Podcast appearances and mentions of dan rowe

Mike Hamra's family legacy in the franchising industry spans generations. In this episode of Smart Franchising Podcast, Mike joins Dan Rowe as he shares insights into his remarkable journey from practising law to leading a powerhouse in the franchise world.In this episode of Smart Franchising Podcast, Mike reveals:The Hamra family's journey as Wendy's franchisees since 1975Growing a 200+ franchise empire across Wendy's, Panera, and NoodlesInvesting in people and training to transform operationsFamily values and harmony as keys to multi-generational successNavigating the challenges and rewards of a family-owned businessOn the Importance of Engaging LeadershipMike: “You have to be a really strong leader, but you also have to manage. There's a difference between being a leader and somebody who's gonna manage your business. Managing your business is really creating a structure that things flow into the restaurant and get managed.”On Building a Culture of ExcellenceMike: “We pay our student employees in high school and college to do their homework in our stores. That really drives a very different kind of culture inside our organization that, you know, you don't see across the industry.”On the Future of Hamra EnterprisesMike: “We're committed to a future of growth and continuing to develop or acquire markets where we can support people that work for us and their families. In ten years, we should be double in size, should be easily because we're getting to that size now where we can take bigger bites on acquisitions.”

How do you turn a small franchise into a massive empire?In this episode, Dan Rowe chats with Neel Bhargava, co-founder of NB Group, who's reshaping the world of franchise investment with his unique multi-unit, multi-brand approach. Neel's journey took him from the world of consulting and private equity to becoming a powerhouse entrepreneur, scaling some of the most successful brands in the franchise space.In this episode of Smart Franchising Podcast, Neel reveals:-How he invested in Crunch Fitness group that scaled from just 10 locations to over 65-The European Wax Center's strategic growth and how it sparked huge expansion-Franchise investment: the pros and cons from a private equity perspective-Managing the complexities of team building, financial infrastructure, and making the right investmentsOn the Investment Strategy that Drove Exponential GrowthNeel: “You start with a platform business, and then you make add-on acquisitions to build it... Rolling up a couple of franchisees to get the volume and continue growth while managing the challenges of integrating various companies.”On Embracing the Franchising ChallengesNeel: “There are pros and cons to franchising... Some of the pros are less upfront thought and work required. There's a playbook that's been written for you... The negatives are, back to the playbook, the quality of that playbook varies and you don't have control to really impact it.”On Leveraging Analytical Insight for SuccessNeel: “We aim to make at least three and a half times our money on every investment... Payback period on that new build CapEx is critical to determining how much we like a multi-unit concept.”

Shoot us a Text.On this Thursday, we're covering how EV/hydrogen truck maker Nikola is filing for bankruptcy, how West Herr Auto Group gifted Slick Rick from the Buffalo Bills mailroom a car, and how kids meals are becoming something everyone orders.Electric truck startup Nikola, once a Wall Street darling valued higher than Ford, has filed for bankruptcy, joining other EV-makers like Fisker, Lordstown Motors and Electric Last Mile Solutions.Founded in 2015, Nikola promised a hydrogen-fueled revolution for trucking, securing billions in investments from GM, Bosch, and others.In 2020, short-seller Hindenburg Research accused Nikola of faking its truck technology, revealing a promotional video showing a truck rolling downhill with no powertrain.Founder Trevor Milton resigned amid fraud allegations and was later convicted in 2022, receiving a four-year prison sentence.Despite shifting focus to hydrogen fuel cell trucks, Nikola produced only 235 vehicles, amidst supply chain issues, rising costs, and an underdeveloped hydrogen fueling network.CEO Steve Girsky blamed economic conditions, stating, “Our very best efforts have not been enough to overcome these significant challenges.”When quarterback Josh Allen gave his MVP acceptance speech last week, he made sure to shout out someone who rarely gets the spotlight—Roderick “Slick Rick” Morrow, a beloved mailroom employee at One Bills Drive.After Allen's speech, Buffalo fans quickly fell in love with Slick Rick. One detail caught everyone's attention: despite working for the Bills for over a decade, Rick had been taking the bus to work every day.West Herr Automotive Group knew they couldn't just stand by on the sidelines, and on Valentine's Day, they surprised Slick Rick with a Chevy Traverse—his very own set of wheels after years of relying on public transportation.“It feels like I'm living the dream, and I am!” Rick said, soaking in all the love from the Buffalo community.As fast-food prices continue to skyrocket, some savvy consumers have found a way to save money—by ordering kids' meals. The trend has surged in popularity, with many adults opting for smaller portions at lower prices, sometimes even enjoying the bonus of a toy.Data from Circana shows a 28% increase in adults ordering kids' meals in 2024 compared to 2019.Fast-food prices have surged by 39%-100% over the past decade, outpacing inflation (31%), with McDonald's, Popeyes, and Taco Bell leading the way.Social media influencers, such as TikTok's “kids' meal connoisseur” Ashley Garrett, have fueled the trend by reviewing and rating kids' meals.Restaurant investor Dan Rowe suggests the issue isn't adults ordering kids' meals but rather, “If people are ordering off of your kids' menu, you have other issues.”The rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which reduce appetite, could also be contributing to the demand for smaller portion sizes.Hosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle MountsierGet the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/ Read our most recent email at: https://www.asotu.com/media/push-back-email

In this episode, Zack sits down with CEO & Founder of Fransmart, Dan Rowe, to talk all things franchise sales. We get into his humble beginnings, what industries within franchising he has historically gravitated to, his opinions on how to build enterprise value through franchise sales, his secrets to sourcing MUMBOs leads (hint, it's not easy to replicate) and his outlook on how franchise sales will change in this decade.

In this episode, Dan Rowe sits down with John Hamburger, President of Franchise Times and Restaurant Finance Monitor, to discuss the secrets of success in the franchising industry. With a wealth of experience in finance and franchising, John shares his insights on industry growth, the challenges faced by restaurant brands, and what makes a strong franchise model. They explore key topics like unit economics, franchisee profitability, and the rising importance of non-food franchises. John also dives into the challenges of access to capital and the ongoing shakeout in the restaurant industry, offering valuable advice for anyone considering franchising. This episode is packed with real-world insights from a true expert in the field.

