Can you walk us through your journey from owning your first franchise to now managing multiple units?

One of the biggest steps a franchise owner can take is going from owning one location to operating multiple units. It can be an exciting process of growth, but one that requires considerable planning and responsibility. Some franchisees say that growing beyond three units requires a mindset shift toward becoming less hands-on and more focused on building leaders.

Franchise Update spoke with a group of veteran restaurant operators with a combined 153 years of franchising experience who own between five and more than 60 locations, about how they first scaled their businesses. To tell their complete entrepreneurial journey, many reflected on their start in the restaurant business and what they first learned that would put them on the road to eventual growth. To operate more than one unit, a franchisee must take a forward-thinking approach and project where their business will be financially years down the road.

They can think about the lessons learned and from the practices that were successful with the first restaurant, and what to fix or avoid when running additional locations. Many said their growth was made possible through the support of others, whether it was a business partner or a member of the franchisor staff. The ability to predict where a business will go in the future is critical for all franchise owners who want to remain successful.

In this week’s Franchisee Bytes section, we asked other multi-unit restaurant operators how they forecast their business. Franchisees review many sets of data to analyze monthly, quarterly, and yearly sales and transactions to look forward and predict how performance may go in the future. See their thoughts below about the many factors they take into consideration when forecasting their business.

Jim D'Aquila Company: Virentes Hospitality Group Brands: 5 Shipley Donuts, 3 Saigon Hustle, 1 Sweet Paris Years in Franchising: 17 I entered the franchising industry differently than most. I spent 43 years working on Wall Street covering restaurant and consumer businesses, so I understood the economics, capital formation, and financial drivers extremely well, but I had not lived it from the operational side firsthand. That changed with Jimmy John's.

My wife and I were in that system for 14 years, with her serving as the owner-operator. We did not scale quickly, and we learned the business from the ground up, often the hard way. That experience was invaluable and informed how we approached building Virentes Hospitality Group.

I started this company at 62, and I’ve always believed this is a business you stay in as long as you’re building and growing. What we brought to Shipley Donuts was a combination of financial discipline and operational humility. We knew what we did not know, and we were intentional about surrounding ourselves with what I believe are the best operators in the Southeast.

Our director of operations, Andrew Povic, leads our stores day-to-day with a high-level of precision. We also made a deliberate choice to build systems and infrastructure ahead of need. From our tech stack to our corporate structure to our talent bench, everything is designed for where we will be in five years, not just where we are today.

With Shipley Donuts, we currently have several open in various markets, including Nashville, Jacksonville, and Clearwater, with plans to open 22 throughout Florida and Tennessee. We also recently reopened a Shipley location in Orlando. Skip Russell Company: Russell Restaurants Brands: 5 Newk’s Eatery Years in Franchising: 31 I first started in the restaurant industry as a 15-year-old carhop at Sonic, and I returned to the brand when I was 21 as an assistant manager.

In 1996, I reconnected with Buddy McClain, the Sonic franchisee that I worked for when I was in high school, and he offered me a partnership in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. We opened four restaurants there over about five years. I spent 15 years learning the ropes as a partner and director of operations from Buddy before I ventured out on my own with Popeyes in 2011.

I built 11 Popeyes across Mississippi and bought two more, which taught me everything about the multiple roles required to scale a business. I briefly considered retirement after selling those, but realized that I’m an operator at heart. Coming back to the industry with Newk’s allowed me to pivot to a brand I’ve always admired, but is steadier for someone who is starting, like my son.

Matt Langdon Company: SHS Management Brands: 6 Penn Station East Coast Subs Years in Franchising: 32 My path to ownership began at age 16 when I started working for a gentleman named Howard, who opened his first Penn Station in 1995. Without immediate plans for school, I stayed with Howard and grew alongside the business. Over the years, our single store expanded to six, and I advanced from crew leader to operations director, overseeing all six units.

In 2017, through Penn Station’s Managing Owner Program, I purchased 10 percent of the business with a plan to acquire the remaining 90 percent. In 2021, I became the sole owner of a $6 million business. The development and training that I’ve received thanks to Penn Station has provided a great career for me and a legacy business.

