Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue IV, 2013 | Page 16

D OM I N A T O R S
By Kerry Pipes

Dominator Operators
Six multi-unit franchisees tell how they
take on territories and own them!

F

or many multi-unit franchisees, domination is the
goal. In this annual feature, we profile franchisees
intent on being the big fish in their market. We
tracked down six busy, growing multi-unit franchisees, including two we’ve spoken with before, to see how far
they’ve come. These operators aren’t interested in just opening a store or two, they want to be the player in their territories—whether that means opening more stores or adding
new brands (or both). And if their territories are full, they’re
willing to look beyond to new markets.
We’ve asked them why they’ve chosen their brands, their
territories, how they’ve strategized for longer-term growth,
and what they see for the future. They are tactical, savvy, and
love setting big goals and overcoming challenges.
Every time we compile this annual issue, we discover
new tales of determination, turnarounds, shakeouts, and
hard-headed expansion. These six profiles highlight operators who also are passionate about their business, their
employees, and their customers. Here’s a quick look at this
year’s Dominators:
• Mary Lynn Carraway runs 74 Domino’s Pizza restaurants in the Washington, D.C., market. While she definitely
dominates her market, she operates her 1,800-employee business with a gentle hand that has led to remarkable success.
Eight years after her husband (the original franchisee) died,
she took over the business. Today, her company, Domino’s
Team Washington, is number-two in the system in profitability, second only to an organization with more than double
her number of stores.
• Jason Duffy is just 38 years old, and he’s taking the West
by storm with Dunkin’ Donuts, and nothing has stopped
him, not even the Great Recession. He opened his first unit
in Phoenix on Aug. 15, 2008, a month before Lehman Brothers failed. Duffy survived, and thrived, and today operates 51
Dunkin’ stores in Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and California.
He’s definitely one to watch.
• Charles Haney understands the power of people. The

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Multi-Unit Franchisee Is s ue IV, 2013

New Jersey-based multi-unit franchisee interviewed 800
people before handpicking a crew of 60 for his first Melting
Pot restaurant. Since then, he’s opened a Rodizio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse and, more recently, a Burger 21, with more
on the way. The 35-year-old has been named Franchisee of
the Year and has become a die-hard advocate for franchising
at Front Burner Brands. We’re expecting big things from
this young buck.
• Eric Holm owns 30 Golden Corral restaurants that
generate $155 mill [ۈ[