The 10 Best Food Franchises to Open in 2020 December2020

Lori O’Brien

Frank O'Brien

EDITOR’S DESK

Evenasthefranchisemodelhasalmost expandedintomaximumindustriespossible, foodfranchiseremainsthebiggestandoneof therapidlygrowingindustriesinthefranchiseworld. Therearevarioustypesofbusinessformatfranchises, butwhenonethinksofafranchisebusiness,theirfirst thoughtisaboutafoodfranchise.

Thegrowthandsuccessofthemanyreputedfood franchisessetsthestandardfortheup-and-coming franchises.Manyfoodfranchiseesdrawinspiration fromsuchsuccessfulandreputedfranchises,andthey areabletocreatetheirownfoodfranchisebusiness basedonthatinspiration.

Therelativelyhighlevelofstatusassociatedwithfood franchisebusinessisimportantforprospective franchisees.Whenoptingforrestaurantfranchises, oneshouldfocusonthecharacteristicsofthebusiness fromafranchisee’sperspective.Thereisaplethoraof advantagestohavingafoodfranchisebusiness,but therearealsofewchallengesoneneedsto acknowledgebeforeenteringinthisindustry.

Alongwithmanyadvantagesthatafoodfranchise offersonealsoneedstobeawareofhighinitial investment,laborchallenges,andgoodquality infrastructuretobuildafairfoodfranchisebusiness. Foodfranchiseisoneofthemostendurablefranchise

industries.Whilerunningarestaurantmaybechallenging, thereisareasonvariousbrandshaveearnedareputation andarethefirstchoiceofthepeoplesincemanyyears. Theyhaveatrackrecordofsuccess.Observationofsuch goodfoodfranchisescanbeastandardonecanchooseof followtocreateone’sownbrand.Suchfoodfranchisesare wellawareofhowtoearnloyalty,trust,faithfulness,and theyknowhowtoadapttothechangingtimestokeepthat loyaltystrongevenintoughsituations.

Mostofthediningrestaurantswereclosedinresponseto thecovid-19pandemic,somefoodfranchisorschosetorise totheoccasion,quicklyfindinginnovativewaystocontinue servingcustomersandcommunitiesdespiteobstaclesand helptheirfranchiseestosurviveand,inmostcases,even thrive.Goodqualityfoodfranchiseisjudgedbyitsability torespondmorecleverlyandcontinueprovidingservices evenamidstchallenges.Thetestofagoodfoodfranchiseis itsabilitytorespondwelltothetoughesttimesandstand thetestoftime.

InthiseditiontitledThe10BestFoodFranchisestoOpen in2020,wecelebratethe,qualityservice,aesthetics,and resilienceofqualityfoodfranchisesandabouttheir wonderfulofferings.

Thesefoodfranchisesarebuiltonthefoundationofthe certainparameterssuchasaffordablecostsandfees, offeringsupporttofranchisees,adequatesizeandgrowth,

nutritionquality,brandstrength,balanceddiet,financial strength,overallstability,withtheaimofofferingquality service.Therearetremendousbusinessopportunitiesinthe foodfranchisebusinessifoneisattentiveenoughtoseeit withappropriateperspective.

Thefoodfranchisebusinesscancertainlybeveryrewarding toentrepreneurswhohavetheexemplaryblendofskills, competence,andaptitudetomakethisbusinesswork,and theoperatorsofthesefoodfranchisesareamongthemost respectedinalloffranchisingbecauseoftheirsuccess. Thiseditionalsocomprisesofinsightfularticlesthatshed lightonthecurrentmarketscenarioonfoodfranchising, pennedbyindustryexpertsaswellasourin-houseeditorial team.

Sajeev abhishaj@insightssuccess

Abhishaj

Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar Anish Miller Senior Editor Kelly, Jenny Business Development Executives

Assisting Editors Darshan Parmar

Ofce

DaddyO’Brien’s IrishIceCreamPub daddyosicecream.com

Dickey’sBarbecue PitMasterFranchise dickeys.com

FrankO’Brien& LoriO’Brien Co-founders

LauraReaDicke CEO

DRUXY’SFamous Delidruxys.com

HueyMagoo’s ChickenTenders hueymagoos.com

Mr.Sticky’s mrstickys.net

NothingBundtCakes nothingbundtcakes.com

PeterDruxerman VPMarketing

AndyHoward President&CEO

MarcyPoorman Owner

KyleSmith CEO

Qdoba qdoba.com

KeithGuilbault CEO

SlimChickens slimchickens.com

St-HubertExpress st-hubert.com

TheChoppedLeaf choppedleaf.ca

Franchises

TomGordon CEO

RichardScofield President BlairStevens Founder& BrandPresident

DaddyO’Brien’sIrishIceCreamPuboffersawardwinning handcraftedicecream.Theyalsofeaturealineofadultalcoholinfusedicecream.DaddyO’salsomakesalineofproteinice creamthatisperfectforfitnessenthusiastsanddieters.

Dickey’sBarbecuePitisoneoftheworld’slargestandfastest growingbarbecuefranchise.TheDallas-basedfamily-run barbecuefranchiseoffersseveralslow-smokedmeatsand wholesomesides,andservesLegit.Texas.Barbecue.™

Druxy’sisaCanadianchainofquickservicedelicatessen restaurantswith48locationsacrossthecountry Theyoffera wideselectionofsandwichesmadewithvariousmeatsonan assortmentofbreads.

HueyMagoo’s,the Orlando,Florida-basedrestaurant isoneof thefastestgrowingfranchisechainswiththeprimaryfocusof craftingtheperfectchickentenders.

