How to Succeed as A Multi-Unit Franchisee: Sajib Singha; Multiple QSR Brands

Sajib Singha spent 10 years working his way up from low-level shift manager to operational manager at KFC while working a second job at JP Morgan Chase Bank. Fast forward to 2021, and the Texas-based operator now owns 13 franchise locations with four different quick-service restaurant brands and two more locations on the way.

Singha’s franchise journey started in 2012 when he used his savings to buy a Golden Chick franchise location for sale in his area. From there, he quickly expanded his portfolio to include Dairy Queen , Captain D’s , Papa John’s and Schlotzky’s .

When asked how he chooses brands before investing, Singha said, “We always like to see the average unit volume (AUV) of each chain to determine how they are doing. Since we wanted to diversify our portfolio, we definitely wanted to pick the best franchise in its own category. A lot of it also depends on the incentives the brand is offering at the time.”

Being a multi-unit franchise owner within the same brand is certainly challenging, but owning multiple units with multiple brands is challenging on a different level. Singha attributes his success to his staff and his willingness to take things back to basics.

“You need to understand the basics of each QSR to make sure you have a full grasp of the fundamental needs of each business,” Singha said. “That way, when you pass the baton onto the next person to run things, you know your business will be okay. You also need to invest in your staff. They need to be trained to take care of customers and take some ownership over the success of the business.“

When it comes to making the transition from franchise owner to multi-unit franchise owner, Singha doesn’t sugarcoat the experience, saying the road is “tough and hard to sustain.” This is why training was such a fundamental piece of choosing to invest in each of his brands.

“If a franchise has a really good training program that can help us mold our people and help management understand exactly what they need to do, that’s a big part of why I’m picking a franchise,” says Singha.