Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2012 | Page 32

MVP 2012
2012 MVP Spirit of Franchising Leadership Award
For extraordinary and enduring performance,
growth, and community giving
Why do you think you were you selected for the Spirit of Franchising Leadership Award? It goes back to the goals of a franchisee
to be a great operator and a great neighbor to the community. If you do that
consistently and develop a connection with your people and your community,
you’ll be successful.
As a multi-unit franchisee, how have you raised the bar within
your company? Our passion for involvement with our people and our communities is at a significantly higher level than at many other companies. If you
always say yes to charitable needs in the communities of 97 restaurants, people
are going to recognize that you’re a good neighbor and bring you their business.
We’ve built a strong relationship with the U.S. Marines and Toys for Tots over
worked after school and college to help
his mother run a deli. “She worked so
hard to provide for me and to put me
through college. I got my work ethic and
my determination from her,” he says.
After college, he went to work for
Marriott Corp. where he eventually
became vice president and general manager of the Big Boy division. He took
a big step himself in 1985, leaving that
job to become a Roy Rogers franchisee,
buying 19 Connecticut restaurants for
$1 million. He turned the losing restau-

the last 10 years, raising nearly $3 million for needy kids in our communities.
Give us an example of innovations that you have created and
used to build your company. We established a Wow-A-Friend Foundation to which employees contribute and we match funds. This money is used to
he [\