Mr.Sticky’scompletebakeryonwheels isanquickly emergingfastfoodchainswhichprovidesoutoftheworld buns,rolls,soups,saladandmuchmore.

NothingBundtCakesisavastchainofbakeriesthatfeature handcraftedBundtCakesmadewiththefinestingredientsand availableinavarietyofsizesandclassicflavors.

QdobaMexicanEatsisaMexicanrestaurantandcaterer offeringcustomizableflavorfulfood.Addquesoandguacfor freeonanyentrée,andyou'regoodtogo!

SlimChickensisafast,casualrestaurantchainwhich specializesinchickentendersandwings.AsofFebruary,2020, SlimChickens has69franchises.

St-HubertExpressisachainofCanadiancasualdining restaurantsbestknownforitsrotisseriechicken.Withquick andefficienttake-outservice,St-HubertExpressrotisseries featurewelcoming,moderndiningrooms.

TheChoppedLeafisanemergingandrapidlyexpanding restaurantchainsthatprovidesdelicious,handcraftedmeals servedfreshandquickfora healthybetterfoodexperience.

Daddy O’Brien’s Irish Ice Cream

Pub

A Magical Dining Experience for Everyone

WedreamtomakeAtlanta&the restoftheworldabetterplace throughgreatfood,awonderful atmosphere,andgourmetand alcohol-infusedicecream.

Lori O’Brien

Dining-outisn’tjustaboutthe food,itsanexperience.

Friends,families,andeven co-workerslovetospendsometime togetherafteratiringdaytorelaxand justenjoyeachother’scompanyand somegoodfood.Andyes,nodiningis completewithoutsomedessertthat addsasweetnotetowardstheend.

Speakingofdesserts,whilethereare amazingrecipesthatareeitherregionspecificorsuitaparticulartaste-bud, thereareafewwhicharedevoured acrosstheglobeandwithoutbarriers. Ice-creamsorFrozenDessertsareone ofthoserecipeswithunrivaled popularity.Seldomdowecomeacross someonewhodoesn’tenjoyanicecreaminoneformoranother—saya sorbet,gelato,orevenfrozenyogurt.

Enchantingyounganoldwiththeir color,texture,andaplethoraofflavors, ice-creamshavealsobeenafavorite amonghomecooksandchefsalike wholoveexperimenting.Whilesome

oftheexperimentsturnintotheflavor oftheseason,someletusknowwhat anice-creamshouldnottastelike.

ForpeopleinMetroAtlanta,whenit comestochoosingtheirfavorite flavors,oneofthemhastobeamong thoseservedatDaddyO’Brien’sIrish IceCreamPub.Itsnotjustyour regulareverydayicecreamthatyou’ll findatthisplace.Thesecretofthisice-

creampub’spopularityishowithas perfectedtheartof alcoholic ice cream

Manyhavetriedbutnonehave succeededincreatinganinsanely deliciousalcohol-infusedicecream productasDaddyO’Brien’s,whichhas becomethealcohol-infusedicecream destinationhotspotinMetroAtlanta.

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AtDaddy O'Brien's everything ismade freshperorder.

Fromabasementtopeople’sfavorite FrankO’Brien,akaDaddyO,began creatingalcoholicicecreaminhis basementin2014.Hiswifeand entrepreneur,LoriakaMommyO,who lovestocreatesuccessfulbusinesses fromnothing,recognizedhisunique talentandstartedsellingtheirice creamfromacartatfestivals,food trucknights,andcorporateevents.

Theyinstantlybecamethemost popularboothwithneverendinglines oficecreamfans.Everyonewhotasted theiricecreamcreationsasked “Where’syourstore?”Peoplewere soonshowingupattheirfrontdoorto buyicecream.Itsoonbecameevident

thattheyneededabrickandmortar storetocatertotheever-growing demand.Soin2017,theyopeneda restaurant/pub/barlour inSugarHill, GA.

CelebrateLifeatDaddyO’

TheconceptofanIrishIceCreamPub wascreatedoutofthemindsofthis couplethathasbeentogethersince highschool,andistotallyunique. FrankO’Briendescribesthe atmosphereas,“To walk into our store is like walking into Ireland. It has a dark wood bar with stained glass windows, ornate black granite and bar ceiling, Jack Daniel whiskey barrel hi-tops, Church pews for booths, deep red and green walls, a stone fireplace and curtains on the windows. It has a magical and homely feeling with

leprechauns and lots of Irish decors. And the smell of the waffle cones in the air is like heaven! Daddy O’Brien’s is where friends meet, stories are shared and ice cream memories are made.”

Everydemographicis welcomedandtreatedlike familyatDaddyO’Brien’s. Sincehalfofthepub’s flavorsareFamily-friendly, thekidsarealwaysapartof themix.Folkscomefora nightout,datenight,family night,lunchmeetings,after sportsgames,fundraisers, andeverythingelseworth celebrating.Theplacecan alsobereservedforevents, birthdayparties,andmore. ExcitingofferslikehalfpricedBeerandWinedays andweeklyflavorsaddtothe funandoverallexperience.

Theicecream-onlymodel offershomemadeadultand family-friendlyicecreamcreations, sundaes,BelgianWaffles,Poffertjes (miniDutchpancakes),shakes,adult shakesandslushies,beer,wine,and cocktails.Therestaurantmenualso includeshomemadeSoups,Shepherd’s Pie,BangersandMash,andseveral Paninisandwiches.

