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etired NFL linebacker Gary Brackett knows what it means to be part of a winning team. As a member of the Indianapolis Colts, he earned his Superbowl ring in 2007 after his team prevailed over the Chicago Bears. As the CEO of his own restaurant empire, the Stacked Pickle, Brackett is leading a winning team by building a strong sense of community with the franchise team and customers. “It’s their local sports bar,” Brackett explains. Though every location is sports-themed, each site takes on its own character based on that particular area’s local sports teams. This includes professional to collegiate sports and even high school and middle school teams. Proving his commitment to the community, Brackett started giveback programs for education in which 15-20% of dining proceeds are donated to area schools. “We expect our franchisees and also our general managers to be the ’mayor’ of the community,” he said. Brackett is there to support community outreach efforts, often making personal appearances in the Stacked Pickle’s 10 locations. He is aiming to expand the brand to 50 stores in the next five years with a focus on the Midwest and South. He has also been building his brand in the community by making himself visible through media interviews, book signings, podcasts, and television appearances.
“When you say that our CEO is a former Super Bowl champion, they take those phone calls, so it’s a lot easier,” he said. Franchisees will have the benefit of his fame to promote their own business, setting this opportunity apart from other potential restaurant opportunities, he explained. But what keeps customers coming back is excellent service and great food, mainly its stacked-high sandwiches and amazing fried pickles for which the restaurant is named. “There’s a fine balance using my name for notoriety to get the attention, but then it’s up to the store to drive people in and keep people coming back,” said Brackett. – Rochelle Miller For more information about franchising opportunities, visit https://buildthepickle.com or call 317-849-1648.
22 FranchiseDictionaryMagazine.com
