GF podcast: Beto Guajardo of Focus Brands International

The president gets candid about how to modernize established franchise brands.

This episode of the Global Franchise Podcast is brought to you by BrightStar Care, a private-duty home care and medical staffing franchise, with prime territories available nationwide, and five revenue streams for uncapped earning potential. For more information, visit brightstarfranchising.com.

The food and beverage franchise industry is easily one of the most analyzed and celebrated of all sectors in this business model. I’m sure we could all name countless restaurant franchise brands that we’ve loved over the years, and experts have been deciphering what innovations and evolutions work best since we began flipping burgers or slicing pizzas many decades ago.

One organization that’s no stranger to evolution is Focus Brands. The parent company owns six beloved franchise concepts and has an impressive portfolio of more than 1,650 sites across 60 countries around the world. But recent news stories like the opening of the first-ever Auntie Anne’s drive-thru site, or a brand-new build-out for Schlotzsky’s, have shown that this is one franchisor that’s not afraid to try new things.

To learn more about what the future holds for Focus Brands International, we sat down with Beto Guajardo, the franchisor’s president. Beto has many years of experience in senior leadership and is brimming with useful insight that restauranteurs far and wide can put into practice.