WinningmorethanjustHearts

Afterjustafewmonthsoficecream making,DaddyOattendedhisfirst NationalIceCreamRetailers Association(NICRA)conventionand walkedawaywithhisfirstnational awardforcreatingKentuckySalted Caramelinoneoftheircompetitions. Thenextyear,2015,hecameaway rd with3 placeforhisIrishPistachioand HonorableMentionforhisT.A.C.O.

flavor(TamarindApricotCoconut)alongwithmultiple blueandredribbonsforotherflavors.

st In2016hehitthemother-loadbywinning1 placein theBestFlavoroftheYearcompetitionwithhisButter Beerflavor Andin2018hewasawardedthecoveted titleofGrandMasterIceCreammaker.

GettingMoreMagiciansOn-Board

Everydayortheother,someonewouldcomeuptothe couplesaying“I wish there was a Daddy O’Brien’s in my city.” Thisgavethemtheideaofexpansion throughfranchisees.

“For those entrepreneurs looking to get in on the ground floor of a hot new concept, Daddy O’Brien’s Irish Ice Cream Pub is an exciting opportunity. Just one taste of DaddyO’s homemade ice cream creations and you will want to get in on this ‘Cold Gold’,” says Frank.Thisisanewnichemarketandpeopleare alreadyshowinginterest,benefitingboththebrandand theentrepreneurs.

DaddyO’Brienassistsfranchiseestochoosetoopen

anicecreamonlymodelorafull-serviceIrish Pub/Restaurantmodel. “If I had a location in a great tourist area or a bustling downtown or live/work/play complex with lots of daily/nightly foot traffic, I would do just the ice cream model,” explainsLori. “If I were in a high traffic location, but worried about seasonality, then I’d go with the full-service restaurant. Obviously, the restaurant is a heftier build-out and staff load.”

Onceentrepreneursfindanapprovedlocation, theyjustneedtoduplicatethelookinthenew build-out.TeamDaddyO’Brien’strainsthem onmakingtheicecreamrecipessothatthe icecreamtheysellismadein-housewhichis thegreatestsellingpointforthefranchise.

“Even though this is a high-end product and should be sold in upper/middle-class areas, there is great earning potential. Alcoholic ice cream is a niche market that is not going away. Daddy O'Brien’s offers a superiorhigh-quality product. Your location will be the destination spot of your metro area,” Frankexpresses.

Digital Transformation

Theworldhasgonedigital,andthere'sno returning.Nearlyeverybodyusesamobile phonenowadayswhichassiststhem consistentlytohelpdecide,discoverbrandsto purchasefromorgetfamiliarwithanitem.

Today,theorganizationsthatarereadytoutilize technologyandre-evaluatetheirplanofactionfor thefuturebyoptimizingdigitaltransformation, willbeonesinfrontoftheircompetition.While thismaylooklikegreatchange,butitpresents somenovelchallengesfororganizations.Herewe shareprobablythegreatestchallengesfacedbythe ever-evolvingdigitalworldandgiveawayahead toeach.

#1Challenge TheChangingCustomerExperience

Weliveinanexperientialeconomy.Likenever before,clientsupholdhowtheyexperiencebrands. Thatstretchesouttobothontheweb(online)and offlinestores,justassocialmediaorother potentialtouchpointsalongtheway.Furthermore, mostorganizationsagreethatclientassistancewill besimplythekeywaythattheyseparatefromtheir rivals.

ormation

ChallengesintheTimeofCrisis

Thewaytochangeistobuildingaclientexperiencefrom thebaseup.Yourobjectiveoughttobetozeroinonclient ventures.Ifyouenhancethetouchpointsalongthis excursionratherthanonlyattemptingtowindeals,atthat pointyou’llhaveasuperiorpotentialforsuccessatkeeping clientsaroundlonger Thisgivesthechancetoimprove dealsandmaintenance,whichmeansstabledevelopmentin theyearstocome.

It’slikewiseimperativetoconsiderwhatwecallthe “specialtyoftheclientexperience.”Thisexpectsyouto investigateyourpresentnearness,anddiscoverapproaches tosurveythedegreeofdelightineveryclient’s understanding.

#2Challenge

EmployeePushback

Peopleareoneofthemainstaysofthebusiness.Youcan’t achieveyourobjectiveswithoutthehelpofthewhole organization.Thesupersedingworryformostorganizations consideringadigitalpushisemployeeadoptionandhowit willaffecttheorganization’swayoflifeandhierarchical structure.Hugenumbersofyour“privilegedfew”of employeemayfeelthattheiractivityiscompromisedby thesechanges,whichwon’tbeusefulforassuranceor efficiency.

Additionally,there’sanoteworthyabilitygapwithregards tofinishingthekindofprogressthatmostorganizations need.Thehandypeopleareasofnowbusywithotherbasic assignments,andcan’tbesavedtofueldigitalortrain others.

Incaseyouneedtomakeanorganizationculturethatlimits representativepushbackandspotlightsonbeingagile,you havetofabricateaclient-drivenculture.

Choosetoworkonthesethreeessentialfields:

Customeradministration

Employeepreparationandimprovement

Culture

#3Challenge

OmnichannelAdaptation

Nowadays,clientsbouncefromchanneltochannelwhen makingapurchase.They’lllookonyoursite,searchfrom cellphones,orevenstopbyyourstorejusttopurchase onlinelater.Thatimpliesextendingyourbusinessbyselling oncommercialcenters,yoursite,andthroughotherdigital

methods.What’smore,itadditionallyimpliesthatyouhave tobuildupawideassortmentofchannelsforhelp,and afterwardembraceaclientcommitmentframeworkthat takesintoaccountomnichannelselling.

#4Challenge PoorAnalytics

53%ofpresentdayorganizationsaredisappointedwith theirexaminationcapacities.There’smoreinformationto gatherthananytimeinrecentmemory,andneglectingto gaugethecorrectonescouldendinadisaster.

