He Built a Wingstop Empire (then launched his own brand)

Matt started as a Subway employee at 13 — and by his twenties, he owned 12 locations. From there, he expanded into Cinnabon, Dunkin’, and Wingstop, learning hard lessons about unit economics, scaling challenges, and why some brands hit ceilings while others explode.

Today, Matt is the co-founder of Agapé, a fast-casual Mediterranean concept born in Columbus that’s now franchising nationwide. We unpack how his decades as a multi-brand operator shaped his playbook, why he only wants experienced restaurant operators as franchisees, and how Agapé plans to ride the same wave CAVA created — but with stronger economics.

• [05:00] Buying his first store and scaling to 12 locations

• [10:00] Surviving the chaos of the $5 footlong era

• [15:00] Lessons from Cinnabon, Dunkin’, and Wingstop

• [35:00] Selling Wingstop — and why he says he exited too early

• [40:00] Founding Agapé during COVID

• [45:00] Competing in the Mediterranean bowl category

• [50:00] The future of Agapé and its franchise strategy

“Subway taught me it’s a penny-profit business — you’ve got to scrape to make it.” “If you can do three times your build-out cost in sales, you’re in a good spot.” “We’re not trying to sell units. We’re trying to work with good people and build a kick-ass brand together.”

Franchising, Restaurants, Small Business, Fast Casual, Wingstop, Subway, Cinnabon, Dunkin’, CAVA, Entrepreneurship, Multi-Unit Operators, Emerging Brands