Andy is president of Gellert Global Group. The company imports more than 5,500 unique food items from more than 60 countries and is one of the largest food importers in the world. Gellert Global Group is home to 12 companies, led by Atalanta, the largest privately-held food importer in the U.S.Gellert Global is a third-generation family-run business. The Gellert Global Group comprises many of the leading North American food-importing companies and has been importing food products for over 100 years. The combined revenues of the Group exceed $1.7 billion.The Gellert Global family includes Andy's sister, brother and cousin. Andy's father and uncle are also part of the company. Andy's father, George, was recently inducted into the New Jersey business hall of fame. Gellert Global's goal is to be a part of every food and beverage experience. Andy and his team use a variety of factors to determine which products and brands to partner with, including trends and the needs of customers. QUOTES “Some of these family businesses and you hear about fighting and people not getting along. I think we're successful because we keep growing and there's enough things for everyone to do and for everyone to bring value.” (Andy) “You want (joining the family business) to happen organically. It's a fun business. There's opportunities for (family) to join if they want. There's no obligation to come in. We'd like them to come in, but we don't want to make a rule that they have to come in.” (Andy) “Network is important to my father. I learned that from him early on. Being a part of YPO (Young President's Organization), I love leveraging my network. I like investing in early-stage CPG's and helping and leading them to other opportunities.” (Andy) “We don't want to lose direction. We're very big and we're happy where we are but we're not in a rush to get to two billion. We're going to get there smart. If it means pairing down and doing SKU rationalization to be more profitable, all the better.” (Andy) “It's really all about efficiency. As you get bigger you can be more efficient, but you have to be diligent.” (Andy) “We're an importer of products so our products are expensive already. We're always looking for ways to (save). You always have to turn over rocks to look for more opportunities.” (Andy) “I love eating. I love food experiences. I love being surprised. I like going to a chef and saying ‘Just surprise me. Just give me what you do best.'” (Andy)  TRANSCRIPT 00:00.45Andy GellertBye. 00:01.87vigorbrandingHey there, welcome to Fork Tales. I’m ah Michael Pavone, and I’m happy to really get a chance to talk to a good friend of mine. ah Today we have Andy Gellert here. He’s a good friend I’ve known for and respected for a long, long time. Andy’s the president of Gellert Global Group, one of the largest food importers in the world. ah They import more than 2,500 product lines from more than 60 countries. Andy, thank you so much for being here. 00:27.05Andy GellertMike, always a pleasure, always great seeing you, and nice seeing your smiling face, and I love hanging out with you. We’re always having a lot of fun together. 00:34.39vigorbrandingYeah, absolutely. You know, if they if they have music for this in the beginning, you know, I was going to, I was going to change up our, our forktails music and have a little. 00:41.11Andy GellertListen, I don’t like to brag about my my my my my my my my my beautiful voice. where You saw me on stage with Welcome Pepper a long time ago. I hung that up a long time ago. 00:52.98Andy GellertI got straight into the food business, Mike. I can’t cant just think my life away, you know? 00:54.81vigorbrandingYeah. The little salt and pepper in the beginning of this thing i gets us off on everything and everything. The thing is, Andy, I have known you for a long time, but I love doing these interviews because I always learn more. so it’s like I might have seen you over the years at these shows and get to hang out and you know have a drink together, but you know when you’re digging a little deeper about the family business and about the food industry and and all of that, it’s just I’m always blown away. and your Your company and your family, which is the company, is absolutely amazing. 01:21.57vigorbrandingSo tell us a little bit about Gellert Global Group and know what they do. 01:24.57Andy Gellertbut i mean like Next year we’ll celebrate our 80th birthday and we’re very excited. and As I said, you know I’m third generation and I live i live food. It’s a passion of mine. I love all aspects of the food industry. and you know like My grandfather started this in 1945. 01:46.38Andy Gellertimporting meats from Eastern Europe and seafood. We’ve grown and got other lines of businesses in. We’re selling food service, retail, manufacturing, cruise line. 01:57.56Andy GellertWe’re now involved in, you know thanks to YPO, I’m i’m involved in the franchise business. By the end of the year, we’ll have 55 guys. Thanks to our good friend Dan Rowe. 02:05.09vigorbrandingWow. Yeah. 02:07.17Andy GellertWe’re introducing their first one. And you know we invest in food businesses and it’s just, ah We’re all about food. I tell everyone I hit my belly, it’s this is R and&D. 02:17.29Andy GellertThis is R and&D. I mean, 02:20.68vigorbrandingThat’s fantastic. Now, you know, I know family owned, super important. I know you treat everyone like family because I’ve seen you around ah customers, employees, the whole thing, but your dad, he is an older gentleman, but still very much involved in the business. Is that correct? 02:35.09Andy Gellert86. I went to his house to play tennis at 6 o’clock in the morning today. We play with people from our company. He loves it like he’s, my mom goes away for the summer. 02:45.63Andy GellertHe’s having, ah lot this summer is incredible. He’s 86. Every, twice a week, he has people from the company come over and have dinner and just different groups of people. 02:52.74vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 02:53.86Andy GellertAnd and he loves what he does. It’s it’s it’s really it’s really an honor to to to work with him and and watch him. he loves He loves his suppliers. 03:04.49Andy GellertWe love our bankers. We love our employees. It’s all about, you know, yeah he’s all, he’s all about people. And it’s really great. 03:11.81vigorbrandingYeah. 03:12.97Andy GellertI said this summer at the fancy food show, he was honored with a lifetime achievement award. And it’s such a good honor to see him up there and enjoying all the success of the role we’ve done together. 03:22.47vigorbrandingWell, it’s so well deserved. He deserved that honor. The company’s amazing. But you should give him a break. I mean, I think you you put sneakers on him. 03:28.24Andy GellertHe loves, 03:28.57vigorbrandingi had He had sneakers on in the booth to run around. I mean, you know. 03:32.00Andy Gellertyou know, listen, like I said, he works out before we play tennis in the morning and He’s all about the next activity and what we’re doing next. So, you know. 03:39.84vigorbrandingThat’s it’s fantastic. how many So how many members of the family are currently working in the company? 03:45.07Andy GellertSo today we have my sister, my brother, and my cousin in my generation. And my cousin who, my other cousin who runs the Five Guide business. And then I have my father and my uncle. 03:56.25Andy GellertSo there’s, you know, three, six of us, you know. 03:58.55vigorbrandingthat’s great 03:59.47Andy GellertAnd we’re getting ready for the third generation. 03:59.41vigorbrandingand look 04:01.81Andy GellertHopefully, you know, there are nine kids in the next generation. Hopefully one of them or two of them will come in and we’re we’re excited. It’s all about, you know, we love what we do and there’s a lot to do. 04:12.31Andy GellertAnd, you know, some of these family businesses, you know, the family, you hear about them and they’re fighting and they’re not getting a along. 04:18.50vigorbrandingThat’s 04:19.38Andy GellertI think we’re being successful because we keep growing and there’s enough things that everyone can do and everyone brings value that no one’s stepping each other’s toes. 04:25.06vigorbrandinggreat. 04:27.57Andy GellertWe’re all different, we but we appreciate each other’s opinion and listening to each other. We argue, but, you know, we all, we we get her off our chest and we move forward. You know? 04:36.10vigorbrandingWould you go out and play tennis, right, and solve it over the own tennis court? 04:37.88Andy GellertExactly. We stopped it on the court. We stopped it on the court. 04:40.98vigorbrandingSo you the kids, are are they are they interested? are they old not I don’t know how old they are. Are they old enough to be getting close? 04:47.10Andy GellertSo I think um my daughter my daughter is a social worker therapist. I don’t think she’s going to come in, you know. But my, you know, my other two ah potentially will come in. 04:57.29Andy Gellertone One probably more likely than the other. 04:57.44vigorbrandingMm-hmm. 04:59.68Andy GellertOther is in the real estate industry. And then my sister’s kids potentially were there and my brother’s kids were a little bit younger. So I definitely think at least three or four will come in for the next generation. But in the meantime, we keep growing and getting bigger and and looking at opportunities and we have fun. Why why are we doing it? 05:17.12vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. Well, so in in your situation, I mean, we’re we’re of a generation, you and I, I’ll say that, like, did you, did you have a choice or did you always know that this is what I’m going to do or I want to do it? Or did you, did dad put a little pressure on you and say, Hey, look, you know, you got to do your thing. 05:32.22Andy GellertI did everything wrong in the family business. youre They all that go out and get the outside experience. And I came right in. 05:38.08vigorbrandingyeahh Yeah. 05:38.43Andy GellertAnd it was difficult. I’m not going to say it was a piece of cake. And my brother was a lot. 05:41.30vigorbrandingYeah. 05:44.06Andy Gellertyou know He went to business school. He went to law school. He worked in private banking. And then he came in. So it it made a lot of sense. And my sister, the same thing. yeah I did everything wrong but it’s good to know, it’s good to do it because then you know you’re not going to repeat it. 05:57.78Andy GellertSo you know my son who who definitely looks forward to maybe joining one day says he want he wants to spend three or four years you know the outside and coming in. 05:58.16vigorbrandingYeah. 06:05.42vigorbrandingyeah 06:08.26Andy GellertHe says he doesn’t like his boss I’m like that’s good get used to it. you Get used to it better than me you know. 06:12.52vigorbrandingGet used to it, right? 06:17.21vigorbrandingWell, you know, that’s I had the same rule with my girls. I mean, I don’t know that they’ll ever want to come into it. Why would anyone would go to an advertising agency or come into a marketing firm? But if they would, I said they had to work somewhere for two years and get one promotion. 06:28.93vigorbrandingAnd thankfully, they’ve both been doing that. 06:29.31Andy GellertYeah. 06:31.08vigorbrandingIn fact, they’ve been doing it for a while now, so maybe they’re not interested. So ah they may have dodged the bullet or maybe I have. But I just think our generation was one of those things where, you know, yeah, go do what you want to do, but you’re coming into the company kind of thing, you know. 06:43.02vigorbrandingI started my own business, I didn’t go to my dad’s company but I mean it was one of those things where I just think a lot of folks, it was just I guess different. ah Now I think with, I’ll say with my daughters and probably your kids like go out and do your thing and if you’re interested talk to me, don’t you know, don’t don’t not talk to me about it but you know, no pressure, that kind of thing. 07:00.05vigorbrandingYou know, it’s just a little different. 07:01.20Andy GellertYeah you want it to happen organically and you know listen he he comes around a lot of the meals and the family all gets together and a lot of time is talking about work so he’s interested and you know he spends weekends he came to the fancy food show they all came I can see what’s going on and it’s it’s a fun business so I think there’s opportunities for them in the future if they want but there’s no pressure we’re growing we we have a lot of we’ve done a great job of hiring a lot of outside ah you know ah 07:03.16vigorbrandingYeah. 07:19.45vigorbrandingYeah. 07:30.22Andy Gellertah you know professionals to help us run the business and they don’t have to come. re We’re doing well and you know they’re all going to enjoy the from the fruitfuls of the business as as it as it gets bigger but there’s no obligation for them to come in. We like them to come in but we don’t want to make a rule if they have to come in. 07:48.07vigorbrandingYeah, but on that note, and we’ll jump in more about the business, but on the family side, you mentioned earlier that we’re both in YPO. And we both know that a lot of YPO businesses are family owned businesses. And there’s there are challenges, right, with being family owned and led. I mean, you know, what, you know, can you talk a little bit about that? 08:05.93Andy GellertListen, it’s hard, but thank God for YPO. To me, it’s one of the best opportunities of my life. I really enjoyed all the people like yourself and getting involved in the Food Network and my New Jersey Forum. 08:23.49Andy GellertThese guys are my board of directors and my own personal board of directors. 08:26.70vigorbrandingyou 08:28.15Andy GellertThey really helped me grow. where you know where I was i was being stubborn, they told me to relax, where I was not being aggressive enough, they pushed me. And it’s just been a great environment for me to to prosper as a leader because of YPL. 08:43.66vigorbrandingThat’s great. When I know your food and beverage form or that group and boy, you know, I can’t believe you learned anything from them. So ah you guys have a group of, you guys have ah ah a group of, uh, of, uh, cherished individuals, yeah characters. 08:49.65Andy GellertThank you. 08:56.99Andy GellertWe’ve got a great group and we’ve been together for over, you know, some of us back almost 16, 18 years and it’s great. 08:58.20vigorbrandingYes, you do. 09:03.87Andy GellertI love seeing the guys and we don we try not to miss meetings and and we’re supportive of each other. 09:06.99vigorbrandingYeah, it’s cool. Yeah, I’ve had a couple of them one here, so it’s ah it’s been great. They’re they’re they’re like the characters, that’s for sure. So yeah and you mentioned your father got an award at Fancy Food. I was there at Fancy Food this year, and what it’s a great honor. He’s also a member of the New Jersey Business Hall of Fame. 09:24.61Andy GellertYeah, please listen, though we it’s not easy. I think we’re the 11th largest privately held business in New Jersey. We’re very proud of that. and we you know it’s We work hard and he deserves to be honored for what what what he’s accomplished. 09:39.11vigorbrandingYeah. i mean so As I was saying earlier, you know I get to meet folks and we get to see you know different folks at different shows. and i had i i mean I knew you ran a great, important company. I had no idea the size and scale. so you know on Your vision is to be a part of every food experience. and you know Well, I will say that sounds like a really you know audacious goal, right? But with your company, you kind of are. i mean you have you have you have You have a franchise, you have you import your frozen food, you have CPG, you have a private, I mean, it’s it’s incredible. 10:13.44vigorbrandingCan you talk a little bit about the breadth and the different companies within your organization? 10:15.87Andy GellertI mean, it’s exciting and I think we’ve grown over the years through acquisitions. I think the last 18 months we made three acquisitions. We’re probably closing on one the next month and have two on the table that we’re looking at. So growth is, you know, we’re always looking at mergers and acquisitions. And we like to say, listen, private equity, if you’re a family business, you want to stay apart, you know, how enjoy the ride, take some money off the table and join our family instead of private equity where they 10:44.81vigorbrandingYeah. 10:45.10Andy Gellertchange your business up and listen if you want to cash out you can always cash out but if you want to enjoy the ride a little bit longer and take some money off the table we’ve been very successful about people wanting to join a family business and ours is that we’re like a large very large family business so we get to a lot of opportunities to look at business deals. 11:05.69vigorbrandingYeah, and you know, ah your your ah passion for the business and your your love of people, it sort of precedes you. Like I’ve always seen that about you, your energy and i it’s not, it’s not, it’s not artificial. 11:18.40vigorbrandingYou do that. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen you at the booth when I’m standing walking the shows and stuff. And it’s, ah it’s really kind of ah really cool. And I’m sure that’s a compliment to your father and and I’m sure your whole family’s like that. But you do treat everybody like family. 11:29.62vigorbrandingAnd I think that’s ah admirable. 11:30.12Andy Gellertbut You know, network is always um is important to my father. I learned that from him early on. And being part of YPO, I love leveraging my network and not for myself, but helping people. 11:39.05vigorbrandingYeah. Yeah. 11:41.20Andy GellertI like investing in early stage CPGs and helping these young people and watching their passion and, you know, leading them to other opportunities. I love putting two people together and let let them prosper. 11:53.58Andy GellertIt’s it’s really a ah pleasure of mine, you know, watching that happen. 11:58.17vigorbrandingYeah, well, and that’s, that leads to success, right? 12:00.84Andy GellertIt’s really pure joy. 12:00.82vigorbrandingYou know, you help people out. 12:01.68Andy Gellertat You’re 100%. 12:01.74vigorbrandingYeah, absolutely. So, and I will say, ah you know, I’ve been informed with you and you were a treasure and valuables all get out. And the amount of people you know, and and the connections you have are second to none. 12:14.02Andy GellertWell, 12:14.00vigorbrandingAnd you know, 12:14.46Andy Gellertwe do have a good friend in LA who like to compare. 12:16.32vigorbrandingokay 12:17.18Andy GellertMy good friend, our good friend Clara, who probably knows one more than I do. 12:20.44vigorbrandingyeah hey 12:22.30Andy Gellertjob 12:23.31vigorbrandingheard I would always keep score when we’d be talking, like who knew who or who knew the other person better or whatever else, but I will say, yeah I’m excited for you to be on here because I know my podcast now will be, I’ll rival the the football games, you know the upcoming football games for for for viewership because because of you. 12:34.55Andy GellertYeah. 12:38.34vigorbrandingSo I just, I appreciate that. So, but but back when companies, though you have frozen, you have CPG. can you Can you talk a little bit about the different types of of ah products? 12:46.45Andy GellertYeah, so we’re in the frozen fruits, frozen vegetables. You know, we just actually, a few years ago, we invested in a company called Cafe Spice. I made him join YPO and they make ethnic meals. um I just, you know, we did ah the Bloomberg of Food, the Food Institute, 13:04.37Andy GellertWe made a minority investment in there. 13:04.43vigorbrandingYep. 13:06.90Andy Gellertwere you know We do a lot of different retail, private label, manufacturing. We’re just trying to leverage all the everything on a plate. look at you know we’re We’re looking at an olive business, a rice business. There’s so many opportunities out there. We just want to add on to our great team here. We’ve got great people. 13:27.64Andy Gellertah We have great sales people, great buyers, and you know, finance. And we just, we can do some more. So we’re looking for more opportunities. 13:33.69vigorbrandingMm hmm. That’s great. Do you need an ad agency? I’m just kidding. 13:37.95Andy GellertWe’ve said, a lot of us not our own brand. We do have some brands that we, that are ours. 13:43.18vigorbrandingYeah. 13:43.84Andy GellertAnd we bought, we bought two brands from, from UNFI, Mountain Vicos that was owned by UNFI and Sonoma Cheese. 13:48.53vigorbrandingMm hmm. 13:52.16Andy GellertSo we do, we do work on our brand. So we, you know, we and um we have a marketing department. 13:54.60vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 13:56.46Andy GellertWe got a, get you more engaged, Micah. 13:58.46vigorbrandingThere you go. 13:58.78Andy GellertI’ll get to that. 13:59.35vigorbrandingHey, I’m always here for that. That’s awesome. 14:01.26Andy GellertFor even your Philly cheesesteak, we’ll have a meeting, you know, that’s all I need. 14:03.59vigorbrandingYou got it. Hey, that’s done. No no no problem there. So when you’re when you’re building and you’re always looking for these new new products or companies, ah yeah what when you want to import them, what what factors are you looking at? 14:15.50vigorbrandinglike I mean, obviously you you go to need a lot of things, there but you’re in so many different places. What what is it that you’re you’re kind of like, what’s on your checklist at the top of the checklist? 14:23.65Andy GellertSo we want to look at something that makes sense. so if you know We love the the old math, one plus one equals four. So we want to find efficiencies. Maybe they’re doing the same thing we are, but they have a big they have a big finance team that we don’t really need going forward. 14:38.14Andy GellertOr maybe they’re in one segment of the business where we’re not in. 14:42.04vigorbrandingUh-huh. 14:42.16Andy GellertSo we try to really identify where we can do the math where one plus one equals four and five. 14:47.91vigorbrandingRight. 14:48.70Andy Gellertyou know we don’t want to doesn’t that A copycat doesn’t really help sometimes, but if they have a you know a big ah big staff on the some redundancy there, then it could make sense. 14:54.08vigorbrandingUh-huh. 14:58.10Andy GellertOtherwise, it could be a whole new field that we can add to our already you know deep bench of of products that we do. So we don’t have a playlist of what we’re looking for. We just look at different opportunities and see if they make sense. 15:11.27Andy Gellerti mean like Just like building a network, we love looking at decks and looking at opportunities or 15:16.32vigorbrandingMm hmm. 15:16.75Andy GellertWhy are companies for sale? Why aren’t they aren’t? And a lot of times, i likeck listen, this is going to go to private equity. We’re not going to need a bit because we know we’ll be blown out of the water. 15:25.59vigorbrandingright Yeah. Yeah. that makes That makes a lot of sense. So, I mean, obviously, and you know, I kind of had this philosophy as well in the business. It’s like, you’re opportunistic. You know, you’re not saying I’m looking for this exact thing. 15:36.91vigorbrandingIt has to be this big, that, you know, that that category doing that thing. It’s sort of like, Oh, here’s an opportunity. Hmm. This fits or no, it doesn’t fit. Or, Hey, this can enhance that. 15:43.96Andy GellertYeah. 15:44.95vigorbrandingAnd if we do this, maybe we can go here. And so I’ve always looked at that. It’s kind of fun to do it that way. I kind of always. 15:50.32Andy GellertIt’s not a good idea. You’re looking under the rug and see what’s there and putting that puzzle together because like I said, a big company that’s competitive in mind, it’s going to go for a lot more for private equity. 15:51.60vigorbrandingYeah. 15:54.65vigorbrandingYeah. 16:03.40Andy GellertI don’t even want to play in there. I don’t have private equity money where I could afford to strike out. 16:05.38vigorbrandingRight. 16:10.74Andy GellertI want to make sure these are successful acquisitions and they fit in them all. 16:15.96vigorbrandingYeah, and you make a really good point because we’ve seen, you know, I’ll say, and um I know you’ve seen for sure, but in my business with CPG and in the restaurant side, private equity will come in and they, I’m not gonna say they don’t care if they fail, but they they know it’s a numbers game. 16:31.27vigorbrandingThey know that all aren’t gonna pan out. So they make these investments and then they they do their, they they they they apply their playbook and then, you know, if it’s like baseball. if they They hit three out of, ah if they hit three out of 10, they feel like they’ve done something and and you probably have financially, but 16:40.88Andy Gellertyeah 16:44.73vigorbrandingThe other seven are just left to the wayside. 16:46.68Andy GellertExactly. And and they’ve, you know, they can afford to do that. We really don’t want to do that. 16:49.73vigorbrandingYeah. Yeah. 16:51.36Andy GellertAnd we don’t want to, we don’t want to lose direction. 16:51.34vigorbrandingNo. 16:53.42Andy GellertI mean, listen, and we like, you know, we’re very big and we’re happy wherever you are, but we’re not in a goal to rush to get to 2 billion. 17:00.89vigorbrandingRight. 17:01.14Andy GellertWouldn’t get there smart. And if it means paring down and skew rationalization to be more profitable, all the better. 17:06.88vigorbrandingMm hmm. Do you find yourself doing that a lot? Do you do you have to go in there and and do skew rationalization or? 17:12.64Andy Gellertall the time, all the time, we really, you know, skew rash, customer rationalization, and we’ll bundle a bunch of customers and give them to a bigger customer just to make sure our warehouse is more efficient. 17:13.21vigorbrandingYeah. 17:16.68vigorbrandingYeah. 17:21.11vigorbrandingYeah. 17:23.25Andy GellertIt’s really all about efficiency. I mean, as you get bigger, you could be more efficient. 17:24.87vigorbrandingYeah. 17:27.21Andy GellertAnd, but you have to be diligent and skew rationalization, customer rationalization, people rationalization, you know, rationalization as well. 17:32.84vigorbrandingYep. 17:35.97Andy GellertYou know, it’s important. 17:37.23vigorbrandingYeah. And that’s that’s such ah’ such an interesting point because I think, you know, and I’ll say i’ll say in my own experience, you know, i in our holding company, we have several different marketing companies and I’m always afraid to let customers go. 17:48.21vigorbrandingLike, oh, though no, that we can do it for them. Sometimes it’s not good business, right? And sometimes you have to make those tough decisions and, you know, it’s it’s hard to let employees go, but it’s it’s hard for you to let, or I’ll say for me, to let a piece of business go, a paying customer. 17:52.67Andy GellertYeah. 18:00.83Andy GellertYeah, ah it’s, you know, you don’t like the same thing. But, but you got to look at it like, you know, you still have another 300 other employees out there that you want to do for the better the of the group. 18:07.78vigorbrandingRight. 18:10.14vigorbrandingRight. 18:10.45Andy GellertSo it makes sense to let someone go or let a customer go in order to be more efficient for everyone else. 18:10.42vigorbrandingThat’s right. 18:17.54Andy GellertSo it’s hard. 18:17.83vigorbrandingyeah 18:19.55Andy GellertAnd initially, it’s hard. But over time, you realize It’s a better decision and to be you know to be more efficient and just try. 18:27.95vigorbrandingAbsolutely. So I mean, one of the things that, you you know, we have the two agencies, we have quench, we have, ah which is CPG food and beverage, we have a vart of Vigor, which is ah ah restaurant marketing. and you you You cover them all because you’re in franchise with five guys, you’re in, you know, in the CPG world. um You know, it’s it’s sort of like, it’s hard to keep track of everything. How do you manage it all? I mean, I know you have different folks, but you’re sitting up there, are you just pulling up a different P and&L for each of these business units every two days? or 18:56.16Andy GellertI mean, we’re on ah basically a lot of these Zoom calls and just listening in and we just had one a few minutes ago, you know, we do a lot of nut and dry fruit business and we’re working on getting bigger in the bakery in the in the supermarket. 19:09.09Andy GellertSo how could we be, you know, and and we sat down today and we talked about all of our items and they all fit in the bakery. bill We’re selling very little of the bakery. So it’s an untapped market and it gets everyone excited. 19:21.02Andy GellertAnd we sit down and f throw things at the wall and see what sticks. 19:24.19vigorbrandingThat’s great. 19:24.58Andy GellertAnd we’re kind of fun. like we just said hey You know, we do this item, this will be good for, and I just, I love sitting in these meetings and just, you know, throwing out ideas. 19:32.21vigorbrandingThat’s great. That’s great. Very cool. Well, I know at Quench, you know, the CPG side, we would do to learn, to understand the industry. You know, we started the agency in food and beverage. 19:43.65vigorbrandingIt’s like, you can’t just say you do advertising and marketing food and beverage. You have to have an expertise. We’re going to hire people from the CPG world. But then what we did was we created a food and beverage trench to learn what was going on. 19:54.01vigorbrandingRight. And the first year we’ve done them for 15 years. You know, you’ve probably seen me speak on them at different events. 20:00.02Andy GellertYeah, are you do a great job. I love hearing your updates on the YPO conferences and you really got a pulse of what’s going on in the industry. 20:07.49vigorbrandingYeah. would So we we would do that. just We did it actually just for our own edification, just to learn. And then when we did it, we said, well, let’s let’s just give these away. So we do them every year. We give them away, fast companies written about them and all that. Do you use trends ah for your business to for like that next big thing? 20:21.92vigorbrandingOr is it more of truly just looking at the pieces and moving things around on the board? 20:26.18Andy GellertWe look at trends, we look at pieces, you know, we lot of our a lot of our suppli customers say, we like this item, can you go out and find it for us? And we got people or, you know, and in some cases we do a lot of business, some of our our customers say, here’s an item, you know here’s the supplier, you know, you’re you’re a great importer, we want you to import it for us. So it just, because we’re a trusted supplier, we’re good at logistics, they actually given us business to to handle. 20:53.89Andy GellertAnd it’s it’s exciting. And then we take that business and look at other opportunities as well. 20:59.70vigorbrandingHow is there anything are you doing anything in the beverage side is it mostly all just food? 21:01.22Andy Gellerte 21:04.27Andy GellertNo, I mean, we the beverage side we have, so we, Cipriani, you know, the so we we handle all their CPG items. 21:09.46vigorbrandingMm-hmm Okay Mm-hmm 21:13.80Andy GellertSo they make a the bulini mix, non-alcoholic bulini. So we’re slowly getting it. That’s our beverage and, you know, we’ll see where that takes us. but That’s new space for us. 21:24.96Andy GellertAnd we’re doing it on the retail side. Now we’re looking to try to listen to all the beverage distributors we don’t really touch on. So we’re getting a ah handle on that business as well. 21:31.95vigorbrandingMm-hmm. Yeah. 21:34.96Andy GellertSo that’s the only part of beverage. know I’m an investor in a few CPG, like Ollie Pop and Lemon Perfect, a few others. 21:40.57vigorbrandingMm-hmm. 21:43.06Andy GellertBut but not I think that’s a tough space. But I think we’re we’re getting our feet wet with this Trippiani land. 21:48.39vigorbrandingSee, that’s interesting. 21:48.67Andy GellertWe’re very excited. 21:50.05vigorbrandingYou’re 11 perfect. We just took over their space in Atlanta. They’re headquartered in Atlanta, yeah. 21:53.76Andy GellertOh, 21:54.76vigorbrandingAnd we just took over their space. They went ah they went all virtual, so yeah. 21:58.07Andy Gellertyeah. Yani went to Cornell with me. 22:00.32vigorbrandingYeah. Oh, is that right? 22:00.83Andy GellertYeah, yeah he’s a you should get him on your podcast. 22:03.45vigorbrandingWell, I’ve met him, he’s a great guy. 22:05.26Andy GellertI he’s Mr. Energy. It was his birthday this week. 22:06.69vigorbrandingOh my gosh. 22:07.72Andy GellertSo I just I love that guy. 22:08.28vigorbrandingIs that right? I will reach out to him. Yeah, i we you you can you can appreciate this, Andy, you know me pretty well. 22:11.20Andy GellertHe 22:15.37vigorbrandingSo i’m goingnna I was gonna sublease his his office, right? So you know it’s a real estate deal. I’m gonna sublease it, we’re gonna move from one ah ah one office to this other office. So I talked to him and he was like, he was going 180 miles an hour and it was great and all that. 22:29.28vigorbrandingAnd I was like, I really like this guy. And I’m like, 22:31.92Andy GellertHe’s an infectious personality. 22:32.86vigorbrandingYeah. 22:33.53Andy Gellertyou 22:33.75vigorbrandingAnd I’m like, you know, johnny i said hey if you want, I mean, I’ll, I’ll do the deal here with you, but if you want to stay, like, you know, I mean your energy and what you’re, you’re in the beverage, that’s what we do. 22:44.21vigorbrandingI mean, you can stay, you know, like if you have meetings here and like your, if your people come in, like it’s a big enough space for all of us, I’m not asking for anything on the other side. 22:46.07Andy GellertYeah. 22:51.86vigorbrandingah You can stay. I mean, I just i thought energy, you know, creates more energy. So, and we talked about that, but then he was like, you know, isn’t that crazy? 22:57.60Andy GellertThat’s so funny to know that guy. I met him at Expo West. And he had a small little table. 23:03.20vigorbrandingYep. 23:03.40Andy GellertAnd I’m like, wow, this guy’s this guy has a firecracker. 23:07.14vigorbrandingYeah. 23:07.31Andy GellertAnd I’m like, um’m I’m supporting you. 23:09.42vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 23:09.51Andy GellertAnd it’s a great story. 23:11.92vigorbrandingThat’s very cool. That’s the end goes to show you know everybody that’s amazing to me amazing. That’s funny. 23:17.14Andy GellertTake that, Clara. 23:21.03vigorbrandingI’ll make sure we tell her that. 23:22.87Andy Gellertbut 23:22.95vigorbrandingSo, all right, now I’m gonna bring up something, I guess negative or whatever, but inflation. Inflation is, ah you know, is it affects every industry, especially food. 23:28.56Andy GellertIt’s tough. its you know 23:30.55vigorbrandingYeah. how How much of an impact has that had on you guys? 23:32.99Andy GellertThat’s a very important product. 23:33.03vigorbrandingand 23:34.29Andy GellertSo our product are expensive already. And so it’s tough. We have to find you know so you know find other opportunities. That’s why we invested in this cafe spice that makes meals. 23:44.93Andy GellertSo maybe we make things more efficient for more of our customers and look at other opportunities. Maybe so source something that’s coming from Europe, getting it from South America. And and we’re always looking for ways to skin. 23:59.19Andy GellertWe started importing French fries from Belgium. to the East Coast because it’s it’s more effective and looking at opportunities like that. and Now we’re looking at opportunities in India. You always have to turn over rocks, look for more opportunities. It’s scary. 24:14.30Andy Gellertand it’s it’s you know the It’s all the news, the the price inflation. So we’re always looking for newer opportunities to try to make things better for our customers. 24:25.43vigorbrandingAnd being a global you know accessing globally with conflict and things like that, I mean obviously that’s affecting everything. i mean are you having are you ah is there um Is there ever a chance where one area of the business is sort of shut down or hey we can’t get this from there? 24:40.46Andy GellertYeah, things happen all the time. I mean, you know, when the Ukraine war first started, you know, it was it was a big factor because happened old Europe was tough. 24:42.39vigorbrandingIt’s crazy. 24:51.28Andy GellertAnd then when there was a ah big problem of freight from the from from Asia, supply chain issues from COVID. I mean, we’ve we’ve seen them all, Mike. 25:00.35vigorbrandingcrazy 25:01.71Andy GellertAnd now ah there’s an impending dock strike that’s going to come. So that’s going to affect from Maine all the way to Texas. 25:07.59vigorbrandinghear about that? 25:09.05Andy Gellertand 25:09.51vigorbrandingYeah. 25:09.86Andy GellertThat’s really making us very nervous and our customers nervous. 25:11.55vigorbrandingOh yeah. 25:12.86Andy GellertSo, but we, you know, we do the best we can and we keep fighting every day, you know, get up, get up and play some tennis, you know. 25:13.80vigorbrandingWow. 25:18.34vigorbrandingYes, I was gonna say, you get played tennis and smile and have a positive attitude and that’s the secret sauce. 25:23.15Andy GellertYou just got to, you know. 25:25.04vigorbrandingYou know, and I do love because every time I’m talking, I think, I think you always say, yeah, I played tennis with my dad this morning and you know, family businesses, there’s so many family businesses that end up like not talking to each other and you hear all the the generational strife or the the falling apart. 25:37.72vigorbrandingThe fact that you you still hang with your dad, my dad was my best friend. So that’s just so near and dear to me. It’s incredible. I think that’s so awesome. 25:43.18Andy GellertWell, today is a little, today is a little flat with him. I showed up at his house at 10 to 6, pouring rain, and the the match was canceled. So I had to wake up for nothing, and I’m a little annoyed. 25:50.67vigorbrandingah Oh boy. 25:53.10Andy GellertBut that doesn’t matter at all. 25:55.76vigorbrandingI hope you don’t ever let him win. 25:57.56Andy GellertWell, i I’m his partner. He doesn’t move very well, and people, no one was allowed to drop shot him, you know? 25:59.16vigorbrandingOkay. 26:04.11Andy Gellertget Everyone starts booing, whoever dropped off him. 26:06.88vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 26:07.02Andy GellertBut it was an accident. They’re like, no, you know? He’s got a bunch of rules, you know? 26:11.16vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. It’s his own tennis game, right? It’s his own. 26:13.99Andy Gellerttheel game is his ze tennis game 26:16.17vigorbrandingThat’s fantastic. So, if I if i may ask, and I know if there’s something you can’t say, that’s fine, but what’s what’s next for Gellert Global? I mean, what is anything new on the horizon, anything exciting you could talk about? 26:23.54Andy Gellerti We’re looking at more opportunities. you know we will be like We have such a great team. We have such great suppliers, such great employees, such great customers. We just want to keep doing what we’re doing and look for more opportunities. And if it makes sense to to make an acquisition, we’re going to do it. 26:40.44Andy Gellertand uh, it’s, it’s fun. You know, I mean, you know, just look at my cousin and the five guys, we were like 12, five guys. Now this year, by the end of the year, we’ll have a hundred. I mean, it’s just, uh, opportunistic and good people and growth to move forward. 26:50.43vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 26:57.42vigorbrandingYeah. And, and Dan Rowe, as you mentioned, he’s a king of a guy and he, he was actually on the podcast and he, he’s, he’s fantastic. 27:00.10Andy GellertYeah. 27:03.17vigorbrandingSo that’s good company right there. 27:05.70Andy GellertYeah. Yeah. We were at a YPL event and he’s like, and we’ we’re looking My cousin at the time had a bunch of cinnabons and we’re looking for our second concept and we’re at a YPO in DC. 27:11.89vigorbrandingUh-huh. 27:15.43Andy GellertHe’s like, Andy, come try this concept. And I took a bite of the five guy burger. I’m like, this is like a, like the, when you taste a cinnabon for the first time, it’s wow factor. 27:23.93vigorbrandingRight. Yeah. 27:25.78Andy GellertI called my cousin and the next thing we know, we you know we’re down there signing the deal. So it was, it’s been a great journey. 27:30.70vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. Yeah. Fantastic. Very cool. All right. So now I asked this question. I have one last question, right? And this probably, well, I don’t know if it’ll be easy for you, but it’s not like you have to say, you can’t say five guys. 27:41.96vigorbrandingSo I have to fill it out there. So, but if you have one final meal, what would you eat and why, and I’m going to say this too. 27:48.70Andy GellertLike, that’s the hardest thing because I love. 27:48.90vigorbrandingAnd and and who with, I want to know who with. 27:52.53Andy GellertThat’s like the hardest question anyone can ever ask me. I love like, it’s like, we I think I told you was before we started out that you was open with my son and my wife and there’s so much food options. 28:00.19vigorbrandingYeah. 28:04.26Andy GellertI had a headache. I couldn’t find what to get. Would I get to the Korean bowl or the palette for the steak sandwich? or or the fancy chicken with truffles, the dumplings. 28:15.10Andy Gellertyou know i’m like I almost get a headache, I can’t even decide. 28:15.19vigorbrandingyeah 28:19.04Andy Gellertso back It’s impossible. I just i love eating, I love food experiences, I love being surprised. I like going to a chef and say, just surprise me. 28:29.38Andy Gellertonly even Just give me what you you you do best and let me try it. 28:29.31vigorbrandingYeah. 28:33.30Andy Gellertand and you know it’s really i can’t i There’s not one meal that I have to have. i 28:39.23vigorbrandingYeah. 28:40.25Andy GellertI love a good sandwich. I love a good burger. I got a good steak. I like Italian, French, Spanish food, everything. 28:45.72vigorbrandingYep. ah You know, it’s funny. i I’m the same way. I’m lucky. I can eat anything. Like I don’t get nothing. I don’t have any allergies. I don’t get sicker. But you know, if I have a go to at a certain thing at a certain place, i will I’ll have a go at my go to. 28:56.26vigorbrandingBut nine out of 10 times when I go to a restaurant, like whatever the chef wants to make, because I figured he’s gonna put his heart and soul on it. 28:56.44Andy Gellerte 29:00.90Andy GellertYeah. 29:02.21vigorbrandingRight. If it’s, if I’m asking him his opinion. 29:02.59Andy Gellertbut i agree yeah if if if If they put it on the menu and then they’re behind it, I would take their recognition and set something I really want. 29:05.89vigorbrandingYeah. 29:09.81Andy Gellertso My father, yeah. 29:10.21vigorbrandingRight. That’s right. That’s right. You nailed it. And I love the fact that you mentioned the U.S. Open and there was somebody there at the U.S. Open that had better seats than you, which was your. Of course, yeah. 29:21.87vigorbrandingAndy, you know, I love being with you. I love talking to you and I appreciate your time. ah Just thank you so much for being on Fork Tales. 29:28.25Andy Gellertah mike First of all, congratulations to you and the organization you built and you’ve always been You’re always smiling, too. i mean actually That’s why we like each other so much. 29:36.16vigorbrandingYeah. 29:36.89Andy GellertWe’re always smiling. Have a good time. And your trends are amazing. And I really enjoyed seeing you and doing this with yourself. 29:43.81vigorbrandingfantastic well thank you so much 29:45.78Andy GellertAll right? 29:46.39vigorbrandingtake care 29:46.78Andy GellertTake care. Bye. 29:47.78vigorbrandingright 30:07.41vigorbrandingFantastic. 30:11.01vigorbrandingWell, thank you so much. Take care. 