ImplementAItechnologiestohelpimprovedatacollection andpersonalizationendeavors.AIandchatbotsareasof nowchangingthewayinwhichorganizationscrunch informationandcustomizediscussionswithclients,andit won'tbelonguntilthistrainingisinescapable.

It’sasyetworthproceedingcautiouslyintoAI,however youhavetobeginlookinginthenearfuture.Better analyticsimpliesbetterdecisionmaking,andtheestimation ofthatcan’tbedownplayed.

#5Challenge

LegacyBusinessModels

Yourbusinessdependsonaproductandrulesthathave permittedittosurvivetothepresent.Inanycase,nowand again,thatlegacycanweightevenmorethananasset. Gettingfreefromyourlegacyframeworkattheopportune timeisbasictobuildingyourselfupinthisdigitalworld. What'smore,mostadvertisersfeelthatlegacyframeworks areasofnowhamstringingclientexperienceendeavors.

There’snoone-size-fits-allanswerforthislegacyissue.It willrequiredevelopment,aneagernesstoacknowledgethe danger,andagreatdealofhardwork.Trynottoletthe narrativeofyourbusinessendwithaninabilitytochange.

Conclusion

Thedigitalworldwillconsistentlybechangingand developing,andit’sdependentuponyoutochangewithit. Trynottoletthechallengesyourbusinessfacesintoday’s digitalworldbecomeoffbeatdetours.Rather,facethem headonandfindinnovativesolutionswhichwillfuel accomplishmentforaconsiderablelengthoftimetocome.

Blair Stevens

Founder & Brand President

AN ULTIMATE DESTINATION FOR WHOLESOME & DELICIOUS MEALS

Foodplaysakeyroleinlivinga balancedandfulfilledlifeand flavourshouldnotbesacrificed whenfuelingon-the-go,believesThe ChoppedLeaf,aleadingrestaurant brand.Foundedin2009,TheChopped Leafisanemergingfreshcasual lifestyleconceptthatprovides delicious,handcraftedmealsserved fresh&quickforahealthy,better-foryoufoodexperience.

BornontheshoresofOkanaganLake inKelowna,BC,TheChoppedLeafis expandingitsreachacrossCanadaand theU.S.withonegoalinmind:to makeyoufeelgoodafteryoueat.Its chefdesignedmenuisalwaysmade usingfreshingredientswithbold, wholesomeanddeliciousflavours.

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INTERVIEW WITH INSIGHTS

InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess, BlairStevens,theFounderand BrandPresidentoftherestaurant, shareshisvaluableinsightsonhow TheChoppedLeafisserving wholesomeanddeliciousmealsfor everyone.

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Briefusaboutthesourceof inspirationtobeinthefood industry.

Iandmywife,Karla,soughttocreatea quick-servefoodspotthatwould featurefreshsalads,whichwere alwaysintegraltoourlifestyleandway oflife.

Weknewwehadtoputamenu togetherthatwaswell-fitforthe Canadianmarket.Thechallengeback thenwasthisperceptionthat‘healthy’ waslinkedtopoor-tasting.ButI’ve seenthischange;they’realotmore peopleeducatedaboutthebenefitsof eatinggreens–andthattheycan actuallyfulfilyourtastebudsaswell.

Briefusaboutyourofferings.

TheChoppedLeafcelebratespeople’s uniquedietaryneedsandoffers somethingforeveryone.Fromvegan andvegetarian,tokidfriendlyand gluten-freeoptions,ourfreshand customizablesalads,bowls,wrapsand soupshavebeendesignedwithyouin mind.Dishesareelevatedwith ChoppedLeafSignaturedressings, createdespeciallyfortheirbrandand cannotbefoundanywhereelse.

Whatarethekeypointsthatyou considerwhilechoosingorgettingin talkswithanewFranchisee?

FranchiseeswhoownandoperateThe ChoppedLeafrestaurantsacross

CanadaandintotheUnitedStateshave specificqualitiesthatmaketheman idealcandidate,beingthattheyare bothbusiness-drivenandlivethe ChoppedLeafway-of-life.While restaurantexperiencemaybehelpful, TheChoppedLeafseeksfranchisees thathaveadriveforsuccessanda willingnesstolearnandfollowout operationalmanuals.Previous restaurantexperienceisnotrequiredto beabletorunasuccessfulChopped Leaffranchise.Anidealfranchisee valuesthecorebrandvalues,whichis givingpeoplemorechoicestofeel goodaftertheyeat.Theirgoalsareto ensurecustomersfeelwelcomedand leavewithasmile(andfullstomach).

Howdoyoutrainthenewfranchisee on-boardandtracktheir development?

TheChoppedLeafprovidesan extensivethree-weektrainingprogram toallnewChoppedLeaffranchise partners.Theinitialtrainingwilltake placeataChoppedLeaflocationand withanexperiencedChoppedLeaf franchisepartner.Partofthistraining includesfront-of-houseandback-ofhousetraining,foodpreparationand foodsafety,marketingandfinancial managementandvariousonline courses.Oncetheirstore’sconstruction hassufficientlyprogressed,Chopped Leaf’strainingteamwillgointothe storetogooverthetrainingagainwith theFranchiseeandtohelptrainstaff. Thetrainingteamalsostaysthrough thegrandopeningandbeyond,until everythingisrunningsmoothly

Whatfactorsdifferentiatethe companyfromcompetitorsandhow doyouensurethatthesefactors remainconsistentthroughoutthe chain?

