Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue II, 2013 | Page 37

M U L T I - B R A N D

ness model of franchising,” says Jones.
And they did well, expanding to six locations throughout his home state of Indiana over the next six years. Today, Jones
operates those six Buffalo Wild Wings
stores, two Smashburgers in Kentucky,
and in late 2012 opened his first Flip
Flop Shops store in La Porte.
“I’ve always mainly been interested
in the food business,” he says. “But when
I discovered Flip Flop Shops, I was intrigued by the brand and decided I wanted
to give this a try. I thought it was more
about the ‘experience’ than just the basic products; that’s how I think of all of
my brands.”
He says that branching out beyond
the restaurant business was not that difficult for him. “The retail environment

“When I discovered
Flip Flop Shops, I
was intrigued by
the brand. I thought
it was more about
the ‘experience’
than just the basic
products; that’s
how I think of all of
my brands.”

is actually easier in many ways, because
with restaurants you have a lot of moving parts, and that’s not the case with my
Flip Flop Shop.” However, he says, his
new shoe store does pose challenges, like
making sure he has the right products at
the right time. “I have to know what will
sell in the Flip Flop Shop, and the brand
has been great at providing the perfect
recommendations.” He does joke that
opening a sandal store in Indiana in the
winter has made for a challenging first
few months.
Jones is always looking ahead, and
says he’d love to expand each of his three
concepts—or any other brand that might
present itself. “If the opportunity is out
there, I’m going to find it and make it
work.”

PERSONAL
First job: Cook at my dad’s tavern.
Formative influences/events: My parents and my kids are the most
formative influences in my life. I’m fortunate to have some of the best traits
of each parent. I’m always learning from my kids as to how they think, learn,
and act as they grow. If I don’t learn something from one of them almost every
day, I don’t feel like I’m doing what I should be doing to grow as a person,
son, and parent. I would add that my success and opportunities would not be
possible without the great partners I have, including: Mike Jones (father), Mark
Jones (uncle), Nathan Jones (cousin), Kevin O’Laughlin (family friend), and
Bob Kelsey (family friend). Together we make one hell of a team!
Key accomplishments: 1) Top franchisee in all of Buffalo Wild Wings to
raise the most money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital in 2011 and 2012.
2) Inducted into the National Softball Association in 2011 for many years of
sponsorship, support, and playing in the organization. 3) Picture in Sports Illustrated in December 2012 for one of my Buffalo Wild Wings locations winning
a Secret Shop Program; only two stores of more than 840 Buffalo Wild Wings
won this.
Biggest mistake: Not buying into Flip Flop Shops sooner than I did.
Smartest mistake: Buying into Flip Flop Shops when I did.
Decision I wish I could do over: Where do I start? I make a lot of decisions every day, and I make them with the information I have at my disposal.
I don’t always make the right decisions, but that doesn’t slow me down from
making my decisions. I think making mistakes and bad decisions are a very
important part of life for learning, growing, and gaining knowledge.
Work week: Is there a beginning or an end to a work week? I don’t consider it work because I love what I do.
How do you spend a typical day? Multi-tasking at its best: phone, text,
email, store visits, and repeat. I go at 100 mph in all directions.
Favorite fun activities: Spending time with my family and exercising.

Exercise/workout: As often as possible.
Favorite tech toys: Phone, laptop, iPad, iPod. How did I ever do it with just
a pager so many years ago? Not that I’m old or anything...
What are you reading? Everything I can to better myself as an operator,
franchisee, and father.
Do you have a favorite quote? “The person who thinks the world owes
him a living is the same person who blames the world for his failures.” I can’t
remember who said it, but it has always stuck with me.
Best advice you ever got: Don’t forget where you came from and who
you are.
What gets you out of bed in the morning? My iPhone. Ha! On a serious note, I know that each day I wake up I have hundreds of things I need to
accomplish before I hit that same pillow again that evening. I love the feeling
of accomplishment, therefore the minute I hit the ground in the morning, I do it
with urgency to get things done.
What’s your passion in business? My passion in business is simple. I
love to interact with people.
How do you balance life and work? I really struggle with this. Sometimes I forget to let go of work, or I make myself believe that’s not an option.
I think we may need to revisit this question in another interview. In the meantime, I will be working on it.
Last vacation: Vacation? What’s that? I take several trips to fun places during the year for business. Most of it is networking, but it feels like a vacation
because I’m usually a flight away from my everyday workplace.
Person I’d most like to have lunch with: Donald Trump and Mark
Cuban. Can you imagine who would control that conversation? I don’t think I
would get to talk or get a single question in, but it sure would be fun.

Multi-Unit Franchisee Is s u e II, 2013



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