Franchise Today

This week we talk about non-traditional development, more specifically, on-campus opportunities for franchise development.  If you’ve ever considered moving your restaurant, beverage, retail, or financial service into the higher education channel, then Jim Gregory is your guy. His mission is to help improve “on-campus” retail operations and choices for college students.

His company, On Campus Brands, takes a data-centric approach to on-campus retail development. His extensive database of on-campus outlets helps target those campuses where certain brands have the greatest opportunity to succeed. His years of expertise in adapting concepts to the unique needs of the on-campus market save months, if not years, of costly trial and error, for his clients. And his connectivity to the communities of campus dining management and college auxiliary services put those brands in front of the right decision makers.  

Prior to founding On Campus Brands,  Jim was responsible for the non-traditional channel at Steak n Shake restaurants. But his experience in non-traditional restaurant and retail services stretches all the way back to 1990. In fact, it was Jim that conceived the vision of bringing superior brand offerings to college campuses: brands that resonate with students and complement the unique cultures of their schools; brands that are committed to grow and support their operations in higher education. So, he spent a few months signing up "charter" clients, building the first on-campus retail database, and gathering a network of his favorite ops, design and construction folks. By then it was Fall Semester 2016 and time to go to school!

Jerrod Sessler is a retired NASCAR driver, a Stage 4 Cancer survivor, a franchisor a franchisee, and best-selling author.  He tends to dream big and then fulfill those dreams.  If he continues that trend, in 2022, he will become the Representative from Washington State's 4th District, to the United States House of Representatives.  

Immediately following high school and before attending college to earn an engineering degree, Jerrod Sessler served as a petty-officer in the United States Navy where he learned to put country and neighbor first. Ten years later, Jerrod and his wife were shocked by the news that he had stage IV cancer. Given a five percent chance to live, Jerrod switched to a plant-based diet and has been healthy ever since.

In 2004, Jerrod started HomeTask, a home service business that leverages the franchise business model to meet the home service repair needs of individuals throughout the US and Canada.  With veteran discounts for franchisees, Jerrod has been able to support veterans who have dedicated their lives and risked their futures to make America great again.His commitment to the gospel of Christ has stirred in him a passion for sharing that unlimited hope and joy with others. It has also grounded Jerrod and pushed him to be a better husband and father. Jerrod and his wife Nikki have been married for 25 years and are the proud parents of three grown children.

Mark Arum hosts the wildly popular, Afternoon Drive on Atlanta’s News & Talk.  Last week, I became his BFF.  All it took, was for me to to catch him talking about one of my favorite topics on hi show… Chicken Wings.  Yes, as you may know, since 2006, I have been the “Chairman of the National Buffalo Wing Hall of Flame.  (that’s flame as in HEAT!)  No hate mail, please. 

Each year at the National Buffalo Wing Festival, I bestow honors upon those who have made contributions to the wing’s ascent to the center of the plate.  Past inductees have included the founders of Wing Stop, Wing Zone and Buffalo Wild Wings.  In 2011, I even inducted Bill Murray, for actually inspiring the creation of the Festival, which resulted from the role he played in the 2001 movie, OSMOSIS JONES.

So, I’ve said all this, to say that when I heard Mark Arum ranting about Wing Stop opening next door to his favorite wingery, the American Deli in Atlanta, I was glued to his program and he got my call.  I hope you’ll enjoy this non-traditional episode of Franchise Today, as much as I’ve enjoyed producing it. It will be available for download, Wednesday June 2nd, @ noon EDT.

Tom Wells has only been in the franchise/private equity space for about eight or nine years, but a finer collection of mentors, guides and partners would have been difficult for him to assemble.  I'm talking the likes of: Mike Rotundo, Scott Pressly and Charles Watson, as his mentors.  The guidance provided by this group over the years, has helped to elevate Tom's core competencies in franchising, to a similar level that his BS in Finance at Boston College and MBA in Business, from Chicago’s Booth School have provided for him, in finance and enterprise.  Add eight or more years of Southeast Franchise Forum and IFA programming to the mix and today, Tom Wells stands toe-to-toe, with the best of the best in the franchise private equity space.  And, better still, he’s here right now, to tell us all about it.

In 1968, a group of Big Boy restaurant franchisees opened up RoBee's House of Beef in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Marriott acquired the restaurant with plans to expand it nationwide, however Arby's sued the chain for trademark infringement. Needing to change the name, Bob Wain, the founder of Big Boy's and a member of Marriott's Board, reached out to Roy Rogers, who at the time, happened to want to get into the chain restaurant business. And, so a deal was made.  In exchange for the use of his name and likeness, Roy Rogers would receive a licensing fee as well as payment for personal appearances at the restaurants.

The fast-food chain was booming and Roy Rogers locations were popping up everywhere, with more than 600 operating restaurants.  But, in 1990, all of that changed, when Marriott’s strategy shifted and they decided to focus solely on hotels.  As a result, they sold Roy Rogers to Imasco, which was then the parent company of Hardee's. Over time, Imasco began converting Roy Roger's Restaurants into Hardee's locations and what they didn't convert, they sold to competing brands, like Wendy's, McDonald's, and Boston Market. In the end, only about 50 Roy Rogers locations were saved.