Competitionishighinthefreshfood industry,soTheChoppedLeafbrand

continuestobeinnovativewiththeir menuadditionsandingredients; featuringlimitedtimeoffersand permanentmenuitemsyear-after-year. Thebrandiswellsupportedand respected,leadingthetrendtowards morenutritiouseatingthatnever sacrificesboldanddeliciousflavour

Thecurrentpandemichasaffected thefoodandrestaurantindustry adversely.Evenwhenthingsbecome normal,thereareviewsthatthe industrywon’tbeoperatingasit was.Whatchangesdoyouexpect andhowareyoupreparingforit?

Asweallnavigatetheunprecedented, extraordinaryandevolvingcoronavirus (COVID-19)pandemic,TheChopped Leafteamandourguestswillcontinue tobetoppriority.Thefutureissubject toshiftingandtherestaurantindustry isvulnerable,however,withtheproper crisiscommunicationsandoperational plansinplace,thebrandremains confidentthattheseobstacleswillbe handlestothebestpossiblestandard. Operationsandmarketingtacticswill continuetoshiftandadapttonew healthandsafetystandardsoutlinedby ourHealthcareandGovernment officials. Procedureswillcontinueto bemonitoredtomitigatetheeffects thatexistingcircumstanceswillhave onourbusiness.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

A Slow-Smoked Legacy Since 1941

Barbecue …awordcherished bymanyandamealthathas broughtfamiliestogetherfor generations.Slow-smoked,tenderand flavourfulmeatshavebeenatthe epicentreofmanycelebrations,turning dinnerexperiencesintotruly memorablemoments.

Onebarbecuefranchise,Dickey’s BarbecuePit,hasbeenserving authentic,competition-qualityLegit. Texas.Barbecue.tofansnationwide since1941.AtDickey’s,thefoodis meanttobesharedoverconversations, laughs,celebrations,playoffgamesand moretobringgoodfoodandgood peopletogethernomatterwhatthe occasion.

“Weprideourselvesoncooking authentic,competition-stylebarbecue andcomfortfoodthatthewholefamily canenjoy,”saidCEOLauraRea Dickey.“Betweendine-in,takeout, delivery,holidaymealsandcatering, guestshaveendlesswaystogetahold ofDickey’sfamousbarbecue.”

WhenDickey’sFounderTravis DickeyreturnedhometoDallasafter servinghiscountryinWorldWarI,he turnedhisloveofauthentic,slowsmokedbarbecueintoabusiness–Dickey’sBarbecuePit.Travisworked thebutcherblockwhileMissOllie Dickeyservedsandwichesandkeptthe books.Themenuwaslimitedtobeef brisket,pithams,barbecuebeans, potatochips,beer,bottledmilkand sodas.

TheoriginalDickey’slocationin Dallas,Texasisstillopenandserving gueststoday.Travis’son,Roland Dickey,steppedintorunthefamily restaurantin1967afterhisfather’s passing.In2006,hisson,Roland Dickey,Jr.,tookontheroleofheadpit masterandCEO,andlaterwentonto becomeCEOofDickey’sholding company,Dickey’sCapitalGroup. Dickey’sisnowtheworld’slargest barbecuechainandhasgrowntomore than500locationsacrosstheUnited Statesandinternationally,andis currentlyspearheadedbyRoland Dickey’sdaughter-in-lawLauraRea Dickey.

FranchisingDickey’sBarbecue

NobodyknowsbarbecuelikeDickey’s. Withnearly80yearsofexperience smokingthetastiestmeatsaroundand over25yearsofhelpingfranchisees reachtheirgoals,Dickey’steamknows itswayaroundthebarbecuebusiness.

Dickey’stakesprideinthefactthatits teamofferssupportforfranchisees everystepoftheway Theyhelpwith everythingfromrealestateselectionto bidcomparisonandassistancewith orderingfromDickey’snetworkof preferredvendors.

Dickey’susesoriginaltime-tested recipesandservessignatureSouthern Hospitalitywitheveryplate.Every Dickey’slocationslowsmokesallof itsmeatsonsiteinopenkitchenswhere guestscaninteractwiththeirlocalPit

Master.Inadditiontoongoingtraining, adedicatedfieldandhomeoffice teamworkalongsideeachOwner Operatortoguidethemthroughthe grandopeningandtokeepthings runningsmoothlyforyearstocome.

NewOwnerOperatorsattendBarbecue University,athree-week-longprogram thatcombinesin-depthclassroom-style learningandhands-ontraining.Owner Operatorsgraduatewiththeknowledge neededtorunasuccessfulDickey’s. Dickey’salsoregularlyaddsmodules andrelevantupdatesontheBarbecue UniversityonlineportalsothatOwner OperatorsandPitCrewteammembers canstayup-to-dateandcontinually improve.Thesystemallowsfor trackingofmodules,soOwner Operatorsalwaysknowwherethey standwithdevelopment.

TheMenuforGrowth

Anaward-winningtrainingprogram helpstoensurethatOwnerOperators arereadytoruntheirownDickey’s.

“Onceyouareopen,Dickey’sin-house marketingteamcreateseffective targetedcampaignsdesignedtodrive trafficsoyoucanfocusonoperations,” saidLauraReaDickey.

TheDickey’smenuisfullofclassic time-testedrecipes,butthebrandis ripewithinnovation,especiallywhenit comestotechnologyanddata. Technologyhasalwaysbeenimportant toDickey’s,andpriortothepandemic

thebrandstartedenhancements tothee-commerceandonline orderingplatforms.The updatede-commercesite coupledwithanenhanced franchiseeintranetportal–theSmokePit–allows OwnerOperatorstohave improvedaccesstohundreds ofsupportresources.