Dan Rowe is the Founder and CEO of Fransmart, one of the largest restaurant franchise development firms in the world. Fransmart specializes in finding the next big thing at the earliest stages and has sold over 5,000 franchises worldwide. He joins Matt to share his extensive experience in the franchise world, discussing the strategies for identifying and developing successful restaurant brands. Dan emphasizes the importance of authentic brand DNA, strong unit economics, and the right franchisee selection. Tune in for valuable advice for first-time franchisees!

It can be very stressful to run your own business as a tradesperson, so today Chance wanted to know about the biggest headaches you experience as business owners working in the trade, and what exists to take some of these pressures away. I was joined by friend of the show Liam Cassidy from LA Joinery and Building Ltd and Dan Rowe from ToolTime's UK Operation!There's also the pub lunch quiz for your chance to grab yourself 6 points as well as the very best messages that we received - enjoy!

In this episode, Dan Rowe interviews Ewell Smith, a franchise broker, about his background and experience in the franchising industry. Ewell shares his extensive experience in running trade associations and dealing with crises, which has shaped his approach to helping entrepreneurs find the right franchise opportunities. He emphasizes the importance of genuine interest and a certain skill set in franchise ownership. Ewell also discusses the role of franchise brokers and the value they bring to the franchising process. He highlights the need for effective communication and building relationships between franchisors and consultants. Ewell provides advice for prospective business owners and offers insights into the franchise assessment process and finding financing. Takeaways ➡️ Genuine interest and a certain skill set are crucial for success in franchise ownership. ➡️ Franchise brokers play a valuable role in helping entrepreneurs find the right franchise opportunities. ➡️ Effective communication and building relationships are key to successful partnerships between franchisors and consultants. ➡️ Prospective business owners should seek franchise attorneys and explore financing options to navigate the franchising process. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:21 Experience with Crisis Management 03:08 Importance of Genuine Interest 04:58 The Support of a Spouse 06:28 The Value of Broker Networks 07:53 The Role of Franchise Brokers 09:37 The Franchise Assessment Process 10:21 Finding Franchisees 11:03 The Importance of Communication 12:19 Knowing When to Say No 12:51 Building a Multi-Unit Franchise Business 13:46 Success Stories 15:03 Finding Franchisees through Leads and Marketing 16:19 Drawing Attention and Building Relationships 17:38 The Power of Marketing 18:49 Working with Franchise Consultants 19:18 Effective Communication with Consultants 20:13 Advice for Prospective Business Owners 21:12 Additional Assistance for Prospects 22:45 Understanding the FDD and Finding Financing 24:10 The Benefits of Using Franchise Consultants 25:05 The Importance of Building Relationships 26:03 Closing Remarks and Contact Information

This week Tim, Andy and Liam are joined by Dan Rowe from Andy's Man Club to discuss his Welcome to Wrexham appearance and how he's helping to end the stigma surrounding men's mental health.PLUS: The Kelce brothers become the latest celebrity Wrexham fans The EFL TV deal and what it means Wrexham Women defeated but determinedExclusive transfer newsWhy Steve Parkin is brilliant___________Enjoyed this Fat Boar-sponsored episode? Then please...

