Top Players in Franchise Development: Ardag Tachian

After obtaining a graduate degree and opening a private practice as a licensed psychotherapist in Southern California, Tachian realized he wanted to pursue something a little more entrepreneurial.

“I was always an entrepreneur at heart, and I always appreciated folks who took a risk and invested their own resources to create employment for others and help others achieve the American Dream,” Tachian said. “I thought, ‘what better way to be a part of that process than getting involved with franchising directly?’ I wanted to help people create opportunities for themselves and their communities.”

After attending a franchise trade show, Tachian discovered an opportunity with Quiznos. The brand only had five or six restaurants in L.A. at the time, so he moved into a development agent role to help Quiznos expand.

That role eventually led him to MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes , and it wasn’t long until he had acquired development rights for the Midwest. Tachian eventually became the vice president of development with MOOYAH, helping the brand achieve an important milestone recently—100 units.

Today, Tachian has taken that experience to Hungry Howie’s , where he works as the director of franchise recruitment. Tachian’s ties to Hungry Howie’s run deep—since the restaurant opened its very first unit in 1973 in Detroit, Hungry Howie’s has served as his favorite hometown pizza joint.

Validation is key to Hungry Howie’s franchise development process. The team has focused on servicing current franchisees and striving to exceed their expectations. This creates a more fertile climate for new business development and helps to have 25 consecutive quarters of same store sales increases.

Some of Hungry Howie’s major milestones include introducing a new corporate identity, implementing a state of the art online ordering system, and continuously improving the way they use technology to engage with their consumer base. They also have a system called Hungry Howie’s Online Management Exchange (HOME) which provides real time reporting and management tools for franchisees.

Tachian attributes the brand’s success to the passion that exists across the system for the brand. Success is often preceded by hard work and a commitment to quality, excellence, and integrity. The brand has emphasized quality, integrity, and family since 1973.

Successful Hungry Howie’s franchisees balance being a restaurant operator and a business owner by hiring to fill voids where they may exist. The brand provides each franchisee with tools to add to their toolbox, which sets them up for success. This includes field business consultants, turnkey marketing solutions, and a unified point of sale system.

Tachian’s goals for Hungry Howie’s in the next few years include continuing to support focused and enterprising franchisees, creating opportunities for them to grow and develop, and recruiting and attracting new franchisees for new markets.