SMB Paves Way for Restaurant Franchises

When Patrick Cain was building a career as an executive in the retail fashion industry, he was told consumers have an emotional connection to certain products. “At the time, I remember thinking that was total marketing nonsense,” he said.

At least, that was until he started Mr. Mac’s Macaroni and Cheese in New Hampshire five years ago with his sister, Valerie Anderson. Now, he’s a believer. “I think I had that ‘a-ha’ moment when an older gentleman came into our restaurant and said, ‘This is just how my mom used to make it,’” Cain recalls. “Mac and cheese is the quintessential comfort food for so many people. People will always have a connection to it for that reason.”

Year by year, the restaurant-novice’s gourmet mac and cheese grew in popularity. Positive reviews were rushing in from local publications. They were featured on a regional TV show out of Boston, “Phantom Gourmet.” Soon, Mr. Mac’s had elevated to a near cult-like following throughout the entire New England area. Their unique restaurant model was doing so well, that Cain decided it was time to share their experience with more people in more areas.

“We decided it was time to grow, so we started looking into new opportunities. We have this very unique market, and we think we’re some of the best at it. We figured we’d take advantage of this growing niche,” Cain said. “That’s why we decided to explore the possibility of franchising.”

Cain admits that he was initially intimidated by the world franchising. Unsure of where, or how, to begin, Cain and his sister approached the experts—SMB Franchise Advisors. SMB was created with a mission to provide best-in-class franchise services, from start-to-finish for start-up franchises, emerging franchises and established franchises. From franchise development and operations to financial services, SMB helps entrepreneurs expertly execute their concepts to drive franchise growth.

“SMB picked up on our brand’s uniqueness right away. It’s very reassuring to have the warmth of those people when you’re entering into a world you don’t know. They take your hand and help you cross over to a side of the street you’ve never been to,” Cain said.

While Mr. Mac’s is still in the early stages of developing its franchise, Cain is confident that SMB will help his company make all the right decisions to sustain and grow their business into a fully-functional franchise.

“It’s been a terrific experience so far. They’re excited about our business, and we’re excited to see where it goes,” Cain said. “We have a tremendous opportunity at hand. But you need that guidance—you need SMB.”

Jason Mazzarone had a similar experience. As the owner of the Long Island Superbowls in New York, a healthy fast-casual food joint, Mazzarone saw his small, specialty restaurant go from serving acai bowls to morphing into a full-service café. Within two short years, their success skyrocketed, and Mazzarone decided it was time to expand.

“We realized that one of the advantages of franchising is there are already established roots. We had a lot of success in our hometown, and realized that this was the best move,” Mazzarone said. “Steve Beagelman, the president and CEO of SMB, was recommended to us, and the rest was a no-brainer. They were the perfect fit for what we’re trying to do, and they’ve already been an enormous help in guiding us. SMB has been a great teacher—not to mention the fact that they always answer their phone no matter what hour you call them anytime there’s some crazy question.”

When asked about these brands, Beagelman says, “SMB Franchise Advisors is very excited to be launching both Mr. Macs and Long Island Superbowls in the first quarter of 2016. Both brands have great potential to be rising stars in the franchise industry in 2016.”

Steve indicated that SMB Franchise Advisors is currently working with several restaurant brands, from fast casual to full service, fine dining. They able to leverage their team’s experience when helping these founders expand without opening additional company locations. “Everyone loves to eat and good food, made by a team that cares, is better with a local owner’s attention to detail and to their patrons. It matters. People notice the difference. This is why we do it.”