Fransmart is a global leader in franchise development. For over 20 years, they've excelled at turning emerging concepts into national and global brands. Led by company founder Dan Rowe, Fransmart is known throughout the franchising community for spotting and growing brands like Five Guys Burgers & Fries and Qdoba Mexican Grill, from single unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today. Fransmart has built restaurants in all of the top 150 media markets in North America. Fransmart's success stories include Five Guys, Qdoba Mexican Grill and Halal Guys – a franchise that started from a success food cart in New York City. Today, Halal Guys is the most successful Middle Eastern restaurant in America. Dan's success stems from his knowledge of each market and the potential franchisees in each market. With that knowledge, he can often predict whether a restaurant will find franchisees and be successful. The biggest mistake a lot of franchisees make is picking the wrong brand to invest in. Another mistake franchisees make is not following the system put in place by the brand they're investing in.  QUOTES “A good franchisee wants to follow somebody else's system. A bad franchisee buys a franchise and tries to do everything different.” (Dan)  “In every market, we know where the best operators are, we know where the best intersections are, where the best projects are, the best architects, contractors, food distributors, so we just sort of developed this knack for understanding the best way to do everything in these markets.” (Dan) “I want to be relentless about getting the right site (for a new restaurant). For any concept, there's 10 or 15 or 20 potential sites. But there's really only three or four first sites. You have to be very careful when you're building a brand in a brand new market. There's something very strategic about using real estate and real estate's role in marketing.” (Dan) “You have to be really good at knowing exactly where your bullseye's are and coming up with some logic around what order you should be growing.” (Dan) “You have staff for the sales you want and you have to staff for the company you're trying to build.” (Dan) “I've never seen a concept that I can't figure out how to drive sales and lower costs.” (Dan)  TRANSCRIPT 00:00.00vigorbrandingHello if you’re a restaurant looking to become an an international restaurant chain or if you’re um, you know I’m gonna start over I’m sorry it’s kind of fumble that all just yeah, hello if you’re a restaurant looking to become an international restaurant chain or if you’re an entrepreneur who wants to own a franchise today’s episode is for you. My guest is Dan Rowe he’s the Ceo and founder of fransmart and he takes emerging restaurant concepts and turns them into national and international franchises. He’s been called the chainmakerr and we’re gonna talk to him today about his process. Dan. Thank you so much for joining us. 00:32.74dan_fransmart_comUm, yeah, thanks, thanks for having me. 00:36.52vigorbrandingWell let’s just jump right in. Let’s start with Fransmart tell me a little bit about it How you started maybe a little bit about your history and where you got your start. 00:44.96dan_fransmart_comsure sure I I started washing dishes and cooking got into technology if id never went to college so barelegged out of high school. So I but I was lucky enough when I was like nineteen eighteen and a half nineteen for about 5 years I got into technology. Worked for a guy that grew software companies made some money and what do I do go right back in the restaurant business I bought a franchise of a bagel bakery and it was a 6 unit bagel chain in Washington d c I lived in California the idea originally was to bring the franchise to California ah, because there’s no bagel shops near me. And I went into business with a buddy mine and his wife and they wanted to move to Denver so we opened up our first franchise in Denver I had negotiated a deal I said hey if we’re successful with this I want to also do your franchising and because I’m proving you outside of Dc where all your stores are. We were very successful and I was 23 I think he was 25 enty five or 26 and we were more successful than most of the stores that they had in Dc so we did their franchise development and we grew them from 6 stores to around 200 in about 4 years sold the company. 01:51.64vigorbrandingWow. 01:57.90dan_fransmart_com1 of my shops in Denver was across from the first Chipotle we tried to get him to franchise. He wasn’t interest in he did just fine without us but somebody who copied him was ah Kudoba Kudoba mexican so we approached Kudoba we got involved with Kedoba when they were only open a couple months. 01:59.35vigorbrandingI. 02:13.86dan_fransmart_comHelped him put together the whole franchise program grew that to think about 100 open and few hundred in development sold that to Jack in the box and at that point I had grown 2 companies at a time as individual, you know, like 2 different companies at a time under 2 different companies. And then I said it was 2000. Everything was a.com back then and I said you know what I’m going to I’m going to start a new company instead of growing one brand at a time I’m going to grow a portfolio at a time so we started fransmart. 02:45.15vigorbrandingThat’s brilliant Now you know, ah and talking with you I’ve learned a couple things number one I did 2 work in the restaurant first and I believe wholeheartedly that everyone should start out working a restaurant. You’ve got to take orders. You’ve got to get things Done. You have to execute you have to talk to people by and large. You have to get to know how to handle problems I mean there’s a whole lot of education that happens in a restaurant doesn’t it. The other thing I It’s very humbling. Ah, that’s right, That’s absolutely right? The other thing I will say is I also did not. 03:04.41dan_fransmart_comYeah, yeah, yeah, it’s It’s also humiliating and it’s humbling and it’s ah it’s good. It’s good to see why you should treat people better. 03:17.44vigorbrandingGo to college I I was a creative guy so I just like thought well hell I’m really smart at doing these big ideas and creating stuff I don’t need to go school so I didn’t and you know at the end of the day. It’s it’s kind of funny because 1 time my daughter was asked in school like hey do your parents ever have any sayings you know like you know what? what are they known for saying and. 03:23.23dan_fransmart_comYeah. 03:34.41vigorbrandingMy my daughter raised your hands and my dad said C students run the world so that was me I was just like yeah an underachiever. But just I worked really hard. So anyway, um so look with frasmar. Essentially you take this guesswork out of franchising right? You’re connecting entrepreneurs. 03:36.80dan_fransmart_comYeah. 03:51.90vigorbrandingAh, the one to get into the restaurant ownership business with emerging restaurants and I mean so you’re’re, you’re finding great ideas or you have these great ideas. You’re finding people that that are business people and maybe good operators but also teaching them how to operate um you know So what? at the end of the day. What makes a good franchisee. 04:05.99dan_fransmart_comA good franchisee wants to follow somebody else’s system a bad franchisee buys a franchise and then tries to do everything different or or argues with the the company. But yeah I mean franspart’s main business were franchise development company. We have big picture vision. So like with 5 guys. You know we didn’t invent burgers. We just saw a micro niche of you know, fresh burgers and nobody really owned that segment we saw burger King Wendy’s Mcdonald’s but nobody was really doing high quality. Um chefy food and. So 5 guys was in Dc they were near us. They won these awards all the time for best burgers. They had a really really good hamburger. It was more expensive than the other guys. Whatever but they had 4 units and I just said you know what? I’ve already grown you know mexican chain a bagel chain all across the country There’s nobody else doing this in any other market around the country and so our playbook is basically become we. We’ve built restaurants and all the top hundred and fifty biggest media markets in North america so New York’s the biggest something around Savannah Georgia or something like that is somewhere around one fifty 05:12.95vigorbrandingMe. 05:20.00dan_fransmart_comAnd in in every market we know who the best operators are we know where the best intersections are the best projects are the best architects contractors food distributors and so we’ve just sort of developed this knack for understanding the best known way to do everything in every one of these markets and so yeah, we did it with 5 guys. We. You know, wound up growing those guys I think we grew them from 6 4 4 locations to about 100 open a few hundred in development we sold. They’re like 2000 stores. Um, we did with halal guys. So here’s another thing like my premise was gosh. There’s a billion and a half muslims in the world. And when I go to Chipotle or Starbucks I’d ask my wife like do you know any muslim actors or singers or apparel companies or tech companies or car companies or food brands. There’s a no no no no no I’m like well wait a minute There’s a the biggest demographic population in the world and there’s no brand. 06:10.71vigorbrandingA. 06:16.28dan_fransmart_comAnd so and we were opening american brands over in the Middle East and so you know most of our franchisees are super wealthy. Many of them are royal family and the first night they gee whiz you with their homes and just the way that they live. Second day they’re like what do you want to do and I said I want to go get street food and they would take you to some of this amazing amazing middle eastern street food and I tell myself I’m like somebody’s going to figure out how to build a brand out of this and so we did with the halal guys. Ah, we hal. All guys was a cart in New York City for 25 years They had 3 carts in the city. Not even a food truck just a cart but they made really good kind of chicken or gyro over rice with this white sauce and. 06:47.34vigorbrandingUm, yeah. 07:00.43dan_fransmart_comAnd people stood in line for it and I’m like okay here we go so I found that same thing same playbook biggest 150 media markets. Best franchise operators you know exactly where to put them so anyone I mean sometimes these locations anybody could succeed there. 07:16.49vigorbrandingYeah. 07:16.65dan_fransmart_comBut that’s part of the hack. That’s part of the hack is is going into these markets and we’d pick great operators I remember the the 2 corporate stores that we built in New York City both did like ridiculous volume like 2 times what a 5 guys in the same location would do because we picked the right site. 07:34.20vigorbrandingHe. 07:36.18dan_fransmart_comThe first franchisee in Chicago opened up to like $80000 a week or some weird number the first California in first the first California store that we opened up clear across the country did over 100 grand it’s first week in sales. So. 07:48.67vigorbrandingWell. 07:51.51dan_fransmart_comYou take a good concept you package it right? and then you just have to build the right teams that can handle the volume pick the right locations and but that’s our playbook. We just keep doing it over and over. 08:01.41vigorbrandingThat’s fantastic That makes it mean it’s awesome and so like I have to ask like so the Halal guys I mean I’ve eaten it I mean I know know the carts I know that I know the whole deal Did you just like walk up there one day and say hey guys I’d like to talk to you about an idea I have. 08:12.41dan_fransmart_comSo they didn’t even have a website they didn’t have a website. They didn’t have a social media page. They had a fan page So a fan had created what I thought was the website. It wasn’t a website it was called. 08:21.50vigorbrandingScott. 08:26.38dan_fransmart_comFifty third and 6 are dot com or whatever it was but it was a fan page and I so and I basically emailed and they said hey I’ve done this and this and this and this and I want to do middle eastern and the guy’s like hey ah I don’t actually own it I’m just creating a fan page because I love these guys I’m like can you introduce me to them and they introduce me to him. 08:42.85vigorbrandingWow. 08:46.36dan_fransmart_comBut it was funny I’ll never forget when I went to go meet him I’m like hey I’m the guy that did 5 guys in qdoba and they’re like what’s that like they don’t know these were super religious muslim. They come to America looking for the american dream I mean. 08:53.20vigorbrandingYeah, yeah, yeah, so yeah. 09:01.88dan_fransmart_comAwesome founders, amazing! Beautiful people, great people. They came to America look they all had advanced degrees came here looking to the american dream and America basically shut the door and they started off driving cabs and they just you know, kind of worked really hard and then they opened a street cart. Was originally a hot dog cart that that they converted to halal food and they would use it as a way to sort of give people jobs like bring family members and friends over here and give them jobs and they had a couple of these carts but it’s like in the beginning when I was first trying to tell them. Oh I’ve got this big vision I want to go do all this stuff. 09:25.29vigorbrandingMay he. 09:36.38vigorbrandingYeah. 09:36.82dan_fransmart_comThey’re like what are you talking about and you know because they they just weren’t they didn’t realize they didn’t see what I saw and they and they were not taken at all with my background they could care less. Yeah. 09:44.63vigorbrandingWell, and yeah, they they had to start with they start with probably nothing right? So to get the cart and be able to get a corner probably was like they felt like they had they’d achieved a you know a lot which they had but they had no idea with with the capacity of that you could bring them like in in the locations and everything. 09:57.46dan_fransmart_comNo no and and and they didn’t care they frankly they said we don’t want to open what they didn’t want to do was be embarrassed, be ashamed. They’re like very prideful of what they do. It’s funny when you talk to the owners. They still talk about they could talk for. 10:03.10vigorbrandingWow. 10:15.46dan_fransmart_com10 minutes just about this plate of food and how to make that plate of food perfect and it’s like that’s why they have those long lines right? So like a guy like me I’m not the reason that they’re successful. They’re successful because they care about that plate of food tasting the way it tastes. 10:15.96vigorbrandingHe. Yeah. 10:30.31dan_fransmart_comYou know my job is not to screw it up but that it took a year from the time I first met him to the time that they finally said let’s go and it was mainly me convincing them that I wasn’t going to screw it up like this is a way that they’re feeding their family. They’re very proud of what they built and even though they didn’t have social media or whatever everybody knew what it was it was just 10:39.27vigorbrandingMy home. 10:49.71dan_fransmart_comThere’s 8000000 carts in the city and 3 of them have long long like absurdly long lines and they just didn’t want me to screw that up. So yeah. 10:55.79vigorbrandingUm, so I mean for us I mean you know we we do marketing and advertising so we focus on the restaurant segment with vigor and like they they took off is it because I kind of think it might be but. Because of the long lines in New York because of the word of mouth. Do you think it was just one of those things once they start getting locations people just kind of knew of it already because they had been exposed to it from the street or or is it like a lot of word of mouth or how do you think the explosion happened. 11:17.40dan_fransmart_comUm, well well yeah I mean well to take a step back a million people tried to knock him off none of them have none of a have a million people when this thing started to fly everybody who’s put the word halal. 11:26.40vigorbrandingHe wow. 11:35.29dan_fransmart_comOn their cart in their storefront or whatever when when I started franchising this. There was all these metoo copycats. None of them are around and it’s because they’re not authentic and they didn’t do the right thing but no, it took off what I did is the way I marketed it to people outside of New York was funny. The first few franchisees. 11:36.52vigorbrandingYep. 11:42.10vigorbrandingWow. 11:53.96vigorbrandingIn here. 11:54.63dan_fransmart_comKnew it from New York like when they would come to New York they would go there and so like my Chicago franchisee my vegas franchise or my um southern cow in my Houston franchisees even my Dc franchisee they they every time they went up to New York they went there so the minute that they found out we were franchising they they bought it. Everybody else? What? what? What would happen is we would just market pictures of the line so initially it was lines of the cart and so people would be like what is roe babbling on about and it’s like this long line would at least stop them to get them to look you know at the next line or at the next page. 12:17.41vigorbrandingHere here. 12:31.38dan_fransmart_comAnd then as soon as the first couple stores opened this the Southern California store doing 100 grandits first week that line looked like ah I mean it was Quarter mile long and so like even the news was taking pictures of it. So all I did is reposted what the news because. 12:41.45vigorbrandingA. 12:48.90vigorbrandingSure no doubt. 12:49.70dan_fransmart_comYou know it’s also a credibility technique. It’s like if I if I post a long long line people like yeah if the news posts it. It seems more credible. So yeah, we we just. In the beginning we would we kind of did that I didn’t want to explain with a lot of words what the concept was or what I thought it could be I just wanted to show long lines and then that would get people to come see it. Try it eat it and then you meet the owners and you just know like this this we had. 13:12.92vigorbrandingYeah, it’s authentic. 13:16.35dan_fransmart_comAlmost everybody who came in for Discovery day wanted a franchise but they wouldn’t approve him. They were very picky about who they let in I mean it’s funny. We had a guy that came in and the minute that they that they gave in the indication they weren’t going to run the place right? or hire the right team out like they would even get up and leave the meeting and um. 13:28.82vigorbrandingE well. 13:35.74dan_fransmart_comAnd then we even had a guy come in I’ll never forget it. He goes does the meat really have to be halal does it have to be halal because halal food’s more expensive and and I’ll never forget it like we’re all looking at each other like did he just say that and he did and it’s like meeting was over guy flew clear across the country for the meeting and within 8 minutes the meeting was over. 13:43.57vigorbrandingYeah. He had done. 13:55.41dan_fransmart_comAnd so yeah, it was but it’s a funny story but it’s’s ah I mean it’s such a great concept. It’s just a great concept. You think about billion and a half people no brands. It’s really the largest I mean certainly the largest restaurant chain MiddleEastern restaurant chain in North America 14:00.40vigorbrandingGood. 14:12.54vigorbrandingYeah. 14:12.74dan_fransmart_comBut now we’re open in London we’re open in Korea we’re open. You know we’re we’re we’re growing. So my goal with that and you know also when I started I’ll never forget when I first started growing the company. We got an interview with 1 of the big New York papers and I said this is going to and we only had carts and in. I said this is Goingnna be the biggest middle eastern brand in the world. The biggest muslim brand the biggest halal brand blah bla blah bla blah and the lady was laughing on the phone and I’m like what are you laughing about she was Dan They have carts and I’m like I know but I see something bigger so I’m not always right? But in halauge’s case I was. 14:35.62vigorbrandingIn. 14:43.11vigorbrandingYep, that’s fantastic. Well I love your line I’ve heard you say it many times that you let people vote people vote with their wallets right? So you followed the line that’s bright I mean ah and your marketing was smart too I mean using the the news and all that and showing the lines I mean that’s the proof and that’s ah. 14:50.15dan_fransmart_comYeah, yeah, yeah. 15:00.48vigorbrandingThat’s masterful marketing and so that that brings me to sort of another question because it’s really an interesting ah like I’m really interested in what you do I mean you find these great products and these great brands you you look at the lines you say?? Okay, this is. There’s ah, there’s some white space in the ah in this in the restaurant world for this. This can be the next big thing. But then there’s also ah you need to know a fair amount about real estate right? There’s certain you just said. There’s some real estate that you could put anything in there I’m sure that’s not true, but probably any of your products you could put in there and they’d be successful. But then there’s also the the franchisees people want to own a restaurant or maybe Master franchise. These folks that have like a. You know they have a serious office and they own a bunch of different brands in some cases talk about like the whole thing coming together that whole thing coming together. Well just you have these the master franchisees right? So you got to find them then there’s the the actual then there’s the real estate part right. 15:37.93dan_fransmart_comYeah. Wait wait which part. Um, yeah, yeah, oh um, yeah, so for me I always start with the end in mind I I see a chain for what it can be 10 years down the road and that in that tells me the. 15:52.73vigorbrandingAnd then there’s also sort of the restaurant part. How does that all work together. 16:07.16dan_fransmart_comYou know the 150 biggest markets in North America US and canada canada most of the canadian markets behave like us. So I always talk about North America but um and then certain international markets like we’ve sold tons and tons and tons of deals internationally so like I already know where this is going to go. 16:22.24vigorbrandingA. 16:24.47dan_fransmart_comI Already know the franchisees in those markets and so I know which ones are going to like the brand and why and how I have to package or maybe I have to cook it a little longer before I show it to a certain guy like I already kind of know that whenever I take on a brand. The most important thing. 16:38.66vigorbrandingNate. 16:40.62dan_fransmart_comWhen I get a new brand because I’m getting them at a very early very early stage. They’re still hair on them. They’re still rough around the edges. They still don’t know what they don’t know 5 guys didn’t have pos systems for example, like the whole all guys didn’t have dead carts right? They didn’t have pos they they. 16:44.30vigorbrandingMe. 16:54.48vigorbrandingYeah, say they had carts. 16:58.36dan_fransmart_comYeah, so it’s like that’s okay, that’s okay, it’s like I know the other stuff but that and ironically like what I know is not um, as important is the fact that 5 guys had a line out the door or ha all guys had a line down the block like I can figure out how to build a system or manual. Way faster than I can ever figure out how to organically get a line down the road like that’s that’s a different level. So yeah, that is the magic but what I do is is it’s really interesting like when I I don’t leave anything to chance. No matter who I’m selling no matter what brand what market and who the franchisee is. 17:15.21vigorbrandingRight? That’s the magic. 17:30.87dan_fransmart_comI I act like they’ve never been in this business before because I want to be relentless about getting the right site. So like here I’m in Scottsdale right in Phoenix Arizona there’s for any concept. There’s 10 or 15 or 20 potential sites. But there’s really only 3 or 4 first sites. 17:36.65vigorbrandingYeah, he. 17:48.15dan_fransmart_comLike yeah to be very careful when you’re building a brand in a brand New Market is like there’s something very strategic about using real estate in real estate’s role in marketing and real estate’s role in branding and so you have to be really good of knowing exactly where your bull’s-eyes are and coming up with some logic around. 17:56.12vigorbrandingA. 18:07.15dan_fransmart_comWhat kind of order you should be growing and so we’re that kind of pedantic even about real estate. It’s not just about hey I need a twelve hundred foot space or fifteen hundred foot space like no, no, no there’s so much more to it and then once you have the right spot you have to make sure that your unit economics hit. So that that’s the thing is like you can’t you can’t go into a spot and then have cost overruns or you can’t have what you know it needs the cost. What everyone thought it was going to cost to open it needs to open above. Whatever sales everybody was thinking originally it needs to hit profitability faster because there’s all these weird things in people’s minds that like even if it’s a great site and for some reason it gets off to a slow start all of a sudden people like oops not going like plan. And psychological psychological. Ah they’ll start making dumb decisions. They’ll start cutting people cutting marketing cutting problems like wait a minute and so we we assume all that stuff’s going to happen so we’re relentless about how we pick real estate how we market how we build the team I always say you got a staff for the sales you want. And you have to staff for the company you’re trying to build. We never sell mom and pop franchises ones e toosey’s we sell territories and so whenever we’re selling like a halal guys. For example, the California franchisee opened with a director of operations from Panera. 19:11.99vigorbrandingHere. 19:25.37dan_fransmart_comAh, director of operations from Chipotle and I think a director of culinary from one of those 2 concepts too. Plus the manager plus the owners were there well, that’s also why that first store in California self-funded 7 more is because you you know you basically open up with the the team’s bandwidth could easily handle. 19:32.00vigorbrandingWell. 19:37.32vigorbrandingAre here. 19:45.32dan_fransmart_comThe kind of sales I think it was doing over three million a year and so you you have to sta for that if you if you open up doing you know $5000000 run rate with a million dollar team your sales go down. They never come back up and so like all of that little stuff. It’s like Dan you’re just the sales guy. It’s like mm. 19:46.10vigorbrandingWow. 19:55.19vigorbrandingAnd he. 20:02.92dan_fransmart_comI I sell a lot of franchises not because I’m good at sales I sell a lot of franchises because I make the brand sell themselves So all the things we talk about are kind of how do we get the brands to sell themselves the best the best marketing tool Any brand would ever have selling a franchise is the existing franchisees and so. 20:07.58vigorbrandingMan. 20:19.58vigorbrandingYeah. 20:22.35dan_fransmart_comYou have to make those franchisees So successful. So happy so referenceable that even when you’re not, they’re trying to orchestrate just the right reference even if they just run into somebody what they’re saying sells your franchise. 20:34.20vigorbrandingSure I mean it’s the experience the the customers get the franchisees get everybody. It’s got to be. You know everyone’s a customer at that point right? You know they’re selling the the actual brands to to new franchisees. So that’s. I mean that’s ah, that’s a really really great point. So what is the biggest mistake you see like franchisees making like when they you know they’re first coming to you. 20:57.35dan_fransmart_comUm, Fran when a franchisee ah picking the wrong brand like if they pick I mean I if they pick the wrong brand if they don’t staff the right way like everybody think about why somebody wants a franchise in the first place. The only reason to own a franchise is to get wealthy like there otherwise. 21:00.70vigorbrandingMan. 21:15.40dan_fransmart_comIt’s not worth the risk like you’re risking capital you’re risking an Sba loan or A Loan you’re risking signing a lease now you’re on the hook for that lease for years. The liability, the cash outlay the liabilities and the contingent liabilities those are real costs. The only reason to do that is because you’re trying to get to a completely different level in life and so now the question is what’s the right vehicle to get there. So what’s the thing that that’s going to make so much profit that I want to keep doing it and how do I do it and so the mistake a lot of people make is they’ll pick the wrong brand. 21:45.53vigorbrandingUm. 21:49.50dan_fransmart_comSo they want to get to never never land. They just pick on the wrong the wrong brand to get there when they buy a territory so somebody that wants to own 5 or 10 or 20 units when they open up their first store and they open up with a skeleton crew. You know we all have we have so much turnover in the restaurant business. You open up a store. 22:03.81vigorbrandingSure. 22:07.62dan_fransmart_comWith the skeleton crew and you even just have normal attrition. You’re constantly in a hole right? So you have to staff for the volume you want you have to staff for the company you’re trying to build that has to include redundancy has to include turnover so a franchisee who thinks a franchise only costs 300 grand to open. 22:09.63vigorbrandingHe. 22:27.40dan_fransmart_comIt’s like yeah but you need another 100000 in these extra soft costs to basically get to the point you know to get to this point and so it’s people not really thinking that through or at the first sign of things didn’t go like I thought. They start cutting. They abandon the big picture and they go start focusing internally and what happens is you start managing that business down so that’s the biggest mistake and then another big mistake is people just not following the systems like I interview from my podcast. All these franchisees of other brands I’m like tell me the difference between you and the. 22:46.60vigorbrandingAnd. 22:59.60dan_fransmart_comI Mean you like you’re one of the most successful franchisees and whatever the brand is I’m interviewing the guy for like what’s the difference between you and someone who struggles with the same brand almost to a T they go. We just follow the system and I said whenever you buy a struggling franchisee stores. How do you make them successful. 23:10.22vigorbrandingA. 23:17.45dan_fransmart_comGo back and follow the systems just execute like people are buying 5 guys because they want that burger those fries to taste exactly like they think they don’t want chicken sandwich. They’re not there to get you know salad or whatever they want that like just go back to making that. That’s all you got to do and it’s people overthink it and it’s like. 23:17.80vigorbrandingLeave you. 23:31.72vigorbrandingInconsistency. Yeah. 23:37.53dan_fransmart_comThat’s all you got to do if you’re buying a jack on the box at Mcdonald’s if you’re buying you know a Jiffy Lube right it’s like whatever it is. It’s like people are going to that brand because they want that experience all you have to do is give give it that give that to them. 23:51.50vigorbrandingYeah, well I mean we always say like in in marketing what we do. We always say ah the definition of a brand is brand is a promise and you know in the case with the restaurants I mean if I go to 5 guys no matter which one I go to I want I want them to basically promise me and give me that same thing I want that same product I don’t want it to vary from place to place. So. 24:03.60dan_fransmart_comYeah. 24:08.98vigorbrandingI think that’s amazing. Do you find yourself because I have to think this is is somewhat the case because you find these I’ll say these raw concepts these great concepts whether it’s halal guys or 5 guys or or probably Qdoba when you start with them I mean you’ve you’ve launched them. Are you bringing? you always talk about a playbook. Are you bringing that playbook to them. Are you kind of saying. Yeah, this is great here’s how we operationalize this thing. Do you find yourself really kind of setting up the operations a lot I figured. 24:32.20dan_fransmart_comUm, almost always so not not I mean not only setting maybe some sometimes it’s just tweaking right or giving them some best known tool we have because some people in me actually have really good systems for. 24:37.50vigorbrandingE e. 24:47.70dan_fransmart_comThere are 1 or 2 or 3 stores that the owners are constantly there and even if they don’t have a written system. They kind of all know how each other thinks and you know all that stuff. So there’s there’s really just technique about the best known way to do everything I mean marketing staffing operations time and motion studies like everything you can think of. 25:06.70vigorbrandingMe. 25:06.79dan_fransmart_comLike we have a tool in our toolbox for it and those tools keep getting changed. They keep getting retrofitted because think about marketing twenty years ago versus marketing today or tech the tech stack like there wasn’t even a tech stack twenty years ago so it’s like you have to keep evolving but our ecosystem in the restaurant business. 25:14.36vigorbrandingSure right. 25:25.52dan_fransmart_comIsn’t only every restaurant brand I’ve ever worked with I’m on the board of the national restaurant association. So there’s not really a Ceo I don’t know there’s not a big franchisee of any brand that I don’t know um I’m I’m ah oh and then kitchen fund. So we have a fund a kitchen fund. 25:29.85vigorbrandingUm, yeah. 25:39.51vigorbrandingThe. 25:42.51dan_fransmart_comWe were early investors in like sweet green and Kava and you know all kinds of different brands. So like our ecosystem’s pretty good and pretty valuable like we have a lot of really successful successful access in our in our ecosystem to always getting the best answer and so if there’s something coming up or something my brands are dealing with. Like I just go find 2 or 3 people that I know are just knocking it out of the park and you know we sort of get those answers and then we weave that back into our brand so it’s it’s a little bit of cheating. But. 26:14.52vigorbrandingUm, you know? yeah. 26:14.64dan_fransmart_comYeah, it’s something that we’re able to do you and I are on ypo together. There’s like most of the most successful franchisors and franchisees are in ypo and if you reach out to ah I mean I always say success leaves clues like if you’re trying to get a better answer like most people are pretty generous with their time like as long as you’re not overtly. 26:29.76vigorbrandingUm, yeah. 26:34.18dan_fransmart_comCompeting with them or annoying them. They’ll kind of help they’ll they’ll kind of help you figure that out. but but yeah but back to what the stuff we bring to the table is I think I liken it to a chain that goes around your neck like every link in the chain it takes to open a restaurant and operate a restaurant. Every link in a chain. It takes to what do I have to buy when do I have to buy it. What’s supposed to cost every link in the chain we feel like we have the best known chain with the best known links and so any brand that we take on who’s used to only having 1 or 2 or 5 or 9 or whatever it is like we’ll just have. 26:57.48vigorbrandingMe here a hint. 27:09.24dan_fransmart_comAll these links in the chain were like you know like some of the things they they may say no I’ve already got that I don’t need that but most often they they want help with that and then I’ve never seen a concept that I can’t figure out how to drive sales and lower costs like ah like drive drive sales I was on a call earlier today with a brand that that we’re looking at. 27:21.38vigorbrandingA. 27:28.90dan_fransmart_comBut it’s like you know it’s some of the stuff. It’s sort of like you and marketing like you could conversationally talk about marketing of stuff That’s just second nature to you to someone who’s not a marketing expert and they think you ah are you know a guru and it’s like I’m not really a guru I’ve just had we just have so many of these conversations. 27:38.24vigorbrandingRight mean he. 27:48.31dan_fransmart_comAnd we’re constantly trying to figure out how how who’s doing something better than everyone else. So we’re constantly having this conversation about the best known way So when these conversations come up. We’re able to just rattle them all up and it’s not. You know it’s just nature of our business. 27:52.40vigorbrandingMe. 28:03.61vigorbrandingYeah, and just we got to be refined, always refining so like I’m interested tonight. So someone called you and and I know you probably can’t say which I totally respect. But you’re looking at something I mean is it somebody that says hey I’ve got two like stores and I really think I have something here that could be. 28:12.14dan_fransmart_comYeah, yeah. 28:19.50vigorbrandingThe next big thing the next 5 guys. Ah or is it stuff that like you might have stumbled on to something or heard about something I mean how does that? How do how do they come to you or how does that work. 28:28.61dan_fransmart_comOh ah, well well those are 2 2 different things the way we get brands half the time they’re coming to us or someone will refer someone or someone says hey have you checked this out the other time we know what we’re looking for like we know what we’re looking for and we. We go after the best known players and whatever the market is so I’m I’m on this whole latin kick that nobody nobody’s done anything new in latin since Chipotle and they’re not even latin and so they’re as wide as I am and so we’re on this whole kick I met pitbull the rapper. 28:43.28vigorbrandingGot you? he. 28:59.86dan_fransmart_comAnd he’s like how come no Mexican chains are owned by Mexicans and how come no latins own the big Latino restaurant brands I’m like let’s fix that because probably because they might have like some of the best tacos or its best best restaurants you’ve ever been or in the hands of authentic latinos. 29:00.16vigorbrandingUm, he. 29:14.88vigorbrandingRight? Bum pop. 29:17.96dan_fransmart_comWhy haven’t they figured out how to build chains like I don’t know. Maybe it’s capital. Maybe it’s confidence. Maybe it’s know-how it’s like well we have plenty of all those. So now we’re targeting Latinos like pitbull and I are targeting Latinos with really good concepts we’re given a. 29:24.24vigorbrandingHe he. 29:33.10dan_fransmart_comEverything that both of us know think about his ecosystem like we’re giving him everything that we know to make to drive um success around that brand So we’re actually going to and we want to get wealthy helping Latinos get wealthy right? So that’s. 29:34.50vigorbrandingUm, yeah. 29:47.57vigorbrandingThat’s fantastic. 29:48.95dan_fransmart_comThat’s like but that that was one of these things where as soon as he and I came up with this I’m like okay now I got to go find a really great brand and in that case, what I did is I went to Us foods the biggest supplier in the country or one of the biggest suppliers in the country said here’s what pit bull and I are looking for who do you know. And all of a sudden they’re like this brand in Chicago we think is the next thing could be the next chipotle blah blah blah blah blah fly out to Chicago and it like you are right right? So that that goes from you know, somebody a Us foods we we told us foods like I told 90 people what I’m looking for us foods. Basically you know. Said here’s we have a lot of latin brands here’s one that’s a standout and you think about that too is like like us foods has something to gain too because now they have a client that goes from I think it was 8 stores when we got there now. It’s 13 with 6 or 8 new territories around the country. Now. They’re going to have instead of a 8 unit brand they’re going to wind up having a 500 unit customer you know and it was because they basically brought it up to us. 30:49.54vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. So do you think a latino brand. Do you think that’s going to be Franz Mars Next big big thing in the portfolio or you have something else cooking or what? what do you think the next big big thing is. 30:57.31dan_fransmart_comWe we? Yeah, we have a few brands that are doing record numbers like this this latin brands called cilantro it’s growing faster for me so far than 5 guys did like our first several months is growing faster. 31:06.43vigorbrandingI Love the name. 31:11.34dan_fransmart_comAnd it’s growing every franchisee is a franchisee of another brand and so they all have experience. They all know what they’re doing. They have capital but they also have a perspective of why they like this brand better than what they’re doing and so um, it’s interesting. Keep an eye on cilantra. That’s gonna be a fun one and then we’re. 31:25.93vigorbrandingAnd again I don’t know who does your naming but I love that I Love the name Slanic because I think that’s so approachable yet It’s intriguing. You know. 31:33.69dan_fransmart_comYeah, but it’s it’s like Chipotle right? So it’s like cilantro and and ah but it’s I mean it’s a real authentic story because I’m like the world doesn’t need another chipotle another mexican created by a white guy like they need. It should be like so our tagline or our. 31:43.75vigorbrandingE. 31:49.14dan_fransmart_comPositioning is the next big thing in Mexican is actually really mexican and so this is a family that kind of you know snuck into the country and like so many do and started off ah humbly through life in America you know like the halal guys. 31:50.94vigorbrandingShe. 31:56.48vigorbrandingHe. 32:06.56dan_fransmart_comAh, yeah, but they you know they came across and they they literally started opened up a restaurant to make a living to feed people to make a living turned out that what they were serving and it was latin for latinos so they started off their whole career is making this amazing. So think about how tough that customer is it’s not Latin Latino for gringos. 32:18.00vigorbrandingBriefly. 32:25.61vigorbrandingWe hear. 32:25.73dan_fransmart_comThis is latino for latinos and it was a standout brand that was doing crazy numbers and then all of a sudden they had opened 2 locations. They took over a failed baha fresh and it’s doing crazy numbers. They took over a failed chipotle right? That’s America’s darling is chipotle. 32:41.70vigorbrandingUm, right. 32:44.30dan_fransmart_comWhere Chipotle couldn’t succeed in this area of Chicago they’re packed. They’re busy and so you’re like wait a minute latino for latinos yeah, people like it and I’m like this thing’s going to be a monster and that’s why like I think we had 6 or 8 people come look at it all 6 or 8 of them are our franchisees now. 32:47.27vigorbrandingYeah, and again so it’s it’s quality. Yeah. 33:01.87dan_fransmart_comSo they’re all buying the franchise but that and then the other thing I’m excited about we got approach and beginning a covid if you you remember when Covid first happened the government was scrambling every day with new rules and regulations and restaurants had to close or could only open every other seat or had to do dividers Whatever was driving the industry crazy. 33:02.11vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 33:20.40dan_fransmart_comAnd I had a franchise lawyer that said hey I’ve got this electronics Brand Would you take it on I’m like I don’t think so I don’t know anything about electronics Long story short. We took it on that thing’s growing faster than any brand I’ve ever grown. It’s way more successful than any restaurant has ever been. It’s called pay more pay more electronics. It’s. 33:35.64vigorbrandingThat’s great, very cool. 33:37.90dan_fransmart_comBuy sell trade new and used electronics and the irony is a lot of food guys are building it and then all of a sudden I run across um, a ah facial Studio Skincare Studio called Glow thirty. So it’s a small little and and I was approached by her. 33:40.57vigorbrandingShe. 33:53.68vigorbrandingYou know. 33:54.36dan_fransmart_comHer commercial broker her real estate broker. She goes hey would you ever do like a facial place I’m like I don’t know I’ve never even had a facial and I I talked to the lady and she said hey I want to be the orange theory of skin care I’m like I don’t know what that means and I’ve never been to orange theory and I’ve never had a facial but I. 34:06.19vigorbrandingAnd then. 34:13.40dan_fransmart_comAnd I saw the lady who was in Bethesda Maryland I looked on through my Linkedin I found somebody at orange theory and Bethesda and I said hey can I venmow you some money and you go check this place out and she said sure I’ve venmoed her some cash she went and checked it out. She looked up my background she goes I don’t know what your plan is with this brand but whatever it is I’m in. 34:30.79vigorbrandingYeah, yeah. 34:33.90dan_fransmart_comAnd so she actually left orange theory came to work for me. She’s the vice president of 4 us growing low 30 and this is skincare clinic that’s growing faster than I mean it’s just grown like crazy. So we’ve gone from being a restaurant franchise development company to a franchise development company and um. 34:50.48vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 34:51.84dan_fransmart_comBut we keep looking for food like I’m I’m I’m ah I can’t offline I’ll tell you who, but it’s but we’re we’re working on a pretty pretty big project right now like I’m still I’m at the end of the day I like to feed people. There’s just something very rewarding about feeding somebody someone pays you for the food that you give them. 34:59.73vigorbrandingUm, yes, yeah. 35:11.33dan_fransmart_comAnd they say thank you and they come back and they bring friends like there’s just something instantly gratification gratify gratifying about about that. So like I’ll always be in the in the restaurant business but the restaurant industry is getting a little wakeup call because it’s from a business perspective. It’s hard. 35:12.11vigorbrandingYeah, he. 35:29.54dan_fransmart_comHarder to make money nowadays in restaurants which is why so many like at this places glow 30 like we just sold all of Arizona to a huge food franchisee Greg Flynn the biggest franchisee in the world is this starting to expand with nonfoo and and ah yeah. 35:39.47vigorbrandingUm, sure. Yeah, the the glow 30 thing look I’ll be very very honest I think it’s fantastic because I know that look feeding people makes you feel great. If you haven’t gotten a facial i. Absolutely recommend it I look I’m a father of daughters I’ll admit it I go every two months. It is the greatest thing on earth. So the fact that you are in the on the but the ground floor of a franchise for this brilliant I guarantee it will explode I mean I just ah, in fact I buy a bunch of the gift cards and I give them out to folks here in the office because I just think it’s like. 36:02.53dan_fransmart_comUm, yeah. 36:11.60dan_fransmart_comYeah, well I it will now I can’t now so glow 30 It’s one of these members. It’s a membership skincare which is another thing it’s sort of like memberships is the ultimate hack because you make money while you sleep. You basically make money whether people use. 36:11.71vigorbrandingAh, great hour of your life. You know? So if you if you haven’t done it. Do it. Ah perfect. Yeah yeah, right. 36:28.82dan_fransmart_comSomething or not when you have a membership think about fitness studios how many times you buy a membership and you don’t go and the fitness studio is happy. They’re happy because you’re not there so they wind up selling one hundred and fifty percent of capacity knowing that the third of the morons never show up. So um. 36:31.63vigorbrandingYep, yeah. 36:41.56vigorbrandingUm, that’s right. 36:44.97dan_fransmart_comBut that’s that’s sort of the membership model and it’s like man this thing you buy a membership and the ah but the irony here is people don’t not use it. So it’s ah every month the the facial changes right? So like in October it was like a pumpkin facialin. 36:52.97vigorbrandingAre a are. 36:59.45dan_fransmart_comJuly I think it was like lemoncello or whatever but every month it’s a different carefully curated facial and people don’t miss it. So it’s not like you just get a facial and no big deal I get one next week it’s people like no, it’s the end of the month they’re going to change this month into next month I don’t want to miss last month so the reason I still haven’t ever been to glow is every time I come in for discovery day. These guys are booked out three weeks in advance. So like if you said you wanted a franchise right now for glow the earliest I could book your discovery day is like three weeks because we want you to get a facial as part of your discovery day. It’s like yeah and so. 37:19.90vigorbrandingOh yeah, yeah yeah. 37:26.37vigorbrandingWow Yeah in the in the facial is the product’s holding it up right. 37:35.15dan_fransmart_comSo yeah, so it’s ah but it’s yeah, it’s funny, but but now I mean it’s franchising like we had. We is weird. We had a record year last year we we had more new franchise sales last year than ever the first quarter of this year doubled last year so like been doing this for 30 years and 37:48.56vigorbrandingA. 37:54.11dan_fransmart_comAnd that’s even food like I mean our food brands like cilantro we have. We have the largest fastest growing indian brand called curry up now. So there’s another one. There’s a billion and a half indians when you think about how many indians and pakistani eat what looks like to you and I indian food. It’s like no one’s ever built a brand. 37:54.65vigorbrandingUm, yeah. 38:11.40vigorbrandingUm, right. 38:12.55dan_fransmart_comAnd so we you know now we have 100 units in development for curry up now. We just sold London so that’s now international. So the London franchisee is the subway franchisee for for all of Uk. He actually bought all of Uk for curry up now. So yeah, we’re going we’re going nuts we got dessert franchises. We got. You know we we got really good things but I’m drawn to things that have really good numbers. So like I have a cookie franchise called smackery in New York City and no one. There’s no real number 2 to crumble and nobody I mean crumble just went like a monster I tried to get smackery 6 or 7 5 five five 38:38.32vigorbranding8 38:44.17vigorbrandingYeah, yeah. 38:50.41dan_fransmart_comYears ago before I ever saw crumble and I couldn’t even get him to call me back and then finally I knew someone who knew him and we made a deal about a year ago but there’s no number 2 to to crumble all the people that are trying to build cookie shops are all doing six hundred Grand seven hundred Grand a year this guy is. He’s in Eight hundred Square feet and I think he did two point three million dollars last year. So yeah, yeah, cookies 3 yeah so I mean ridiculous sales and and um, but he’s doing a difference. It was like well even in New York there’s a lot of other places that do under a million dollars why is he doing. 39:09.85vigorbrandingWow Cookies That’s fantastic. 39:27.26dan_fransmart_comMore than double what everyone else is doing. It’s like that’s what I look for so like I look for concepts that just do like haa guys. There’s a lot of people selling meat over rice with sauce in New York only 1 guy had a line down the block. So I got him it was smackerys only 1 guy is doing whatever. 39:33.77vigorbrandingNo. 39:39.46vigorbrandingYeah, that’s right. 39:46.65dan_fransmart_comThousand dollars a foot in sales. He’s $3000 a foot in sales or whatever he’s doing even in New York like by New York standards that’s still 2 times the sales per foot than any other chain does and it’s like well you know so there’s something about that which makes yeah which makes my life easy because I don’t have. 39:56.93vigorbrandingUm, there’s some there. Yeah. 40:02.94dan_fransmart_comYou know like I don’t have the guy that’s only doing 7 or eight hundred Grand a year in cookies I have the guy doing two point three million so makes my life a little bit easier. 40:06.62vigorbrandingYeah, very cool. Let’s let’s talk 1 more thing about that you’re’re you’re embarking on the podcast journey you’re gonna do smart franise you go talk a little bit about that. 40:16.50dan_fransmart_comSure so I started a franchise. It’s the first question I ask whenever I meet successful franchisees or franchisors I’m like what makes you successful. What are you doing? What do you know that I don’t or what you know why are you getting results that other people are getting and so. 40:31.22vigorbrandingIs. 40:33.95dan_fransmart_comStarted smart franchising with frans smart I just believe success leaves clues and I feel like people are willing to share and so my first guest on was the biggest franchisee in the world. Greg Flynn he owns 2700 something franchises all over the world. He’s now going I mean I think he’s targeting 5000 franchises. He’s going to go to some weird number and it’s like okay, well and I’d ask him right on the podcast What do you do different like why are you getting the results you’re getting why are you and without saying it I’m kind of like why are you better than everyone else or what are you doing that people can learn from. 41:06.64vigorbrandingMe here. 41:10.85dan_fransmart_comAnd surprisingly I mean he’s he’s obviously um, careful. Ah, but he gave some really good. Um, really good tidbits and then but like I had franchisees of 5 guys and and um, franchisee really successful franchisee from um, red robin. 41:27.74vigorbrandingHe sure. 41:29.52dan_fransmart_comRight? So casual dining is taking a beating right now. Well here’s a guy that’s doing double-digit sales increases and he’s still growing. So I’m like what thell are you doing that like Chilis can’t figure out in Fridays are closing restaurants and you’re building more restaurants you’re doing great. What are you doing and he’ll tell you he’ll tell you exactly as secrets as success. 41:38.98vigorbrandingSo in here. 41:44.92vigorbrandingYeah. 41:49.00dan_fransmart_comAh, 5 guys franchisees like why? Why do you have 80 stores. Why do you? This other guy had 17 another guy had 80 like what is it, you do different than everyone else they leave that and one I had 2 other guys on that are really really cool by bunch but 1 of them was Don Fox from Firehouse sold a sandwich shop right? You think there’s not room for another sandwich shop or he builds one he sells it for $1000000000 so it’s like how did you do it like what can what can my audience learn or Freddy’s like even after fiveges. Freddy is the burger and and milk shake company. 42:08.98vigorbrandingYou’re right. Shift a. 42:22.10dan_fransmart_comSame thing like you get his whole story and you get how he did it and they tell it in a way that tells you if you follow what they did. You’re going to have the same result and then 1 thing right now that I think is mystifying a lot of people is the restaurant tech stack people don’t understand restaurant marketing or the tech stack. Most. 42:31.42vigorbrandingMan. 42:38.63vigorbrandingPerformance. 42:41.80dan_fransmart_comMost people don’t get it I had a guy on that I think is the best and most brilliant in the space and he decoded the whole thing and not only decoded it I’m like give me the app to fix this. Give me the app to fix that if you were a franchisee. What are the first 3 things that you’d make sure that you did. 42:57.90vigorbrandingMe. 42:59.16dan_fransmart_comAnd he went into detail about everything and so it’s you know stuff that he charges a lot of money as a consultant. He’s giving it all away for free so smart franchising with Fransmar is really just that. It’s like what’s this. What’s the best known way to do everything um in a way that people can learn from. 43:15.69vigorbrandingYeah I mean it seems to me and I don’t know if you found this but I feel like there’s a lot of the same ingredients I mean it typically starts with a really good quality product I think people think a lot of times when there’s a franchise or whatever. It’s like you figure out ways to ah ah skip. And to save money and certainly have to run the operation but it’s usually a quality product. Um consistency. Ah great operations and then I go back to that sort of that brand promise like there’s a story. There’s there’s this great authenticity that that kind of exudes and and kind of you can carry from place to place. We just had. I just had betsy ham ah from duck donuts on and that that’s a franchise that kind of grew I mean yeah, did the world need another donut shop I mean you know Russ Degiio the the founder thought so and and a great story I mean was it he was at the outer banks ah always thought of like you know going and getting fresh donuts at the beach the jersey shore we are. Lots of places have you know, fresh. You know, homemade Duck. He didn’t he couldn’t find one so he thought he should start a donut place at the outer banks out in duck and that’s where that’s where it came from and it was like I mean you know puts this together and it’s this. Ah, it’s this great franchise. So I feel like a lot of these guys have ah just a great story. A passion. 44:17.76dan_fransmart_comYeah. 44:29.72vigorbrandingAnd it’s an authenticity that you know makes it makes it kind of ah ah, magnetic that other people want it and and want to grow from it. Yeah. 44:33.49dan_fransmart_comYeah, yeah, yeah I agree but that I duck don’t I Love duck donuts and they’re delicious, but you think about it’s like well how did he create that it’s like because he created it like how did I do what I did because he did it. 44:43.90vigorbrandingYeah, yeah, that’s it. Yeah yeah, yeah, that’s right, you know execute That’s right, you know don’t be afraid to fail the whole thing I tell my I tell my daughters all the time I mean look I failed a lot. So. 44:49.77dan_fransmart_comIt’s like that’s the biggest thing is people sitting on the sidelines like you got to get going life is short. Yeah. 45:01.28dan_fransmart_comYeah, yeah. 45:01.81vigorbrandingThe C student guy Again, you know you you fail. You just go out there and you know hey look hopefully you get an a here bring that average up to a C but you know you’re allowed to fail you go out and try things and pivot and and keep going. It’s it’s exciting. So you said you start your podcast out with the same question I end mine with the same question. So I’m going to. 45:09.78dan_fransmart_comYeah. 45:17.85vigorbrandingI’m gonna ask this? Um I look forward to your answer, you’ve created a lot of restaurants you’ve built brands all over the the world. So your last meal one final meal. What would you eat where and why and there’s a disclosure you’re not going to assault any of your ah ah franchisees. You can just pick anything. So. 45:31.60dan_fransmart_comOh man, probably my last meal would be my last meal is going to be Italian and it’s probably going to be. 45:47.32dan_fransmart_comI don’t know got to think about this? um I wish you said it ahead of time but ah, but there’s a restaurant in New York City it’s my favorite in the world and it’s because the dad cooks the mom’s the hostess and the son’s the waiter. It’s called Sandros Sandros 46:04.57vigorbrandingSandros. Okay. 46:05.57dan_fransmart_comAnd it’s the best food I’ve ever had. It’s dinky teeny tiny but everything that comes out’s unbelievable. It’s the opposite of pretentious. It’s the ah I mean it’s just a neighborhood place that you could walk by a hundred times and never know it was there every time I go to New York I 46:13.37vigorbrandingE. 46:22.30vigorbrandingI I just wrote it down I’m in New York all the time. So I’m gonna I’m gonna try and fight is it in Manhattan it’s okay Sandros. 46:23.10dan_fransmart_comBlock time to go there. That’s probably my favorite meal of all places sandros. Yeah yeah, yeah in the upper East but it’s like it’s awesome. Food’s good. Price are reasonable. You know and you all and you go there and you feel like they appreciate that you’re there the whole the whole load but it was definitely my last meal of no matter where would be Italian like favorite food I could I mean I Just can’t get enough of that. So I Love it. But yeah, Thanks ma’am. 46:39.42vigorbrandingHe. Yeah, you go? Yeah hey I Appreciate you know I could talk to you for hours is fascinating I Absolutely enjoy it. Thank you so much soon. 46:57.21dan_fransmart_comYou’re welcome. We’ll see you soon. 

