How do you ensure that each of your units maintains brand consistency, while also catering to local tastes and preferences?

Brand consistency

One of the best advantages of a franchise business for customers is the consistency of its products or services. That is especially true with restaurants, where customers come to know what is on the menu and how it will taste. Someone visiting a Dunkin’ in Massachusetts will see a similar selection of donuts and flavors of coffee as another customer going to the same establishment in New Mexico.

But what about incorporating a local flavor into the menu based on regional preferences? Certain flavors and tastes are more popular in some areas of the country. It would be a mistake for a restaurant owner to ignore customer preferences within their own market.

Franchise Update asked several multi-unit restaurant franchisees how they balance brand consistency with catering to local customer tastes. Restaurant operators stressed the importance of adhering to the franchise model that provides consistency and repeatable execution. Along with name recognition of the brand, those processes are likely some of the major reasons why they invested in the franchise.

At the same time, the franchisees also said they give their teams leeway to operate within the context of their local market. Whether it is training, incorporating slight tweaks to the menu, or participating in local events to ingratiate themselves in the community, there are ways to “localize” a franchise business. This week in the Franchisee Bytes section, we asked restaurant operators about their best business decision.

They likely had many options to choose from, as each has decades of successful restaurant ownership operations across multiple brands. Several franchisees cited getting their start in the restaurant industry or being able to guide their business through Covid. The most common response was hiring, investing, and retaining a talented group of managers and employees.

Franchisee strategies

See the Franchisee Bytes section below to read some of the best business decisions of some top multi-unit restaurant franchisees. Stuart Ottinger Company: OPG Holdings Brands: 5 Another Broken Egg Cafe, 1 Mercy Kitchen, 1 BJ’s Pizza, 1 Palmyre Years in Franchising: 23 Brand consistency is critical. Guests should expect the same quality, presentation, and execution no matter which location they visit.

At the same time, Another Broken Egg Cafe does a great job staying ahead of trends and offering a menu with enough depth that each market’s product mix naturally reflects local preferences. For example, in Louisiana, our P-mix skews higher toward our Shrimp N' Grits and Cajun-inspired dishes, while in Nashville, the mix looks very different. Rather than reinventing the menu at the unit level, we focus on strong execution of a diverse core menu, paired with small local touches like custom mugs, while maintaining consistency in quality, flavor profile, and operational standards.

Dan Sacco Company: Central Coast Hospitality, Inc, dba Pancheros Mexican Grill Brands: 3 Pancheros, 3 Your Pie Pizzerias Years in Franchising: 21 All our locations operate under the same circumstances, as we adhere to the Pancheros business model. We manage all three locations based in Iowa, the brand's home state, and where guests know what to expect. We're able to adhere to what our customers want because the brand's business model is based on them.

Steven Young Company: MLY Investments Brands: 12 Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Years in Franchising: 11 It all comes down to management by who you select as the leaders of your stores, and how you develop them and maintain relationships with them. I have daily conversations with multi-unit managers I personally selected and trained, as well as general managers. The only true way to ensure stores are maintaining consistency and still adjusting to local preferences is to be in your stores and know the people that represent the operating group and the brand itself.

When you discuss strategy, best practices, and their ideas, everyone is motivated to deliver for our guests. Joe Saldana Company: JKSK Brands: 5 Smoothie King Years in Franchising: 5 We place a strong emphasis on training and consistently adhering to our processes. Just as important as the processes themselves is helping our team understand the “why” behind them.

When our teams understand the purpose behind each step, it reinforces consistency in standards across everything we do. Whenever we deviate from or shortcut a process, we see the impact immediately in our results. Process discipline is also a highly transferable skill, benefiting our team members well beyond our business.

We also build flexibility into the guest experience where it matters most. Our order-taking process encourages customization, allowing guests to tailor their smoothies to their individual tastes and preferences. This approach ensures every guest gets a product they truly enjoy, while still maintaining the core elements that define our brand.

Ron Parikh Company: CMG Companies Brands: 60+ Little Caesars, 190+ Sonic, 160+ KFC/Taco Bell, 60+ Rent-A-Centers, 40+ Ace Hardware, 30+ American Freight Years in Franchising: 25 We take a great deal of pride in operational consistency across our portfolio. While we’re not perfect, our priority is delivering on the brand promise, no matter the location. There are certain non-negotiables we uphold across the board: food safety, cleanliness, and speed.