Fromaproprietaryonline orderingsystemtoSmokestack2.0 –aproprietaryKPIandbusiness intelligencedatatrackingsystem–Dickey’sprovidesthetoolsand technologytoequipownersfor success.Dickey’sdigitalinvestments coupledwithastrategicapproachto buildingsaleshavepositionedthe brandtoachievesame-storegrowth throughoutthepandemic,soDickey’s hasastrongfootholdinthecoming days.

Inadditiontostellardomesticgrowth, Dickey’sjustannouncedaletterof intenttoopen50locationsinAustralia. Internationalexpansionhasbeena focusforthebrand,withexpansion alsoplannedforPakistanandthe RepublicofGeorgia.Dickey’salready hasoverseasagreementsinAbuDhabi, Dubai,Brazil,SingaporeandEgypt.

Our tender meats are slow-smoked over hickory wood for up to 14 hours and we are committed to sourcing high-quality meats that are anything but artificial.

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Laura Rea Dickey CEO

AN EXPERT’S GUIDE TO BUILD A BRAND LOVED BY ALL

Ifondlyrememberaparticulardaywhenayoung

gentlemanapproachedmeatafestival.Myhusband andIhadrecentlystartedanotherbusinessanda uniquebusinessitwas.Myhusband,akaDaddyO,had takenaninterestinmakinghisownicecream.Butbeing 100%Irish,hepouredafullbottleofbourboninthevery firsticecreamhemade.Weusedabrandnamebourbonand locallysourcedhoneyandcalleditHoneyBourbon.Itwas delicioustosaytheleast.Hethenwentontocreateunique icecreamswithVodka,Rum,BaileysIrishCream, Guinnessandprettymucheveryalcoholoutthere.Hisice creamwasaninstanthit.

Theyoungmanatthefestivalsaid, “I want to do your marketing,” forwhichIreplied, “Why would you want to do our marketing when you know nothing about us and what we do?” Hesaidthatheknewmuchaboutusfromthe brandingthatwehaddoneonourtents,cart,cups,logo, andourcardalso.Hecouldtellthatwehadgreatbusiness mindsbecausewehadalreadydonesuchagreatjobonour branding.ThatwasquiteacomplimentsoeventhoughI wouldnotconsidermyselfanexpert,Icangiveyouafew tipsoncreatingabrandlovedbyall.

Knowingwehadsomethingthatwasworthgrowingintoa profitablebusiness,weimmediatelywentintobusiness mode.Wehadtocomeupwithaname.So,wecalledthe familyoverandsataroundthekitchentableandmadealist ofnames.WesettledonDaddyO’sIrishIceCreamPub. EveryChristmasweusedtosignthetagonagift‘from DaddyO’(shortforO’Brien)somydaughterinlawwould knowwhichDaddyhergiftwasfrom.SoDaddyO'smade sense.Sincemanyofourflavorscontainedalcohol,we thoughtitwouldbefittingtousethewordsIrishIceCream Pub,somethingnoonehaseverdonebefore.Wequickly boughtthedomainnameandcreatedemailaddressesand workedupawebsite.

Thelogowaseasytocomeupwith.Weaskedacaricature artisttodrawacaricatureofDaddyOasaleprechaun

holdingabeerinonehandandanicecreamconeinthe otherwithabannerbelowthatsaidDaddyO’s.Icontacteda trademarklawyerandimmediatelystartedthetrademark process.Youneedtostartthatearlybecauseittakesaround 9monthstoprocessandyoucouldbeturneddown.Thatis exactlywhathappenedtous.DaddyO’swasturneddown sowehadabackupplanandreappliedusingthewords DaddyO’Brien’s.

Whenyoubrandacompany,youneedtofigureoutwho youraudienceorcustomerisandgearthebrandingtowards them.Wearemakersofalcoholicicecream,sowemade ourbrandingmoreadultlookingthanatraditionalice creamproduct.Ourcarts,website,andourshopcenteron theIrishthemewithdarkwoods,redandgreenwalls, stainedglasswindowsandafireplace.Now,wearenot narrowmindedanddowantourbrandtobelovedbyall, includingthefamily.SoDaddyOhasmadehalfofhis flavorcreationstobefamilyfriendly.So,ouraudience includeseveryone.Whenwegoouttoafestival,wehave onelineforadultflavorsandonelineforfamilyflavors!

Ifyouwantyourbrandtobelovedbyall,youmustbe involvedinthecommunity.Besidesthestorefront,wehave ourcartsandlogoontents,andwebringthemoutto festivals,schools,sportsgames,breweries,corporateand chamberevents.Thiswillsuccessfullyleadpeoplebackto yourstoreandbuildyourbrandinthecommunity.Ihave createdseveralcouponstogiveoutasprizesfortheschools andotherorganizationstouse.Wehavespiritnightsfor schools,fundraisers,blooddrives,petadoptions,youname it!

Whenhardtimescome,likeCovid-19,yourcommunity willrememberhowyouhavebeenkindtothemoverthe yearsandtheywillfindwaystoblessyou.Givethema superiorproduct,superiorservice,makethemfeelspecial andyouhavebuiltabrandtobelovedbyall.

