As franchisee profits were declining, brand leaders initiated cost-cutting moves to help bolster its earnings—ignoring a plea from its independent franchisee association to get together and talk about the issues that were crippling the company. This was the climate at Jack in the Box in July 2018 when its independent franchisee association, the JIB-NFA (National…
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Go west, young man,” has been the call since the frontier days, along with the belief that more opportunities are available out west for pioneering spirits. This has proved true for Dunkin’, as the chain celebrated the opening of its 100th store in California, the land of the gold rush – and a rush of…
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Kiosks, online delivery and license plate recognition technology are three of the latest concepts being rolled out at quick service restaurants across the country. They represent groundbreaking changes in an industry that’s looking to not only maximize efficiency and manage costs, but also appeal to a tech-savvy customer base hungry for innovation. In this issue…
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The word “joy” is associated with a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. Many of us experience some kind of joy as we go through our daily lives. But for many who experience hunger or health issues, joy can be an elusive feeling. The Joy in Childhood Foundation (JICF), powered by Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins, was…
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Not long after assuming the role of chairman of the Coalition of Franchisee Associations (CFA) in January of 2018, long-time Dunkin’ franchisee John Motta said that one of his goals was to make sure the voices of franchisees were heard more clearly on Capitol Hill. “We meet twice a year, we go to Washington, we…
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Ari Souliotis bought his first two Dunkin’ restaurants in Vermont during the worst economic downturn in decades. With the Great Recession in full swing and coffee prices skyrocketing, it was tough going. But Souliotis, who had previously launched and built the successful Pizza Chef network in Vermont and New Hampshire, never considered throwing in the…
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Jesse Keyser, of St. Louis, Missouri, purchased his first franchise unit, Little Ceasars, in 2005, and soon expanded to five restaurants in Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois. Fueled by that success, Keyser began looking into other brands, and purchased Valpak in 2008, which provided an unexpected source of insight. “Working with Valpak, I did extensive…
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We don’t need to tell you about the labor shortage in QSR restaurants. It’s probably one of the things that keeps you up at night. It’s definitely an issue for Alex Fernandez, who owns one Dunkin’ shop in St. John’s County, Florida, and five other locations in neighboring counties. With an unemployment rate of 2.8…
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As any Dunkin’ franchisee can attest, criminal threats – both internal and external – are an unfortunate reality of doing business. And although crime rates have been in steady decline since the late 1990’s, QSR operators still have to deal with robberies, break-ins, employee theft, and increasingly, drug-related issues inside their businesses. The good news,…
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Two years after Don Fox became CEO of Firehouse Subs in 2003, he did something most franchise owners wouldn’t dream of: he encouraged franchisees to gather and form an independent franchisee association, and pledged the brand would recognize it. Ten years later, he made another move that might raise an eyebrow: he added four franchisee…
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