Hagos intends to continue growing each of his brands. He’d like to ramp up to 10 Dunkin’ locations, 10 Chicken Salad Chicks, 5 Arby’s, and, wait for it… 100 Smoothie Kings. He’s a big fan of the smoothie brand and its healthy products. He’s also looking for more opportunities in real estate. “Real estate is a long-term goal for me,” he says. He owns most of the real estate where his Dunkin’ stores are located and is gradually doing the same with his Smoothie Kings. Hagos says the secret to life, and to franchising, is to be persistent. “When things get hard, just keep going. Persistence beats resistance.”
Persistence Beats Resistance From Sudan to the U.S. Army to multi-brand operator Written By KERRY PIPES
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onas Hagos spent most of his childhood in a refugee camp in Sudan. His family emigrated to the U.S. in 1992 when he was 10. In 2002, following the World Trade Center bombings in New York, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. While serving in Iraq, he was wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade and was awarded a Purple Heart. Hagos experienced more in his first couple of decades than most people do in a lifetime. Back home in the U.S., he started thinking about his future. “I knew then if I want to chase my dreams, I have to do it now because I’m not getting any younger,” says the 38-year-old today. He started his own company before deciding to purchase his first franchise in 2009, an Anytime Fitness on the outskirts of Chicago. Franchising was a perfect fit for the disciplined Army veteran. He grew fast, adding brands and building
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Multi-Unit Franchisee
the infrastructure to support his expansion. At one point he had 17 Dunkin’ locations in Illinois and Missouri. Today he has 7 Dunkin’ stores, 18 Smoothie Kings, one Arby’s, and one Chicken Salad Chick. He also has agreements to build more units with each of his brands. Hagos is a firm believer in following the franchisor’s proven process, which is one of the things that attracted him to the franchise business model. “As the franchisee, it’s important to trust the process and their decisions. It’s not Yonas’s donut shop, it’s Dunkin’.” He also believes following the process has helped him become more aligned with his brands’ corporate teams. “When you’re showing the franchisor you’re doing everything right, they are open to hearing your ideas,” he says. “The leadership team is willing to listen.” ISSUE 1, 2021
PERSONAL First job: McDonald’s at the age of 14. Formative inf luences/events: I spent most of my childhood in a refugee camp in Sudan before coming to the United States when I was 10 years old. My parents always told me when you come to America, it’s the land of opportunity. It was instilled in me early on if you work hard, you can make it. The other formative influence/event was coming back wounded from Iraq. I had that military discipline and understood life is short. I knew then that if I want to chase my dreams, I have to do it now because I’m not getting any younger. Key accomplishments: Opening my first Dunkin’ was a milestone for me. From there, the transition to becoming a multibrand and multi-unit franchise owner. Of course, becoming a father was a huge accomplishment and a blessing for me, too. In fact, 2013 was a big year: opening my first Dunkin’ and welcoming my son into this world a few days later. Biggest current challenge: Trying my best to operate through Covid-19 right now. I’m blessed to have a solid staff in place and nine locations with drive-thrus. Even when the stores are doing well, it’s vital to keep everyone healthy, from the employees to the customers. It can be very challenging. It’s the uncertainty of not knowing when this will be over with. Next big goal: I gave myself a 5-year goal. I’d like to be at 10 Dunkin’ locations, unless some great opportunity arises to do something different. I could see myself having 100 Smoothie Kings, maybe 10 Chicken Salad Chicks, and 5 Arby’s. I want to focus more on real estate. I do own a few properties, that’s huge for me. Real estate’s a long-term goal for me. I own most of the properties my Dunkin’s sit on, and I’m
