Todd Jackson’s Success as a Newk’s Franchisee: 11 Locations Strong

Todd Jackson has been around the restaurant industry for as long as he can remember. Growing up in Missouri, his family's restaurants sparked a passion for hospitality that led him to earn a degree in hotel and restaurant management from the University of Missouri.

After spending a decade with Chili's under Brinker International, Jackson decided to pursue franchising as a way to build something of his own. In 2006, Jackson became one of the first franchisees of Newk's Eatery, a fast-casual concept that immediately impressed him with its fresh, high-quality menu and supportive leadership team.

Over the years, Jackson, alongside a team of partners, has grown his portfolio to 11 locations across Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas. His success is fueled by a focus on strong partnerships, a commitment to his team, and a deep belief in the Newk's brand.

Growth and expansion plans

Now, Jackson is looking ahead to continued growth, excited about the opportunities to bring Newk's signature dining experience to even more communities.

I'm originally from Missouri, and my family has been in the restaurant business for generations — starting with my great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents. Even some of my cousins are in the industry, so it's always been a part of my life.

When I went to college, I earned a degree in hotel and restaurant management from the University of Missouri. Initially, I intended to go into the hotel side of the business, but when I graduated, I realized that hotel positions paid about $10,000 less than restaurant jobs. That pretty much sealed my decision, and I've been in the restaurant industry ever since.

My wife and I met at Mizzou, where she also studied hotel and restaurant management. After graduation, she went to work for Panera, while I joined Chili's, working for Brinker International. I stayed with Brinker for about 10 years before transitioning to Newk's.

When Chili's started going through some changes in the early to mid-2000s, the industry itself was evolving. Around that time, Newk's had just been founded in 2004. I joined the company in 2006, making us one of the first franchisees — possibly the third or fourth.

While leaving Chili's, I was figuring out my next step when someone suggested I check out the Newk's concept. Initially, I was skeptical. At the time, Newk's only had three locations and I was coming from a company with 1,800. But I decided to visit, and from the moment I walked in, I could see its potential.

Everything about Newk's stood out — the systems and controls were well-structured, the menu was great, the food quality was excellent, and it was clearly duplicatable. My wife and I met with one of the founders and an original GM, and it was obvious they knew what they were doing. The founders of Newk's had also created McAlister's Deli, which gave them significant industry experience. We were impressed and decided to commit to the brand.

At the time, I had two partners who were looking for an operator. I became the operations person in our group, and we opened our first Newk's location in Birmingham, Alabama. Simultaneously, one of the same partners opened another location in Cypress, Texas (near Houston). However, that operator didn't work out, so we merged the companies and have been growing in both areas ever since.

My initial perception of franchising was that there wasn't much interaction between the franchisor and the franchisee. I thought the franchisor would do their thing, and the franchisee would do theirs. While there is some of that, I found it to be much more collaborative than I expected.

What helped us get past it was staying very involved. I'm determined to ensure we're not out of the loop or left behind. Like anything in life, what you put into it is what you get out of it. By dedicating time and effort to being collaborative with the franchisor, we've managed to stay up-to-date and truly be partners in building the brand.

I've been on the Franchise Advisory Council for several years, and while we don't make decisions, we serve as an advisory board. The franchisor does a great job of listening to us, bringing ideas to the table, and asking for feedback. Additionally, we operate stores in test markets, so we're often part of piloting new initiatives.

Franchising benefits and advantages

Looking back, my initial impression of franchising was shaped by both positives and negatives. The clear advantage is the proven product. The stats are staggering — starting a restaurant independently has about a 90% chance of failure and only a 10% chance of success. With a franchise, those odds nearly reverse, which was something I was excited about.

As I said, our food is exceptional. While every brand might think that, the quality of our ingredients, the freshness of our products, and the variety of offerings back it up. From pizzas and salads to soups, we offer something for everyone in a group. That eliminates the veto vote. For instance, if someone in a group doesn't want chicken fingers or doesn't like salads, it can rule out certain restaurants. We solve that problem by catering to different preferences and demographics.

What also excites me is our broad appeal. Older people love us, younger people love us, and middle-aged people love us. We're not limited to one demographic — it's not just men or women, old or young. We fit into everyone's preferences, which gives us a significant advantage. It's that universal appeal that helps us succeed.

Yes, we are actively looking for new locations. Recently, we expanded our search to include three additional cities in the Mississippi market. We've also looked at several locations in Alabama, so our current focus is primarily on the Alabama-Mississippi area.

We're also always on the lookout for acquisitions. Our growth to 11 locations has been a mix of building new restaurants and acquiring existing ones. For example, we acquired the Coleman location within the past year, Fort Worth about a year and a half ago, and College Station and Waco around three or four years ago. We enjoy acquisitions just as much as building new locations, and we're very focused on growth.

Our goal is to add another five units over the next three years. We're excited about what's ahead and remain committed to expanding strategically in the right markets.