Forty years ago, a twinkly-eyed incumbent president ran for re-election despite concerns about his age. He did so by running a campaign steeped in the idea that America was the last, best hope of earth. Ronald Reagan was no Joe Biden, and no one today expects a landslide victory. Yet there are echoes in today's divided politics in the 1984 election, especially within the Democratic Party, which, back then, just as now, was struggling to keep together its warring constituencies. And might there be lessons for today's fractious politics from Reagan's famous campaign ad, "It's morning again in America"? Adam talks to Bruce Schulman, William E. Huntington Professor at Boston University who was the Harmsworth Professor of American history at Oxford last year and the author of many books on twentieth-century America including a forthcoming volume of the Oxford History of the United States – and Dan Rowe, lecturer in American history at the Rothermere American Institute and the author of the forthcoming, State of Development: Preserving the American Economic Century in an Era of Anxious Capitalism to be published by Columbia University Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emerging brands often find themselves in a competitive marketplace full of established brands. With only a dream and a tight budget, how can these new brands, which are typically rough around the edges, become successful?   Join Over 5,500 Franchisees and Franchisors in our FREE Private Facebook Community HERE: https://www.facebook.com/groups/franchisesecretsfb?_rdc=1&_rdr    Dan Rowe, the founder of Fransmart, shares his insights on franchising and growing emerging brands. He has solid experience taking early-stage, emerging brands to new heights of success using his proven framework.    In today's conversation with Erik, Dan shares insights on shaping a rough concept into a successful brand and the importance of brand and concept in franchising. He discusses the transformation of a brand's look and feel and the franchising business system.    Dan emphasizes the magic of a successful brand and the power of membership pre-sales. He also highlights the value of learning from successful people and the pitfalls of ego and poor fundamentals. Overall, Dan provides valuable insights for anyone interested in franchising, whether as a franchisee or a franchisor.    Tune in to gain indispensable insights for navigating the franchising world, especially as you grow and scale your business and become a multi-unit franchisee.   “There's no money in single-unit franchises. All the money is in franchises with five or ten or more units.” - Dan Rowe   In This Episode: - A Brief Background About Dan Rowe and Fransmart - Similarities in Growth Strategies for Emerging Brands - Balancing Visionary and Operational Roles - Founder's Leadership Lid - Shaping a Rough Concept into a Successful Brand - Hiring the Right People for Marketing and Sales - Single-Unit Franchising vs. Multi-Unit Franchising - Building a Business for Saleability - Working with Smart Advisors and Investment Bankers   Resources: 

