What a difference a day makes. Or to update that rhetorical message, what a difference three months makes. Yes, it was just three short months ago when states like Florida, Texas, Arizona and a host of others across the south and southwest were seemingly enjoying some inexplicable level of immunity from the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses…
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It was never easy running a quick-service franchise. But over the past few months, the lives of Dunkin’ franchise owners have gotten infinitely more complicated. Franchisees already had their hands full before the coronavirus crisis hit keeping customers happy, keeping employees satisfied, and keeping bottom lines healthy—all while negotiating the challenges posed by various federal,…
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In the months before anyone was talking about coronavirus, the outlook at Jack in the Box was bleak. Since 2015, sales had been on a mostly flat trajectory, powered by low price meal deals. Increases in sales were modest and typically not enough to offset the rising cost of labor and goods. For the franchisees,…
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The restaurant industry – and particularly the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry – is facing many challenges, among them finding and retaining good, reliable employees. It’s no secret that restaurants have an extremely high turnover rate with employees flowing through the revolving door. Data compiled before the coronavirus pandemic, showed employee turnover ran as high…
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Every franchisee can remember the day they closed their lobbies because of the coronavirus pandemic. For Charles Cutler, who operates 12 stores in Georgia and South Carolina, the date was March 15. “It was and wasn’t a hard decision. Our employees were alarmed as was the rest of the country, including customers, about how you…
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In late May, with cities and states loosening shelter-in-place restrictions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, Dunkin’ Brands announced it was ready to examine how to best reopen its seating areas. In a blog post dated May 29, Dunkin’ wrote, “We are now exploring the most judicious ways to once again offer in-restaurant dining,” emphasizing,…
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When Don and Annette Miller opened their first Dunkin’ Donuts 40 years ago in western Pennsylvania, they never anticipated it would be the first of a network of successful family-run stores. Franchising wasn’t even part of the young couple’s plans at the time, but when Don lost his job unexpectedly, they heeded the nudge of…
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The rules related to obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and receiving forgiveness of that loan are changing constantly. As a result, it is likely that by the time this article is published in July, the rules and guidance will have changed significantly. With that in mind, rather than attempt to guess what the…
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