Family Affair Continued from page 27
Management opened the first free-standing BW-3 in 1997 in Medina , Ohio .
Ten years after opening the Medina store , Jerry Franklin ’ s daughter , Colleen , joined part time doing marketing while she looked for work . Within months Colleen was working full time alongside her father and grandfather as the marketing coordinator . “ Having my daughter work alongside me reminds me daily that BWW is all about family ,” Franklin said . “ I hope that I am teaching her a strong work ethic , as well as positive business management that she can utilize in her career , which hopefully will remain with us .”
Growing up in the restaurant business , Jenny Beaudoin understood the long hours and dedication a family store would bring . Her parents , Bob and Barbara Ganse , owned and operated a seafood restaurant before Beaudoin turned her dad onto “ a little hole in the wall ” called BW-3 while a student at West Virginia University . A call to the number on the back of the menu set the course for the father-daughter team .
“ When we started I still hadn ’ t decided what I wanted to do with the rest of my life . The restaurant business was all I had ever known , so when dad had truly decided he was going to sign with Buffalo Wild Wings , I said I wanted to help ,” Beaudoin said . “ Steve and I were engaged at the time . His degree is in civil and architectural engineering , and he was part of every conversation we had about the business and eventually decided he wanted to be a part of it as well . When we opened our first store , mom and dad were the sole owners . Mom stayed in
The late Gerald Franklin Sr . and his son , Gerald “ Jerry ” Franklin Jr ., opened their first Buffalo Wild Wings location in Parma Heights , Ohio , in 1993 . Today , Franklins ’ Management of Cleveland operates three locations in Ohio , and Jerry ’ s daughter , Colleen , works in the family business as the company ’ s director of Marketing .
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2016 Issue 2 | THE SCORE
Winchester and ran 220 Seafood , and Dad , Steve and I were the managers that opened our first store in Harrisonburg . The three of us lived in a townhouse together and split shifts at the restaurant . It is a miracle that Steve and I still got married eight months later .”
One of the aspects of Buffalo Wild Wings that makes it such a great family opportunity is everyone can contribute . When looking at locations for their store in Arizona , Bill Schmidt and his son , Garrett , needed assistance getting organized . That ’ s when matriarch , Gayle Schmidt , stepped in to help . One month into sales and Alyssa was on board keeping the books .
“ From the opening month , we all became involved in starting a new business ,” Gayle Schmidt said . “ There are many personal perks that can be gained by being part of the business . It offers enough variety in positions that everyone ’ s talents can be utilized in one capacity or another , and you have your own area of expertise to oversee . We each found our separate niche we were good at and pretty much evolved into that position ’ s leader over the years .”
Sometimes families aren ’ t those bound by blood . JK & T Wings founders Kent Ward and Jim Carmody met while their sons , Caleb Ward and Jeff Carmody , played hockey together in Michigan . Opening their first BW-3 in Big Rapids , Michigan , in 1994 , JK & T now operates locations in Michigan , Massachusetts and Louisiana and blends the Carmody and Ward families . Brian Carmody is chief operating officer , while Jeff and Caleb are regional managers . Tim Ward , Kent ’ s brother , works with