Lessons From Franchise Execs: Paul Martino, President & Chief Operating Officer of A&W

Paul Martino has spent more than 20 years with A&W, the 102-year-old, one-of-a-kind authentic American restaurant with more than 500 units across the country. He first joined A&W in the early 1990s as a district supervisor, then advanced to vice president of company operations and eventually to COO in 2011 and president in 2019.

Having dedicated so many years to the brand, Martino has seen his fair share of challenges. But none of those challenges strengthened A&W’s relationship with its franchisees quite like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Martino believes the brand’s success in 2020 was due in part to its focus on two-way communication between its franchisees and the corporate team. “COVID reminded us that our franchise partners and our restaurant support team are resilient and very creative,” he said. “Our franchisees are the reason we’re in business, so we ask ourselves this question every day: ‘What have you done today to help our franchisees become more successful?’”

According to Martino, franchisees need to be equally dedicated to the success of the franchise as a whole. “You need to understand the brand’s history and get to know the people who work for the brand,” he said. “Because they’ll be the ones supporting you through this journey.”

Most importantly, Martino believes franchisors should never forget who took them to the dance — their franchise partners and their guests. “As a franchisor, you really have two different customers: the guests in your restaurants and your franchise partners,” he said. “Both have different needs, but both are very important."