlessly with the franchisor’s culture and the desired feeling, tone, and energy of the event.

Cliff Kennedy bought a frios gourmet pops franchise in 2018, and not even a year later, purchased the ENTIRE company. Why?  Because Cliff believes in magic.  You see,one fateful afternoon, Cliff was stuck in traffic as he was every afternoon in Mobile, AL, when he spotted a crowd of happy faces at a Frios Gourmet popsicle stand at the side of the road.  Next came the magic. Cliff pulled off, walked up to the stand to escape traffic for a minute, and took a bite of his future.

A Key Lime Pie frios ice pop on a stick was his choice, and it completely altered the course of Cliff’s life.  In his mind’s eye Cliff was immediately transported to a beach in Florida and away from the afternoon drive and traffic. This is the power and magic of a frios.

Cliff was so mesmerized that he called his wife and told her, “we are buying a “Popsicle” company.” Randomly buying a dessert company could sound like a crazy statement. Still, Cliff wanted in because of the moment of HAPPINESS and MAGIC that it delivered to him while being stuck in traffic.

During COVID, the company has pivoted and grown from being brick-and-mortar retail shops, to becoming a mobile fleet of tye dyed food trucks, and their franchisees the purveyors happiness on wheels.

Greg Nathan is the Founder of the Franchise Relationships Institute (FRI) and recognized as the global thought leader on the psychology of franchising. He has been a registered psychologist for 35 years and is regularly invited to deliver keynote addresses at franchise sector conferences around the world. Greg's books such as Profitable Partnerships and the Franchisor's Guide to Improving Field Visits, are regarded as essential reading for anyone who works in the franchising sector. His numerous franchising models such as the Franchise E-Factor and The Franchising Wheels of Excellence are all based on empirical research and have helped shape the way franchising is conducted around the world.

Greg has books in print around the world, in multiple languages.