AbouttheAuthor

lori@daddyosicecream.com.www.daddyosicecream.com facebook.com/daddyospub

LoriandFrankO’Brien,aka MommyO and DaddyO arethecreatorsandCo-foundersofDaddyO’Brien’s IrishIceCreamPub.LocatedinSugarHillGAandinLakeCityFL,DaddyO’Brien’sisauniqueandhot conceptcombiningAdultandfamilyflavoricecreamcreationsmadeonsitewithanIrishtheme.Theirice creamhaswonatleastadozennationalawardsandFrankhasearnedthedistinguishedtitleofGrandMaster IceCreammakerfromtheNationalIceCreamRetailersAssociation.DaddyO’Brien’soffersfranchise opportunities.Lorimaybecontactedat

Accordingtoindustryexperts

andastudyreportonthe FranchiseIndustry,“Withouta doubt,foodfranchisesarethemost visiblebusinessesinfranchising.When peoplethinkoffranchising,food franchisesarealmostalwaystopof mind.Furthermore,alargenumberof today’sprospectivefranchiseowners begintheirgeneralsearchfortheright franchisewithfranchiseopportunities inthefoodsegment.”

Well,everybodyneedstoeat.Inthis manner,foodfranchiseswill consistentlybestylish.Fromfood trucksandstallstofull-fledged restaurantsandeverythinginthe middle,thefoodfranchiseindustry additionallyoffersforthcoming franchiseesawiderangeofapproaches topursuetheirbusinessobjectives notwithstandingitssteadyinterest.

Inshort,incomparisontoallother franchisebusiness,thefoodfranchise takesapie.Thefollowingisaglanceat threemajorreasonsthatyoushould considerwhilebuyingafoodfranchise.

1.Foodishot!

Thequantityofnewfoodideasbeing begunisoffthegraphs.Therearetwo orthreepurposesbehindit.

Foronething,buyersarerequesting moreofthehealthieritems,andfood happenstobeoneofthoseitems.

Furthermore,withregardstopreparing dinnersathome,somesegment gatherings(liketwentytothirty-yearoldsforexample),arenotsureabout theirkitchencapacitieswhencompared withdifferentages.Sotheychooseto purchasefrozenfoodorbuytheirfood directlyfromcafés.

Atlonglast,thepopularityoftelevised cookingshowsaremakingpurchasers consideringfoodlikeneverbefore. Thoseshowshavehelpedincrement enthusiasmforthingslikelocally sourcedingredients,low-fat/low-carb mealsandplant-basednourishments.

2.PotentialPay

Inyourareaofthecountry,ifyouare decidingtoopen/set-upafood franchise,choosewisely;there’salot ofmoneytobemade.

Forinstance,asindicatedbythe businessspecialistsreport,therearea fewfoodfranchisesthatexceed$1 millioninyearlyincome.Ultimately, youhavetounderstandthatyour benefitwilldiffer.Overallrevenuesare affectedbytheroyaltypercentageyou paytofranchiseheadquarters,your outgoings,thetrafficyougetinyour areaandmore.

Tip:Themoreunitsyouhavereadyfor action,themorenoteworthyyour income.

3.ItcanmakeaGreatFamily Businesses

Incaseyou’reconsideringbusiness thatyoucangetyourfamilyassociated with,considerowningafood franchise.Here’sthereason:

A. Food franchise requires more number of staff

Thestaffexpectedtorunafood franchiseinclude:

• Kitchenworkforce

• Counterindividuals

• Managers

The Right Choice

There’smoreifyouownafull-flagged foodfranchise.You’llhavetohave dishwashers,workersandmore.

B. Multi-unit Opportunities

Incaseyou’rereadytoputfundsintoa multi-unitfoodfranchisesegmentin, you’llneedamanagerateachlocation. Afterall,relativesaremorepreferable tohaveoveraconfided.

Besides,ifyouhaverelativesasthe executives,you’llhavetheoptionto keepyourbusiness“inthefamily.”

4.Intheend foodfoundationswillconsistentlybe near.Inadditiontothefactthatpeople needtoeat,however,theyneedto socialize,aswell.Foodestablishments servebothofthosenecessities.

Trytolocateaqualityfranchise opportunitythatisasolidmatchfor yourneighbourhoodandhasspaceto grow.Fortunately,therearealotof choicesintherealmofafood franchise,sochoosewisely.

PuttingitallTogether

Exploreanybusinessopportunity thoroughlythatyou’rethinkingabout. Makealistofadministrators/operators fromtheparentorganizationandcall them.Haveanattorneyinvestigation ontheagreementdraftedbytheparent organization.Ensureyougeta revelationstatement.Now,grabthe opportunityandmakeitbig.

Franchises

HANDCRAFTED RECIPES FOR HAPPINESS

Thenovelcoronavirushasputa challengeofsurvivalinfront oftheworld.Whileall businessesarebeingchallengedin waysweneverknewpossible,the hospitalityindustryiscertainlyoneof themostchallenged.Witheveryone stayinginside,peoplepreferring home-cookedfood,andcommercial placesclosedduetolockdown,first fewmonthswereanightmareforthe restaurantsandeateries.However,it wasalsoatime,tothink,re-strategize, changepriorities,andcomeupwitha planthatcouldhelpboththe businessesandthepeople.

Whenweareontheothersideofthis crisisandevaluationsaremadeof whichbrandssurvived,whichbrands respondedaggressivelyandcreatively andwhichbrandsandleadersemerged tothrive,HueyMagoo’sChicken Tendersisontracktobeonesuch brand.Allofitslocationsmanagedto stayopenandhavethrivedwithits successfulfamilymealoptions,take outanddeliveryprograms.Lookingat thesituation,italsointroduced curbsidetakeoutandonlineordering anditsoverallfast-casualmodelhas nowpositionedthebrandfavorably wellforcontinuedoperations.