Today, on Consuming the Craft, I had an insightful conversation with the head brewer of Yeehaw Brewing Company, Dan Rowe. We walked through his journey in the brewing industry, from his time at Dogfish Head to Heavy Seas to Yeehaw Brewing. Dan detailed their practical challenges, particularly with cold storage during peak months, and how they're adapting through innovation and expansion. We chewed over the craft of whiskey tasting and the physicality of brewery work. We delved into the mental health challenges within the industry, discussing initiatives such as beer festivals aimed at raising awareness and support.Dan Rowe brings a wealth of experience from his time brewing across the country. Currently spearheading operations at Yeehaw Brewing Company in Johnson City, he has been instrumental in their growth and success. With a keen eye for quality and a passion for the craft, Dan shared insights that only come with years of hands-on involvement. He's a prime example of someone who isn't just about beer but is equally invested in the well-being of those in the brewing community."A good beer isn't just about the flavor; it's the story and the community that surrounds it." ~Dan RoweToday on Consuming the Craft:·     The necessity of a work-life balance for those in the brewing industry and using tools like the "worry tree" to maintain it.·     The pivotal role that mental health plays in the productivity and longevity of brewery workers.·     Importance of being proactive about wellness and seeking help when needed in high-stress environments.·     Adaptation and preparedness are key to survival, as demonstrated by Yeehaw Brewing's timely acquisition of a canning line.·     The physical challenges of brewing and why caring for one's health is vital.·     The thoughtful consideration of a brewery's facility and capacity needs for efficient operation.·     The emergence of non-alcoholic options and social activities as part of the industry's cultural shift.·     Expanding the discussion around alcohol, recovery, and mental health within the brewing community.Contact Dan Rowe:- LinkedIn- Email Resources Mentioned:- Nepenthe Brewing Company- Yeehaw Brewing Company- McConnell FarmsThis episode is brought to you by… McConnell Farms - Taste the Way You Remember. Enjoy homemade ciders and ice cream made from only the best produce on the market. Visit the McConnell Farms website to learn more about our seasonal inventory and the delicious creations you can make with our homegrown produce. Consuming the Craft Thanks for tuning into this week's Consuming the Craft Podcast episode, which was brought to you by AB Tech's Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay  Share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts. To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website. 

Now introducing Smart Franchising with Fransmart, dive deep with Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart, into the complex world of franchising and get expert insights, actionable strategies, and real-world stories.

Local lad done good, Neil Roberts returns to the show to discuss his appearance in #WelcomeToWrexham He elaborates on the guilt he's carried around with him at being the captain of the #wxmafc side that was relegated from the Football League in 2008, and the long-term effect the fallout of it had on him.Robbo also gave his thoughts on Cymru and why Robert Page needs to seriously consider handing Paul Mullin his first cap in Wednesday's friendly vs Gibraltar at the Cae Ras.Dan Rowe from Andy's Man Club also joined us to discuss mental health, both in football and outside of it ahead of #WorldMentalHealthDay2023 on Tuesday. Andy and Tim also discuss the 1-0 win at Crawley and look ahead to the EFL Trophy game at Crewe Alexandra before Salford City come to town on Saturday. Enjoyed this Fat Boar-sponsored episode? Then please...

