Grow Market Lead
desk? 7:30–7:45 a.m. I get a ton of work
ing of goods opportunities. We shot to
the top of our sector in unit-level economics. From 2009 to 2011, same-unit
operations grew their EBITDA by 58
percent (these are units with full operating years). Our real estate executive
also drove landlord tenant improvement
contributions to levels in many cases as
high as $32 a square foot, while decreasing rent rates by 12 percent a square
foot (we nicknamed her the “Honey
Badger”). Going forward, we drive by
bottom-line delivery on the unit level
and by providing our patrons an exceptional dining experience. We will
continue driving these points.
done by 9 a.m. After 9, I am visiting my
department heads.
Exercise in the morning? No. I usually spend 2 to 3 days a week in the late
afternoon.
Wine with lunch? A few times a month.
Do you socialize with your team after
work/outside the office? Occasion-
ally. In many of these occasions, I will
spend some time with a team member
or two and talk about some corporate
strategy.
Last two books read: The Advantage
by Patrick Lencioni and Onward: How
Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul by Howard Schultz and
Joanne Gordon.
Where can capital be found these
days? The brand is SBA registered
Favorite occasions to send employees notes: I communicate with my
“The recession
had a positive
effect on the
company. It
allowed us
to secure
favorable cost of
goods pricing,
as well as
manufacturing
of goods
opportunities.”
team daily. I specifically send notes on
performance-based action.
BOTTOM LINE
What technology do you take on the
road? iPad, iPhone.
How do you relax/balance life and
work? Boy, I could do this better. It
gets tricky, as my wife, Fay, is our director of human resources. So our home
time sometimes extends our workday.
At minimum, I try to save the weekend
for family time, even though being a
restaurant concept we have our biggest
sales over the weekend, so I do get calls
from time to time.
Favorite vacation destinations: Aruba
and Disney.
Favorite company product/service:
A new position, director of unit-level economics/QA. This is the brand’s
statement, the brand’s investment in
our philosophy in driving unit-level
economics: a full-time director salary
assisting our franchisees with driving
the bottom line-EBITDA. This director will also hold our preferred vendors
and suppliers accountable in serving our
franchisees and system.
8
Franchiseupdate Iss u e I, 2 0 1 3
and we have funding available through
The Bancorp Bank through Franchise
America Finance; we received approval
for $7.5 million for franchisee development. East Coast Wings & Grill Corp.
pays the origination fee for approved
franchisees with the Bancorp facility.
How do you measure success? Bot-
tom line, EBITDA on the unit level,
ancillary to the corporate level. There
is no “us vs. them” in our franchise system. Our franchisees know their ECW
corporate team works for them first every day, managing from the front lines
first. With this said, I do understand the
balance of team/personnel development,
franchisee development, etc. In a business, bottom line assures another day.
What has been your greatest success?
There are many business successes I could
share. Building a franchise system from
a single store is a great achievement. At
the end of every day, my family is my
greatest story.
What are your long-term goals for
the company? Keep opening 12 to 15
Any regrets? No.
new units per year by recruiting toptier franchisees, and supporting them
in developing the brand nationwide.
What can we expect from your company in the next 12 to 18 months? Sixty
How has the economy changed your
goals for your company? The recession
had a positive effect on the company. It
allowed us to secure favorable cost of
goods pricing, as well as manufactur-
percent new unit growth. Sustaining the
top position of unit-level economics in
our space. The continued evolvement
of our menu selections assuring market
share growth in sales, thus sustaining a
positive same-store sales growth story. n