Well, fast forward the tape and today the family of the man that actually helped pioneer the Roy Rogers Restaurant brand for Marriott in the first place, who themselves became early stage franchisees, now own the Roy Rogers Restaurant brand and are doubling down on the franchise expansion of  the brand, based on the strength of it's name, reputation and cache.  Not even a pandemic, will prevent Roy Rogers from riding again. 

Here to tell us all about it, the guy that the Plamondon family has placed back in the saddle, to redevelop and build out the franchise network, Gregg Koffler, VP of Franchise Development.

Leo Resig is the CO-Founder and CEO of Atmosphere TV, the world's largest provider of audio-optional, streaming TV services for businesses.  With more than 50 channels to choose from, there is a channel for every business and mood imaginable.  Atmosphere's TV fills the void for businesses in a world dominated by linear cable TV, better suited for at-home viewing. No cable carrier has addressed the need for TV programming that doesn't require audio or the love of sports to be enjoyed.

This week we are rejoined by one of my favorite Washington insiders, Bruce Mehlman.  Bruce heads Mehlman, Castignetti, Rosen and Thomas, a premier inside the Beltway lobbying firm, that helps Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups understand, anticipate and navigate ever-evolving policy, environment and political trends, likely to impact the global marketplace.

Bruce joins us for a look back on the projections he made during his visit in August of 2020, as well as for a look ahead.  We’ll talk about today's political landscape, 100 days into the Biden presidency and some of the many changes ahead. 

Bruce will tell us, that while things may feel very different now, as compared to the past four years, according to data, things are very much the same.  When he joined us last August, as a nation we were deep into lockdown and both our business and persosnal lives seemed very uncertain. 

His quarterly updates on political trends are widely read by business leaders and political observers across the country and have been frequently covered in leading publications, including the Washington Post, Axios, Politico, CNN, Fortune, and the Daily Caller and more recently, right here, on Franchise Today!

Clarissa Windham Bradstock had a wealth of prior experience prior to joining Any Lab Test  Now.  But, it was also her very first job in franchising.  Now, she's the CEO, has reimagined the brand significantly, greatly enhanced unit level economics as well as support, for their nearly 200 franchised locations.  What else has she accomplished?  She is the Chair Emeritus, of the Southeast Franchise Forum, the IFA's largest Franchise Business Network affiliate in Atlanta and also serves in for the Atlanta Chapter of the IFA's Women's Franchise Committee.  And, speaking of the WOmen's Franchise Committee, in Feb. 2020, they honored Clarissa as the recipient of their coveted Crystal Compass Award.  This award recognizes individuals who exemplify leadership and who have made significant contributions through their leadership, within their franchise organizations, the franchise community, or the community where they live.  Clarissa indham Bradstock checks all three of those boxes and more.

Today we are going to hear the story of a magical brand that began franchising the “first time” in 2009, with lots of sizzle and appeal.  But along with all that, came mis-queued marketing messages and less than stellar unit level economics.  Stories like that usually don't end well.  NOT SO, with  ZOOM ROOM.  Mark Van Wye is a founding partner, but he was not the CEO back then.  Nor, was he the go-to-guy, responsible for their business systems, financial disciplines, or unit level economics. 

All of that changed in 2016, when Mark took a Mulligan, buying out his partner, becoming CEO, bringing in venture capital and seizing the opportunity to do things better.  This is a great story about a magical brand.  Zoom Rooms are indoor dog training gyms with locations across the USA, with many more are on the way. Founded in 2007, they claim to have already made more than 100,000 tails wag.  Their motto too, spells it all out.  "We don't train dogs.  We train the people that love them."  

Zoom Room v 2.0, came out of the gates in 2018 and has been exploding ever since, with wildly profitable, sustainable growth.  Today, in addition to being best in class at in their core competencies, they have also become proficient, in the practice of "sensible franchising."

My guest today is Steve Jackson, President and CEO of Hungry Howie’s.  Steve, as some of you may remember, was my very first guest interview, following the COVID lock downs last spring.  We were actually just entering week 3 when he joined us to talk about the radical changes that were under way then, to assure the ability to safely continue doing business, for both his franchisees and their teams, as well as for his corporate teams, both on the franchise AND supply chain and distribution sides of his business. 

Well, it’s been just over a year since that last conversation and Steve is back today with a tale of the tape.  A look back retrospectively, as well as a look ahead.  How much has his business changed?  ow much must it continue to evolve, post COVID? 

For many of us, these times have felt more like the pages of a best-selling fiction thriller, than real life.  But this is not a book, nor is it a drill.  It’s the real deal and we all continue wrestling with the dual impacts of Corona Virus… medical and economic, as even a year later, it continues to wreak havoc on businesses, employees and customers.   

Steve Jackson has 46 years on the front lines in pizza and franchising, with more than 500 take-out and delivery restaurants in 21 states, Steve is a guy, who’d thought he’d seen it all.  But, as he will confess,  these times are different than anything he’s ever experienced, in nearly half a century in pizza and franchising.