Tom Kazbour Company: Kazbour Operating Group Brands: 63 Hungry Howie’s Years in Franchising: 42 After coming to this country when I was nine years old, I learned the pizza business when I was 15, starting by washing dishes. Eventually, I found my way to Florida with $50 in my pocket and slept on a couch until I earned enough to stand on my own. I built stores one at a time, working 14-16‑hour days, seven days a week.

And when opportunities came, I shared them. My brothers joined me, then young employees who grew into partners. From one struggling store to overseeing more than 150 locations in Florida today, it was never luck.

It was discipline, passion, and surrounding myself with people who worked as hard as I did. Todd Rogers Company: Viking Group Inc. Brands: 17 Donatos Pizza Years in Franchising: 31 After serving on active duty in the Air Force, I looked into different career paths and was introduced to the Donatos team through a family friend, shortly after they started franchising.

The more I learned about the company, the more it appealed to me, by offering me the chance to build a business that was fun, financially rewarding, and most importantly, allowed me to make a difference in people’s lives. While I had no restaurant experience, I decided to commit to Donatos Pizza as a long-term career, not just something to try. This commitment is what makes or breaks people in our industry, and has been instrumental in growing to 17 locations.

Franchisee Bytes How do you forecast for your business? **The biggest thing we look at is year-over-year trends. We want to have more transactions and more sales than the year before.

We start there and then look at any future locations we may add in the coming year. It’s not super robust, and that’s one thing we plan to improve moving forward.** *-Alex Karcher, Operating Principal, JCK Restaurants, 61 Carl’s Jr.

, 11 Jersey Mike’s Subs, 8 The Human Bean, 8 Dave’s Hot Chicken, 1 Hawaiian Bros Island Grill* Forecasts are set first on an annual comparable-sales basis and then quarterly, monthly, and weekly. The same projections apply to the number of transactions or customer orders. -Clement Troutman, CEO, Troutman Management, 2 Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 1 PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans **We use last year’s data to plan along with local events throughout the year and the weather.

There is a seasonal ebb and flow to our business. We know cold and rainy weather will negatively impact sales, and the better weather of spring and summer will bring additional customers. Graduations and other area events also increase sales.

** -Carrie Ayers, Owner/Operator, 6 Playa Bowls **Our approach is data-driven with a human touch. We rely on past performance and local market trends, but we also incorporate insights from our teams on the ground. Their perspectives help ensure our forecasts reflect both numbers and real-world experience.

** -Misha Punwani, Multi-Unit Franchise Owner, 16 Playa Bowls **I read tirelessly, focusing on global economic issues and even politics that can affect our future. Commodities play a huge role in our cost modeling. We also look closely at our competitors and track QSR trends.

** -Tamra Kennedy, Franchise Operator, Twin City T.J.’s, 6 Taco John’s **We are very data-driven, and all our decisions are based on the numbers.

We are aware of the school calendar, and we can always project that business will be slower in the summer. We look at speed of service, drive-thru times, and customer feedback.** -David Weeks, CEO, The Bean Team, 9 Barberitos, 8 Dunkin’, 4 Newk’s Eatery, 1 Dunkin’/Newk’s co-brand **I establish our budgets every six months.

With the current environment, setting budgets yearly opens the door to many unknowns. That also leaves people wondering how to fix problems when the year is almost over, instead of focusing on the current trajectory with a shorter window to make things happen. With technology moving everything at a much faster pace, we also need to be able to react a lot quicker.

** -Andy Cabral, CEO, Vigario Management, 25 Dunkin’, 9 Baskin-Robbins **One of our core success elements is strategically booking our trucks based on historical performance and ongoing market insights. While we follow proven patterns, we tailor our approach to the unique dynamics of each territory and prioritize booking our trucks far in advance. Weekly projections are developed in advance, evaluating the potential of upcoming vending locations.

I also meet with our booking team two weeks ahead to align our strategy and ensure optimal execution.