franchisor in depth: Wings and Rings CEO Nader Masadeh
IT’S IN MY BLOOD As someone raised in a family of restaurateurs and owners, “ I always knew I was a natural fit for the foodservice industry. I worked my way up from dishwashing to later helping my father run a Wings and Rings location. evolving what customers already love about us, I’m a big fan of the franchising industry because we are able to focus on the profitability of our franchisees and help people achieve their dreams of business ownership.
Why Wings and Rings is a Franchisee-First Organization
Masadeh discusses how he came to join the sports restaurant and bar franchise, how he’s helped guide the brand throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and more. As someone raised in a family of restaurateurs and owners, I always knew I was a natural fit for the foodservice industry. I worked my way up from dishwashing to later helping my father run a Wings and Rings location. After earning a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Cincinnati and a master’s of business administration in international business and negotiations from Xavier University, I joined the Wings and Rings corporate team in 2005. Since then, I’ve spent the past 16 years working to develop a fast-growing, club-level sports restaurant and bar franchise with more than 85 units globally. Today, as the CEO of Wings and Rings, I help guide the corporate team and lay the framework to continue growing and improving the brand. In addition to 52 Franchising MAGAZINE USA
Since day one, we have continued to refine our franchise model and enhance our mission to provide an unmatched club level, elevated sports restaurant and bar experience at Wings and Rings. For example, I participated on CBS’s Undercover Boss a few years ago, which proved to be an extremely valuable experience to further our company’s vision and make sure that the Wings and Rings experience is second-to-none throughout the system. Not only did the appearance boost brand awareness and systemwide sales, but I also learned several lessons throughout the experience that I’ve been able to utilize to better optimize our business model. For example, I realized that a lot of times, the things we hope to see in our employees—like passion, charisma, loyalty and hospitality—sometimes get lost in translation as they trickle down the management ladder. That is why, when you have someone who embodies what the company stands for, you have to hang on to them. It’s important to focus on longevity and a low turnover rate by creating a safe environment and a culture that inspires personal and professional growth. As a franchisor, Wings and Rings has always strived to ensure owners felt as though they had a voice in the overall trajectory of the brand. That is why we
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created a franchise advisory council, for example, which is a group of franchise owners who review topics and go over what the company is working on every month. They then give the corporate team feedback from the franchisee perspective. This ensures that franchisees can feel confident that their voices are being heard and that they are having a direct impact on corporate decisions. In that way, the franchisees aren’t the only ones who benefit from the council — the corporate team relies heavily on its network of franchisees to advance the brand. As we continue to grow across the country, our franchisees are the eyes and ears of the operations. Having a unified franchise advisory council that can speak on behalf of all of our franchisees is an invaluable resource in ensuring we grow the right way and position all of our incoming and existing owners for success. It was especially helpful to have their insight and guidance during the pandemic when the restaurant industry was constantly changing.
How Wings and Rings Has Continued to Thrive Over the Past Year Now, in these tumultuous times, we’ve continued to do all we can to support our franchisees and continue to grow the brand. For example, our new restaurant model (called G4), launched in Greater Cincinnati in September 2021, and is designed to meet evolving customers preferences and includes a reimagined dining room and patio and additions to the brand’s existing take-out and valet drive-thru model. With this new restaurant model, we’re creating an