How to Recognize the Next Big Thing. Dan Rowe, specializes in finding the next big thing and for over 20 years has identified and grown brands like Five Guys Burgers & Fries, QDOBA Mexican Grill and The Halal Guys from small unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today. Dan Rowe is the Founder & CEO of Fransmart and Co-Managing Partner at The Kitchen Fund and FranInvest which have invested in Sweetgreen, Cava, by Chloe, Inday, eegee's, to name just a few, and is an active board member of YPO and the National Restaurant Association. Today he joins us on The Franchise Woman podcast: Where Passion & Purpose Collide to discuss: ·         How he recognizes the ‘next big thing' ·         His #1 passion, purpose and priority: Getting Rich While Making Others Rich ·         Why and how he diversifies his portfolio of franchise concepts Listen in to this fascinating and enlightening conversation. 

Dan Rowe, CEO, Fransmart, has helped restaurant brands you know and love transform from Mom-and-Pop diners to national franchises. Dan shares how he evolved, reframed what success meant, and found his true purpose in helping others achieve wealth. Today, Dan embraces his achievements, but in the beginning, he struggled with imposter syndrome. How could a college dropout and dishwasher like himself possibly be making $500k in his 20s? Dan started working in technology but hated computing and software. He moved into medical management and hated it even more. So he went back to being a cook and a dishwasher because he loved being a part of the restaurant industry and feeding people. He learned from these early careers how to start and run a business. Dan welcomed the chance when a friend pitched the idea to buy and grow a local bagel business. The first franchise led to the second venture, Qdoba. Now three decades in, Dan has found his calling in helping elevate restaurant brands through franchising. During the show, he discusses lessons learned, like realizing he was using vanity metrics to measure results and the importance of authenticity in branding. He shares his epiphany about finding his true calling and purpose and how leaning into helping others magnifies success.

This month on Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” are taking a break from their usual interview episodes and bringing you a Best Of season of all your favorite segments. They bring back “Best Of” old favorites such as “Top of the Tech Stack” and “The Branded Quickfire.”In this episode they feature a Best Of Talking Back with special guest and Co Founder & CEO at Chowly, Inc., Sterling Douglass. When Schatzberg and Frischling started Hospitality Hangout podcast to talk to people in the industry, they quickly learned that their guests had questions for them as well. They created Talking Back to give their guests the opportunity to ask them questions. This episode shares several great questions from many industry leaders. David Bloom, Chief Development and Operating officer at Capriotti's and Wing Zone had a three part question. He asked, “What are you the most excited about for the future of tech?” Frischling answered he was most excited and loves the optionality and the large “menu” of tech available to operators. Bloom also asked, “What is the biggest lever a brand can pull to position themselves ahead of the curve?” Frischling said that the biggest lever would be to leverage AI and automation to address the issue of labor shortage and that he's interested in a combination of data and analytics dominated decision making. Marty Hahnfeld, Chief Customer Officer at Olo was a guest on season 4 and he asked, “What is one thing that is a normal part of the restaurant experience today that will be gone in 5 years?” Schatzberg answered, Handwriting menus and written reservation books will be a thing of the past. Everything will be done on mobile. Also the idea of walking into a McDonalds and an employee asking what you would like, that will become fully automated. When Anand Gala, Managing Partner at Gala Capital Partners asked, “What does Branded think about restaurant companies buying tech companies?” Frischling believes no one size fits all and that there are opportunities for restauranteurs to be good investors in tech companies, as well as good clients in tech companies. It depends on the company goals. Schatzberg said being a good customer is key, but maybe as a defensive measure, a restaurant could invest in a company to stop it from going exclusively to a competitor. To hear Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart ask about trends, CEO of Piestro, Massimo Noja De Marco's question about helping smaller operators and Steven Elinson, Head of Worldwide Business Development, Restaurant, Catering and Food Service Industries for Amazon Web Services ask about opening a new restaurant during the pandemic plus get the guy's answers, check out this best of episode on Hospitality Hangout.

This month on Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” are taking a break from their usual interview episodes and bringing you a Best Of season of all your favorite segments. They bring back “Best Of” old favorites such as “Top of the Tech Stack” and “The Branded Quickfire.”In this episode they feature a Best Of Talking Back with special guest and Co Founder & CEO at Chowly, Inc., Sterling Douglass. When Schatzberg and Frischling started Hospitality Hangout podcast to talk to people in the industry, they quickly learned that their guests had questions for them as well. They created Talking Back to give their guests the opportunity to ask them questions. This episode shares several great questions from many industry leaders. David Bloom, Chief Development and Operating officer at Capriotti's and Wing Zone had a three part question. He asked, “What are you the most excited about for the future of tech?” Frischling answered he was most excited and loves the optionality and the large “menu” of tech available to operators. Bloom also asked, “What is the biggest lever a brand can pull to position themselves ahead of the curve?” Frischling said that the biggest lever would be to leverage AI and automation to address the issue of labor shortage and that he's interested in a combination of data and analytics dominated decision making. Marty Hahnfeld, Chief Customer Officer at Olo was a guest on season 4 and he asked, “What is one thing that is a normal part of the restaurant experience today that will be gone in 5 years?” Schatzberg answered, Handwriting menus and written reservation books will be a thing of the past. Everything will be done on mobile. Also the idea of walking into a McDonalds and an employee asking what you would like, that will become fully automated. When Anand Gala, Managing Partner at Gala Capital Partners asked, “What does Branded think about restaurant companies buying tech companies?” Frischling believes no one size fits all and that there are opportunities for restauranteurs to be good investors in tech companies, as well as good clients in tech companies. It depends on the company goals. Schatzberg said being a good customer is key, but maybe as a defensive measure, a restaurant could invest in a company to stop it from going exclusively to a competitor. To hear Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart ask about trends, CEO of Piestro, Massimo Noja De Marco's question about helping smaller operators and Steven Elinson, Head of Worldwide Business Development, Restaurant, Catering and Food Service Industries for Amazon Web Services ask about opening a new restaurant during the pandemic plus get the guy's answers, check out this best of episode on Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” were on the road and live at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, where they chat with Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart, about the show, the benefits of multi-unit franchises, and the importance of landscape when considering new brands. Fransmart CEO, Dan Rowe and the guys chat about how Rowe got started in the industry. He talks about deciding as a teenager that he wasn't going to go the traditional route and attend college to find his career path. He says that he wanted to figure out how to become successful, and while at a motivational seminar, he was faced with the question, “What do you want to do with your life?” His answer was, “I want to get wealthy helping people get wealthy.” He shares that his goal for attaining riches was not to be at the expense of others, and that's something that drew him to the franchise space. He says, “What I like about franchising is that basically the model is that, you know the franchisors only make money if the franchisees are making money, franchisees are only making money if they've got a good team and their people are making money.” He adds, “Honestly, I find a lot of joy in this space. It's the kind of job that even if I wasn't getting paid, this is exactly what I'd be doing.”Rowe, who was also a successful multi-unit franchisee, shares his insights on why it's better to invest in multi-unit franchises rather than just buying a single unit. He talks about the Fransmart formula for success, that includes finding the right emerging franchise opportunities, which are less expensive to build and are more likely to be able to leverage conversions. He says, “It's the ultimate wealth builder to me, when you get into a brand when they're young, they're just less expensive to build, you get your money back fast and then you roll that into another store, and at some point those self-fund multiple locations, making millions of dollars.” He adds, “You've got an asset now that you can sell for a life changing amount of money. Frischling provides some data, sharing that Fransmart has sold over 5,000 franchises worldwide.Schatzberg talks about the company's current restaurant portfolio which includes, The Halal Guys, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop and Savannah Seafood Shack. He asks Rowe what Fransmart looks for when considering an emerging brand. Rowe shares that it involves a lot of unit economics, because high volume indicates that customers like the restaurant. He says, “High volume tells you customers like the concept, you know customers vote with their wallets. So if they've got really, really good sales, that's a good indication.” Rowe talks about the importance of landscape and the tremendous success of The Halal Guys, largely due to the huge opportunity he saw there. He shares that while opening more that 50 American brands in the Middle East, he found himself falling in love with the local Mediterranean street food, and he realized that no big brand in America was offering this concept. He says, “It dawned on me. You've got a billion and a half Muslims, Middle Eastern food, Mediterranean food is amazing and I just saw there's a huge opportunity if somebody gets this right, you're going to have a monster on your hand, and that's exactly what we did.” He adds that the chain is already at 100 units and on its way to 500.To hear more from Rowe's chat with Schatzberg and Frischling at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, check out this episode Hospitality Hangout.This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” were on the road and live at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, where they chat with Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart, about the show, the benefits of multi-unit franchises, and the importance of landscape when considering new brands. Fransmart CEO, Dan Rowe and the guys chat about how Rowe got started in the industry. He talks about deciding as a teenager that he wasn't going to go the traditional route and attend college to find his career path. He says that he wanted to figure out how to become successful, and while at a motivational seminar, he was faced with the question, “What do you want to do with your life?” His answer was, “I want to get wealthy helping people get wealthy.” He shares that his goal for attaining riches was not to be at the expense of others, and that's something that drew him to the franchise space. He says, “What I like about franchising is that basically the model is that, you know the franchisors only make money if the franchisees are making money, franchisees are only making money if they've got a good team and their people are making money.” He adds, “Honestly, I find a lot of joy in this space. It's the kind of job that even if I wasn't getting paid, this is exactly what I'd be doing.”Rowe, who was also a successful multi-unit franchisee, shares his insights on why it's better to invest in multi-unit franchises rather than just buying a single unit. He talks about the Fransmart formula for success, that includes finding the right emerging franchise opportunities, which are less expensive to build and are more likely to be able to leverage conversions. He says, “It's the ultimate wealth builder to me, when you get into a brand when they're young, they're just less expensive to build, you get your money back fast and then you roll that into another store, and at some point those self-fund multiple locations, making millions of dollars.” He adds, “You've got an asset now that you can sell for a life changing amount of money. Frischling provides some data, sharing that Fransmart has sold over 5,000 franchises worldwide.Schatzberg talks about the company's current restaurant portfolio which includes, The Halal Guys, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop and Savannah Seafood Shack. He asks Rowe what Fransmart looks for when considering an emerging brand. Rowe shares that it involves a lot of unit economics, because high volume indicates that customers like the restaurant. He says, “High volume tells you customers like the concept, you know customers vote with their wallets. So if they've got really, really good sales, that's a good indication.” Rowe talks about the importance of landscape and the tremendous success of The Halal Guys, largely due to the huge opportunity he saw there. He shares that while opening more that 50 American brands in the Middle East, he found himself falling in love with the local Mediterranean street food, and he realized that no big brand in America was offering this concept. He says, “It dawned on me. You've got a billion and a half Muslims, Middle Eastern food, Mediterranean food is amazing and I just saw there's a huge opportunity if somebody gets this right, you're going to have a monster on your hand, and that's exactly what we did.” He adds that the chain is already at 100 units and on its way to 500.To hear more from Rowe's chat with Schatzberg and Frischling at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, check out this episode Hospitality Hangout.This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

Dan Rowe is the CEO of Fransmart, one of the largest franchise development firms in the world. Dan has over 30 years of experience as a franchisor and franchisee, having grown brands like Five Guys, Qdoba, and The Halal Guys. Dan and his team at Fransmart help brands succeed by staying on top of the next big opportunities. Additionally, Dan is the Managing Partner of Kitchen Fund and an active Board Member of YPO and the National Restaurant Association. In this episode… In this episode of the SpotOn Series, Chad Franzen sits down with Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart, to talk about how the company has become one of the world leaders in franchising. Dan shares how his time in the restaurant industry led him to franchising, the ways Fransmart helps franchisees succeed, and the tried-and-true systems restaurant owners need to grow and reach their goals.

There are a number of ways to look at business models and business plans and a multitude of programs and courses that can help you with this subject. In this article and podcast, we will be looking at a simple plan for establishing a business in the Financial Services industry, literally begun with simple sketches on paper by Greg Johnson. He is a former Registered Investment Advisor, and this is how he started his successful business that he eventually sold. However, don't be fooled by the plan's simplicity. The principles are extremely valuable and apply to most any business. You may learn as much, or even more, from the principles stated here than any larger course or program. Evaluating your business model and business plan should be done at the very least, yearly. There are basic principles defining how your product is going to get to market and what type of revenue you expect to generate. We will cover your plan, low-hanging fruit, diversifying your income and creating residual income. Full article here: https://goalsforyourlife.com/blog/business-models

Episode 14: Dan Rowe: President & CEO of Visit Panama City Beach  “People have demand for our product.  They want to be where we live...The demand for our product was so high, because they love the environment, they love the experience, they love what we have.”  In this episode, Steve sits down with Dan Rowe, President and CEO of Visit Panama City Beach and the Executive Director of the Bay Tourist Development Council.  Learn more about the resilience of our county, a new indoor sports center coming, beach renourishment and upcoming local events.  Podcast ResourcesProfessional Visit Panama City Beach (Official Visitors Website) - https://www.visitpanamacitybeach.comPCB Chamber of Commerce - https://www.pcbeach.org PC Chamber of Commerce - https://panamacity.org Visit Panama City Beach (Official Visitors Website) - https://www.visitpanamacitybeach.comAdditional ReferencesChasin the Sun- https://www.discovery.com/shows/chasin-the-sun First Friday Presentation (May 2021) - https://www.facebook.com/baychamberfl/videos/904928950052216 Media & Creativity Presenation for 2022 - https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/panamacitybeach/PCB_Board_Presentation_9_14_21_f644f42c-1ff4-4c5d-bb1a-9d9943e2dccb.pdf Walsingham Academy - https://walsingham.bay.k12.fl.us Beach Renourishment -  https://emeraldbeachproperties.com/blog/beach-renourishment-panama-city-beach-florida/ St. Andrews State Park - https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/st-andrews-state-park Local Events New Years Eve Beach Drop - https://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/events/holiday-events/new-years-eve-beach-ball-drop/ Future Indoor Sports Arena - ​​https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/local-news/bay-county/panama-city-beach/bay-co-tdc-pitches-new-41-million-indoor-sports-center/ Another GNB Podcast Referenced:Ep. 11- Bay County Tax Collector - Chuck Perdue - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_egxxbLrZhY&t=252s 

Welcome to another episode of Action and Ambition. Today's guest is Dan Rowe, founder and CEO of Fransmart, one of the largest restaurant franchise development firms in the world. Fransmart has worked with some of the industry's most well-known companies, giving it a unique insight on how to achieve franchise success. Rowe has identified and expanded brands for more than ten years, opening more than 5,000 restaurants in 45 states across the United States. He's also an active board member of YPO and the National Restaurant Association. Join us in this episode and learn more of Dan's mission and story!

On this week's episode we are sampling some brews from Nepenthe Brewing in Hamden.  We are joined by Dan Rowe, brewer, and try the Infernal Splendor (Helles Lager) and Alpaca Fracas! (Double IPA).  We have a number of great topics including: Matt Gaetz Investigation: Rule no. 1 if you are under investigation – SHUT THE F UP. Rule No. 2 – Don’t travel with a legal weed dealer to the Bahamas for an hooker filled trip. I Can Believe It (IS) Baltimore: BCPD member indicted for lying on mayoral application SCOTUS NEWS: Constitutional law, Federal investigations, and dark money in judicial nominations (Brett Kavanaugh) Lawyers on the Rocks features Jeremy Eldridge, Kurt Nachtman and Adam Crandell. This triumvirate of lawyers will give you their unsolicited opinion on everything legal and illegal, while enjoying a handcrafted cocktail. Lawyers on the Rocks is sponsored by the Law Office of Eldridge, Nachtman & Crandell, LLC and produced by Up Next Creative, LLC.

Dan Rowe, CEO and President of Visit PCB, said that in the contract between the two groups there was a provision that said in the case of a cancellation, R&M was not obligated to repay the money unless it was reimbursed by the companies it used to market its event.  That had not happened as of Thursday and likely wouldn't, Rowe said. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Rowe, CEO and President of Visit PCB, said that in the contract between the two groups there was a provision that said in the case of a cancellation, R&M was not obligated to repay the money unless it was reimbursed by the companies it used to market its event.  That had not happened as of Thursday and likely wouldn't, Rowe said. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode of All in the Industry®, Shari Bayer's guest is Dan Rowe, Founder & CEO of Fransmart, one of the largest restaurant franchise development firms in the world, and the Co-Managing Partner at Kitchen Fund and FranInvest. Dan specializes in finding the next big thing and for over 20 years has identified and grown brands like Five Guys Burgers & Fries, QDOBA Mexican Grill and The Halal Guys from small unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today. Under Dan Rowe’s direction, Fransmart’s current and past franchise development portfolio brands have opened more than 5,000 restaurants worldwide, and facilitated franchise investments that have cumulatively generated over 1-billion in revenues to date. With FranInvest, he has invested in Sweetgreen, Cava, by Chloe, Inday, eegee’s, to name just a few, and is an active board member of YPO and the National Restaurant Association.  Today's show also features Shari's PR tip to create and follow a good business plan; Industry News discussion; and outdoor Solo Dining experience from Wayan in Nolita, NYC. Listen at Heritage Radio Network; subscribe/rate/review our show at iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify. Follow us @allindustry. Thanks for being a part of All in the Industry®. Image courtesy of Dan Rowe.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support All in the Industry by becoming a member!All in the Industry is Powered by Simplecast.  

Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart, joined the Food Institute podcast to discuss the restaurant of the future. Rowe discusses the current restaurant landscape in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what brands/concepts could take advantage of today's market dynamics. Additionally, Rowe shares his prospects for drive-thrus, delivery, ghost kitchens, and curbside pickup options among foodservice operators in the years to come. Hosted By: Chris Campbell Recorded: Jan. 29, 2021 More About Dan Rowe: Dan Rowe specializes in finding the next big thing and for over 20 years has identified and grown brands like Five Guys Burgers & Fries, QDOBA Mexican Grill and The Halal Guys from small unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today. Under Dan Rowe's direction, Fransmart's current and past franchise development portfolio brands have opened more than 5,000 restaurants worldwide, and facilitated franchise investments that have cumulatively generated over 1-billion in revenues to date. Dan is Co-Managing Partner at The Kitchen Fund and FranInvest, which have invested in Sweetgreen, Cava, by Chloe, Inday, eegee's, to name just a few, and is an active board member of YPO and the National Restaurant Association. To learn more about Fransmart, please visit: https://www.fransmart.com Connect with Dan on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dan-rowe/a/894/189

We all know the origin stories of legendary franchises like McDonalds and Wendy’s, but how do you start a franchise in the age of COVID-19? This week, Joe is joined by Dan Rowe, the founder of Fransmart, a company that has developed over 5,000 franchises worldwide. Dan talks about what inspired him to launch mega-franchises like Five Guys Burgers & Fries and Halal Guys, the booming success of fast casual concepts and why now is the time to get into the franchise game.

I am joined on the podcast today by men's mental health campaigner, speaker and facilitator at Andy's Man Club - Dan Rowe Lets face it life is like never before right now and he toll it's taking on peoples mental health with the unknown, change and constant having to readjust is difficult. Equipping yourself with the skills and tools to ride this storm will be key. In my conversation with Dan we discuss:: A number of ways in which you can manage your mental health on a daily basis Skills you can use to process thought and strong emotions when the going gets tough Dan's own mental health struggle and post natal depression he suffered after his son's birth The power of being part of a men's group in your recovery from mental health issues but also growth Our shared interest in the topic of meaning, and how this along with having a purpose and vision is so important for your mental health **To grab a FREE copy of my new e-book The Dad Blueprint https://www.thedadscircle.com/e-book (click here)** Get involved and find out more To get involved with the conversation on social media we are on https://www.facebook.com/guildofdads/?modal=admin_todo_tour (Facebook), https://www.instagram.com/guildofdads/ (Instagram) & https://twitter.com/guildofdads (Twitter) If you want to join the Guild of Dads you can do so via our https://www.facebook.com/pg/guildofdads/groups/ (Facebook Group) Episode show notes can be found on our https://guildofdads.com/ (website) If you like what we are doing, leave a rating and review https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/guild-of-dads-vision-action-meaning/id1489225209 (here)

For the past 20 years, Dan has built Fransmart into one of the largest restaurant franchise development firms in the world, specializing in finding the next big thing at the earliest possible stage. Dan has sold over 5,000 franchises worldwide - while launching the franchise programs for concepts such as QDOBA, 5 Guys, The Halal Guys, Slapfish, and many others. Dan is also, the co-Managing Partner at Kitchen Fund and along with FranInvest, have invested in Sweetgreen, Cava, by Chloe, Slapfish, and Curry Up Now. Dan has been a multi-unit Franchisee, master franchisee, franchisor, angel investor, private equity fund managing partner, speaker, published writer, and sits on the at the National Restaurant Association. LET'S CONNECT! TEXT : (914) 996-4569 EMAIL: Inserra@sabre.life AND, DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW ME! Instagram LinkedIn YouTube TikTok --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/restaurantowners/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/restaurantowners/support

We want to start off the New Year right with a positive episode full of love, fluffiness and good cheer. What better topic than sharing the photographers we stalk, er, follow and admire. Show these folks some love and check out their amazing work. We mention a ton of people...here are just a few, but be sure to listen to the episode to get the deets on everyone we mention.Kathy Wierda, Erica Lane Harvey, George Mitchell, Tara Rudy, Tim Wallace, Craig Lamere, Scott Dupras, Shannon Atchley, Tammy Howell, Dan McClanahan, Dan Rowe, Arica Dorff, and many many more! Give them all a google/Instagram search...you won't be disappointed!Your Hosts:Michael Mowbray, M. Photog., Cr., owns Beautiful Portraits by Michael in DeForest (Madison) Wisconsin and also owns MoLight. Learn more at:www.beautifulportraits.comwww.gomolight.comDan Frievalt, M.Photog., M. Artist, Cr., owns Frievalt Photography in DePere (Green Bay) Wisconsin and also runs Seniors Unlocked. Learn more atwww.frievaltphotography.comstore.seniorsunlocked.comCarl Caylor, M. Photog., Cr., ASP-Fellow, Kodak Alaris Mentor, owns Photo Images by Carl in Iron Mountain, Michigan and also runs Carl's Coaching Corner. Learn more at:www.photoimagesbycarl.netccphotocoach.com

Ghost kitchens are popular right now. But how long will the trend last? This week's episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Dan Rowe, the CEO of Fransmart and co-managing partner at The Kitchen Fund, to talk about a number of topics.

In this episode, I interview Dan Rowe, the CEO of Fransmart and Co-managing partner of Kitchen Fund. Dan Rowe specializes in finding the next big thing and for over 20 years has discovered and grown many major brands including: Five Guys, QDOBA Mexican Grill and The Halal Guys. Under Dan Rowe’s direction, Fransmart’s current and past franchise development portfolio brands, they have opened more than 5,000 restaurants worldwide, and facilitated franchise investments that have cumulatively generated over 1-billion in revenues to date. Dan definitely knows how to spot a winning restaurant brand and this episode we’ll explore some of those winning restaurant qualities. So let’s dive in!

When you need insight, asking an expert is the right way to go. Which is why Barbara Castiglia, host of The Main Course, sat down with Dan Rowe, Founder & CEO, Fransmart to discuss all things franchise. Why did we turn to Rowe to learn more about how to grow franchises? Good question. Rowe specializes in finding the next big thing in the franchise world. For more than 20 years, he has identified and grown brands like Five Guys Burgers & Fries, QDOBA Mexican Grill and The Halal Guys from small unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today. Under Dan Rowe's direction, Fransmart's franchise development portfolio brands have opened more than 5,000 restaurants worldwide, as well as facilitated franchise investments that cumulatively generated over 1-billion in revenues to date. In other words, he knows how to make franchises a success.

Dan Rowe, president and CEO of Visit Panama City Beach, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about the white sand beaches of this coastal Florida town, easy to find by air or car, located  midway between Tallahassee and Pensacola, with a wide assortment of hotels, restaurants and major events, including the Seabreeze Jazz Festival and SandJam Music Festival. For more information, visit www.visitpanamacitybeach.com. Insider Travel Report Youtube channel  or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube. 

CBI027 - The Shining and Brewing Lessons with ABTech Alumnus Dan Rowe   Dan Rowe is an alumnus of ABTech's brewing program. After graduating in 2017, Dan worked at Dogfish Head Brewery for two years b

CBI027 - The Shining and Brewing Lessons with ABTech Alumnus Dan Rowe   Dan Rowe is an alumnus of ABTech’s brewing program. After graduating in 2017, Dan worked at Dogfish Head Brewery for two years before it was acquired by Sam Adams and merged with the Boston Beer Company. Dan is currently working at Heavy Seas Beer in Baltimore, where he moved with his family. In addition to being an experienced brewer, Dan is also a musician and military veteran.   In today’s episode, Dan comes back to ABTech to share his experiences of working with Dogfish Head Brewery and Heavy Seas Beer. He describes how Sam Adams grew Boston Beer Company’s portfolio through its acquisition of Dogfish Head. He shares his thoughts on the hard seltzer market and explains why working at Heavy Seas Beer was a huge leap for him. He also discusses the most valuable lesson he’s learned from ABTech as well as what he thinks the school should include in the program.       This week on Consuming the Craft:   Dan’s experiences studying at ABTech’s brewing program How Boston Beer Company’s portfolio grew through merging with Dogfish Head Why Dan left Dogfish Head Dan’s thoughts on the hard seltzer market Booze Clues: the 21-year-old liquid jacuzzi Why working at Heavy Seas was a big leap Comparing the size, automation, and facilities of Heavy Seas and Dogfish Head The most valuable lesson Dan has learned from ABTech Skills Dan thinks ABTech’s brewing program should have taught him earlier Why the craft beer industry needs to diversify The impact of marijuana legalization on the craft beer industry The Big Cask Program at Heavy Seas     Connect with Dan Rowe:   Dan Rowe on LinkedIn         This episode is brought to you by…   McConnell Farms - Taste the Way You Remember. Enjoy homemade ciders and ice cream made from only the best produce on the market. Visit the McConnell Farms website to learn more about our seasonal inventory and delicious creations you can make with our homegrown produce.     Thanks for tuning into today’s episode of Consuming the Craft. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe so you never miss an episode. Don’t forget to leave us a review to help us reach even more craft beverage enthusiasts!

Number 21!!! This week we're talking with our buddy Dan Rowe of Rowe Reptiles! Talking about his amazing collection of Monitors, Morelia and so much more (He's got a lot of stuff!) We also talk about his super awesome Environmental Monitoring System he's been working on and what the possible future of data collection to yield for the hobby in the coming years! VERY INTERESTING STUFF!!! Don't miss it!FIND DAN ON IG and FB@RoweReptilesFIND US ON IG@reptile.talk@robiscreepingitreal@brassmanreptilesFIND US ON TWITTER@brassmanrep@Robiscreeping

To say that 2020 has been a difficult year for businesses would be putting it very lightly, but if approached from the right perspective, the past six months have opened new doors that could make the future very bright for emerging, proactive brands.  This is the stance of Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart, who is basing his optimism off the back of a multi-decade career within the industry. Rowe's enthusiasm for the current all-time high sales of Fransmart brands, and the availability of ideal locations, is infectious. While it's been a rocky road so far, the latter half of this year onward could be the best yet. To keep your finger on the beating pulse of franchising, sign up to our newsletter at globalfranchisemagazine.com, subscribe to our definitive magazine, and join the conversation with our experts today on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Dan Rowe is passionate about breaking down the stigma around mental health within male dominated environments. Having had a challenging journey with his own mental health he has used these experiences to help others. Dan has worked with numerous businesses to create well-being strategies focused on challenging the idea that 'Men Don't Talk'. Outside of work, Dan loves to spend time with his son and is the co-host of a podcast/radio show called 'The 84'. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-84 spotify.com/show/the-84 In our interview, Dan mentioned how practicing gratitude and using the app "3 Good Things" has helped him see his life more positively. He also shared a book called "Lost Connections" by Johann Hari that he shouts about from the rooftops! amazon.com/lostconnections --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stickaround/support

PLEASE NOTE: This episode is part of the discontinued Sow What Podcast. We are now the Honey Badger Seller (www.honeybadgerseller.com). One of my favorite chapters from "Double Your Profits" by Bob Fifer. It's a book I highly recommend to business owners that want to maximize their current resources to be as profitable as possible. Thanks to my mentor and CEO of Fransmart - whom I worked for ten years before I left to do my own thing - Dan Rowe. Forever in your debt, Chief. This is the topic of sales - and how important it is, but how overlooked, under-appreciated, and ill-focused it is!

Andy's Man Club faciliator Dan Rowe shared his experience of this life changing charity and his own mental health experiences.We discussed postnatal depression in fathers, the road to recovering from this as well as his own ways to wellbeing.Find out more about about Andy's Man Club here and listen to Dan's podcast here Support the show (http://www.openingupcricket.com/century-club)

Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart joins The Jon Taffer Podcast. Fransmart specializes in finding the next big thing at the earliest stages and has sold over 5,000 franchises worldwide while launching the franchise programs for concepts like QDOBA, 5 Guys, The Halal Guys, Slapfish, and many others. Taffer and Rowe chat about the advantages and disadvantages the industry will face while some states slowly reopen across the country. The two also talk about what the future of the hospitality industry will look like in the near future. Shut It Down with another amazing episode… RIGHT NOW! For more Jon Taffer, visit JonTaffer.com  Follow Jon on IG: @jontaffer  Follow Jon on Twitter: @jontaffer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jon-taffer/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jon-taffer/support

Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart joins The Jon Taffer Podcast. Fransmart specializes in finding the next big thing at the earliest stages and has sold over 5,000 franchises worldwide while launching the franchise programs for concepts like QDOBA, 5 Guys, The Halal Guys, Slapfish, and many others. Taffer and Rowe chat about the advantages and disadvantages the industry will face while some states slowly reopen across the country. The two also talk about what the future of the hospitality industry will look like in the near future. Shut It Down with another amazing episode… RIGHT NOW! For more Jon Taffer, visit JonTaffer.com  Follow Jon on IG: @jontaffer  Follow Jon on Twitter: @jontaffer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Humber journalism professor and program coordinator (and repeat NEXTcast guest) Dan Rowe talks about taking a group of students to New Hampshire to cover the US Democratic primaries. Free downloadable transcript available at http://humberpress.com/ Some of the stories written by Dan's students are available at http://skedline.com/politics/.

In our second collection of teaching tips, Humber faculty, staff, and students offer more ideas on creating engaging learning environments. Special thanks to Shirantha Beddage, Sarah Feldbloom, Dan Rowe, Arun Dhanota, Kristin Valois, Christine Zupo, Alex Evans, Lexa Castellan, Daniel Bear, Ranya Khan, Cheryl Mitchell, Laura Page, Leanne Milech, Jessica Freitag, Jennifer Winfield, and Matt Ramer for the great tips.

We thought we’d do something a little different to kick off our third season. We’ve compiled some great teaching tips from our faculty and students for new faculty who are just starting out in the classroom. We’d like to thank Arun Dhanota, Cheryl Mitchell, Mark Rector, Naeema Farooqi, Christine Zupo, Lexa Castellan, Alex Evans, Dan Rowe, Daniel Bear, Laura Page, Ranya Khan, Leanne Milech, Sarah Feldbloom, and Maya Shah for contributing to this episode.

Dan Rowe and I dive deep into the NFC East, and talk about the outlook of each team throughout the division. Also a look into fantasy players on each team. Fun and hilarious show. Make sure to follow @cowboyscc9 on twitter and to listen and subscribe to Cowboys Campfire Chatter on Spotify, iTunes, and Stitcher. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/talkincowboys)

Learning something new can be tough. There’s no doubt about it. And that difficulty usually tends to increase as you get older. In the creative world, a lot of times we learn by emulation. Dan Rowe thinks too many people stop there. Dan’s a hard worker who considers himself less of an artist and more of a problem solver. He’s from a small town in Indiana, so he has that small town work ethic. In this episode, Dan and I discuss the what’s and the why’s of how he moved beyond emulation to develop his own style.

In this episode, Nathan sits down with professors Arun Dhanota and Dan Rowe to learn about the documentary they created to be used as a teaching and training tool.

Husband and wife Charlotte Kendrick and Dan Rowe discuss mixing music with parenting, as well as the challenges and rewards of being an independent act. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Salme Dahlstrom – a.k.a. Salme -- is a New York-based  musical artist who writes, performs and produces  irrepressible dance music.   She is releasinga new album and we are going to debut  it Friday on MusicFridayLive! Romance and Rebellion. Emerging from the bubbling hip warren of production studios, venues and meetups in the Echo Park district of LA,  David LaViola (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar), Aaron Medina (Lead Guitar, Harmony Vocals), Kyle Jordan Mueller (Drums), and Brandon Davis (Bass, Harmony Vocals), formed the band Romance and Rebellion in 2015 and quickly gained traction in the crowded Los Angeles market.  After capturing the attention of famed producer Stefan Litrownik (Andy Grammer, One Direction), they began work on their debut EP, a project that would produce the addictive, beat-driven single, “More Than Friends.”  They are the essence of youth exuberance and their growing local fanbase will soon be national. Goodbye Blue is the duo  Charlotte Kendrick and Dan Rowe who write and sing  melodic,  personal Americana-Folk  reminiscent of classic  story-telling artists.  Both Charlotte and Dan grew up playing music and their separate lives took many turns – including Charlotte’s 2 years in the Peace Corps – before they met through a music producer relative of Dan’s.  They synced immediately and played and toured extensively until a family of three children arrived, which slowed them to a crawl musically (although not logistically!). Their new album  “Worth the Wait” marks their re-emergence into Americana music 

Goodbye Blue is an Americana duo featuring Charlotte Kendrick and Dan Rowe. The duo performs melodic and personal Americana-Folk reminiscent of story-telling artists such as The Weepies, Patty Griffin, and John Prine. In addition to their close personal relationship (they’re married), Charlotte and Dan have a longstanding and complimentary musical partnership. The duo previously made three albums together with Charlotte as singer/songwriter and Dan in the producer/arranger role. Now performing as Goodbye Blue, the current songs reflect a time of life that many can relate to, describing the joys and struggles of raising small children. Their current release, Worth the Wait, comes out on March 21st, 2016 on Wondermore Records. For more, click here.

  Jim and I wrap up ImagingUSA 2016 without an interview.  Big shoutout to all the staffers / volunteers for PPA and the amazingly talented Dan Rowe for wrangling other awesome speakers to stop by during the Closing Party at the Georgia Aquarium. During this podcast, we were broadcasting LIVE on Facebook and you can check out […]

Robert has been busting out some interviews this week right? Thanks to Dan you’ll get to learn a lot about big modifiers for an entire day. Dan calls his lighting “Sloppy Rembrandt Lighting”. Listen to this episode and hear more of what he’s going to talk about at ImagingUSA in his three-part course. All Three Course […]

We are meeting with the cofounder of Fransmart Dan Rowe. Fransmart is the global leader in franchise development, turning emerging restaurant concepts into national and global brands for over 10 years. Company founder Dan Rowe identified and grew brands like Five Guys Burgers & Fries and Qdoba Mexican Grill from 1-5 unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today.   Their current and past franchise development portfolio brands have opened over 2,000 restaurants in 45 states and more than 35 countries. Fransmart and their partner brands are committed to franchise development growth—as of 2011, over 1,000 new restaurants are in development across their current portfolio.