HueyMagoo’swasfoundedin Orlando,Floridain2004bytourgolf professionalsMatt(“Huey”)

ArmstrongandThad(“Magoo”) Hudgens,twosouthernboyswitha passionforqualitychickenanda penchantforservingothers.Aculture

ofexcellenceinserviceandfood qualitybeganbyservingonlypremium hand-breadedorgrilledchicken tenders,alwaysmadefresh,all-natural, withnohormones,nosteroids,no preservatives,andnoantibioticsever, dippedor“sauced”inuniquely flavorfulsignaturesaucesinaclean, family-friendlyenvironment.

Combinedwithfarm-freshsalads, sandwiches,wraps,fries,hand-made chips,andTexastoast,HueyMagoo’s attractsacult-likefollowingof Millennials,families,andneighboring businessesdesiringquality,delicious foodatreasonableprices.

Evenduringthepandemic,saleslevels forHueyMagoo’shavebeenstrong, andinsomecases,haveexceeded pre-COVIDweeklysaleslevels.Matt says, “We are very fortunate to report that Huey Magoo’s future, even in today’s unprecedented, challenging times, remains bright. COVID 19 challenges have not defined us though, and instead exposed the character and commitment of our franchise partners, the strength and dedication of our leadership team, and the love of our brand shown by our loyal guests.”

Here’showHueyMaggo’swentfrom beingOrlandofavouritetoAmerica’s Favourite,straightfromMattand Thad.

Howdidtheexpansionbegin?

HueyMagoo’scaughttheeyeof industryveteranandformerExecutive

VicePresidentofWingstopAndy Howard,whoexpandedWingstrop fromapproximately80restaurantsto over600inhis10+yearswiththe company.“Chickenexpert”Howard acquiredHueyMagoo’sin2016as PresidentandCEOandbroughtwith himfellowWingstopall-stars, includingHueyMagoo’snowChief OperatingOfficerMikeSutter,Director ofOperationsMattPaleos,Chairman oftheBoardWesJablonskiandBoard ofDirectorsBillKnight.Injustfour yearsunderHueyMagoo’sdynamic newleadershipteamandgrowing familyofdistinguishedfranchisees, HueyMagoo’swentfromfour restaurantslocatedinGreaterOrlando torapidlyexpandingthroughoutthe Southeastwithnowthirteenrestaurants acrossCentralFlorida,inSouthFlorida andinGreaterAtlantaand100more franchiseessold,bringingmanymore HueyMagoo’srestaurantstotheentire stateofFlorida,Georgia,Mississippi, Tennessee,SouthCarolinaandmore.

Briefusabouttheofferings.

HueyMagoo’sservessignaturegrilled, hand-breadedor“sauced”premium chickentenders,farmfreshsalads, sandwichesandwraps.EachHuey Magoo’stenderisalwaysmadefresh, allnatural,withnoantibioticsever,no hormones,nosteroidsandno preservatives.HueyMagoo’soffers dine-in/out,takeout,deliverythrough third-partydeliveryservices,drive-thru andcurbsidepickup(atparticipating restaurants).

Whatarethekeypointsthatyou considerwhilechoosingor gettingintalkswithanew Franchisee?

Passionforthehospitality industry,adesiretoserveguests andstrongbusinessacumenare ingredientsforsuccess.A realizationofthefactthatthe bonelesschickencategoryisTHE placetobeinfoodservice…anda loveofourproductandbrandcertainly helps!A“workingproprietor” mentalitywithprovenabilityto managebothataunitandmulti-unit levelareessential.Development agreementsaretypically(three)units minimumandtime-boundwithin reason,sofinancialabilitymustfitthe plan.Overall,anenthusiasticchemistry amongtheprospectandourteammust bepresent,asweare“Partners”for manyyearstocome.

Howdoyoutrainthenewfranchisee on-boardandtracktheir development?

Highlyseasonedcorporatetrainers combineclassroom,functionalposition andmanagementtrainingfor17days bothinourtrainingrestaurantandthen on-siteduringpre/postopeningoftheir newlocation.Realestatesiteselection supportisprovidedbyadedicated brokernetworkwithclosereviewand approvalbyHueyMagoo’scorporate team.From“Day1”,realestate, design/construction/operationssupport

‘‘ ‘‘

andcommunicationbrings themtoopeningand continuesovertimeasthey growintotheirterritory developmentplan.

Franchiseesuccessandsatisfaction levelsarekeytoourrelationshipand theirgrowth.

Whatfactorsdifferentiatethe companyfromcompetitorsandhow doyouensurethatthesefactors remainconsistentthroughoutthe chain?

HueyMagoo’sdifferentiatesfrom competitorsbyserving100%fresh, steroid/hormone/antibioticfreechicken andmarinated24hoursinHuey Magoo’sownrecipe. Eachtastytenderis servedeitherhandbreaded,or,anotherkey pointofdifference,Huey Magoo’shealthy, deliciousandsimply unmatchablegrilled tenderoption.Huey Magoo’shighlyseasoned corporatetraining,bothat ourcorporatetraining

storeandon-siteateachfranchise location,ensureconsistencyinour high-qualityproductandexceptional serviceacrossthebrand,whichHuey Magoo’spridesitselfin.

Briefusaboutthefuture perspectives.

HueyMagoo’sisrapidlyexpanding throughouttheSoutheastwiththirteen restaurantscurrentlyacrossCentral Florida,inSouthFloridaandGreater Atlantaand100morefranchiseessold, bringingmanymoreHueyMagoo’s restaurantstotheentirestateof Florida,Georgia,Mississippi, Tennessee,SouthCarolinaandmore.

Forfranchisinginquiries,contactAndy Howardatandy@hueymagoos.com. FormoreinformationonHuey Magoo’s,visitwww.hueymagoos.com.

All our tenders are handcrafted with a mission to serve you and your family great tasting chicken tenders while spreading happiness.

Andy Howard President & CEO