These are consistently reinforced through simple scorecards, routine coaching, and operational audits from both our internal team and brand partners. With Little Caesars, for example, maintaining the brand promise at all times is critical to our operational standards by providing a consistent experience across every location. Upholding those expectations requires a high degree of operational discipline and clear metrics for success.

At the same time, we empower our local leaders to take ownership of their markets. We believe flexibility can exist within guardrails, whether that’s tailoring labor schedules to local dayparts, participating in community events, or adjusting marketing emphasis based on what resonates in that area. It’s about operating with a national playbook while giving local operators the autonomy to bring it to life in a way that feels authentic to their community.

It’s a balance that helps us scale while still staying connected at the neighborhood level. Steve Zahn Company: Tulsa Development Incorporated Brands: 7 The Big Biscuit, 2 Sonic Years in Franchising: 30 Working in the restaurant is all about consistency. In a franchise concept, it’s even more critical that the systems are proven and that each location adheres to the same operational framework for training, recipes, and quality control.

That said, The Big Biscuit has 22 corporate locations and a strong line of communication with franchisees. The shared priority is the guest when considering the menu and limited-time offerings. A mix of operator and consumer feedback, national trends, seasonality, and 25 years of Big Biscuit experience drives innovation.

Franchisee Bytes What was your best business decision? **Focusing on retaining and rewarding our store managers. They are the reason for any success we have, and they build incredible teams.

** -Tamra Kennedy, Franchise Operator, Twin City T.J.’s, 6 Taco John’s **Taking calculated risks led my business to grow as quickly as it did.

Understanding industry demands and looking for unique opportunities, such as second-generation spaces rather than taking on complete build-outs, positioned me to take calculated risks that I hoped would pay off. Expanding during the Covid lockdowns was a risk within itself, but I had faith that things would eventually normalize, and I'm thankful they did.** *-Yousuf Nabi, Owner & CEO of Gotham IP Inc.

Fields, 10 Sbarro, 4 TCBY* **To invest in great people and pour into them. I knew that if we were going to successfully expand, we needed to have good people to do it. We emphasized hiring the right people and developing them, so we had a strong bench of people in place for when we expanded.

** -Tom Lovelace, Owner/President, Tom Lovelace Group, 96 Papa Murphy’s Taking the leap to go into business and purchasing my first Friendly’s restaurant and then focusing on finding great mentors and role models as I scaled my business. -Amol Kohli, Managing Partner, Legacy Brands International/Chairman of the Board, Brix Holdings, Franchisee: 63 Orange Leaf, 60 Clean Juice, 36 Red Mango, 6 Humble Donut Co., 3 Souper Salad, 1 Smoothie Factory + Kitchen, Franchisor: 61 Friendly’s **Hiring the right people, especially at the regional manager and district manager levels.

Things can move so much faster when your people have integrity and can lead others.** -Chad Given, Brand President, Sizzling Platter, 361 Little Caesars, 107 Little Caesars Mexico, 185 Wingstop, 92 Jamba, 33 Jersey Mike’s Subs, 31 Dunkin’, 7 Sizzler, 5 Red Robin, 1 Cinnabon **One of the best business decisions I made was in 2003 when I had the opportunity to open a Taco Bell Express within my existing deli. We were able to increase sales both for the deli and online.

Taco Bell did more business than the two standalone locations nearby that were eventually closed.** -Sam Chand, CEO, Jasam Enterprises, 25 Checkers & Rally’s, 35 KFC **Making key employees equity partners. Providing ownership in the company has helped us attract and retain top talent.

It’s motivating to have a vested interest in the company’s success and has been incredibly rewarding over the years for our partners.** -Mike Kulp, CEO, KBP Brands, 828 KFC, 119 Arby’s, 85 Sonic, 56 Taco Bell **Committing to Dave’s Hot Chicken and opening during such an uncertain time was a leap of faith, but it paid off. The Pacific Beach launch during Covid reaffirmed that bold moves, backed by belief in your brand, often lead to the biggest rewards.

** -Lawrence Kouri, Multi-Unit Owner-Operator, Dave’s Hot Chicken, 22 Dave’s Hot Chicken When we pivoted from being employees to owning our own restaurants and becoming franchisees of El Pollo Loco. *-Phong Huynh, Co-Owner, Fuego Investment Inc.