Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue IV, 2015 | Page 30

D OM I N A T O R S RECONNECT
“Think like a farmer. First you build the barn,
take care of the livestock, and then build your house.
In other words, take care of the employees and the business,
and then the business will take care of you.”
MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy: If you are not a fanatic with all aspects of your business, then you are just okay.

What I need from vendors: The most important things are on-time deliveries and accurate orders.

Management method or style: I am a straight shooter. I do not sugarcoat
my beliefs, feelings, or information. I rely on my 44 years in the restaurant business to guide my business decisions.

Have you changed your marketing strategy in response to the
economy? How? This past January, Firehouse Subs began a national television advertising campaign. This has provided an excellent sales increase across
the country.

Greatest challenge: Helping franchisees understand the importance of managing all the details, big and small, of running a successful restaurant.
How do others describe you? People would say I back up what I preach.
One thing I’m looking to do better: Because my job as a Firehouse
Subs area representative requires me to drive across Virginia and West Virginia, I
hope to use some of my time in the car to listen to audiobooks.
How I give my team room to innovate and experiment: Working
with a franchise brand, we have a solid foundation of best practices and operations. However, there is room for innovation and I do my best to encourage
positive performance.
How close are you to operations? I have a hands-on approach and work
closely with each franchisee.
What are the two most important things you rely on from your
franchisor? The excellent communication and marketing analysis Firehouse
Subs provides.

How is social media affecting your business? Social is a great way to
reach new and existing guests. Firehouse has a full-time staff to work on taking
advantage of multiple social media platforms as a way to engage with consumers and tell them about our brand.
How do you hire and fire? As an area representative, my role is primarily
working with franchisees to develop their businesses.
How do you train and retain? We take pride in training our employees to
provide heartfelt service to our guests. A customer relationship is of the utmost
importance to our brand, so we make sure our employees embody this value.
We do our best to recognize employees who take this to heart.
How do you deal with problem employees? It’s unfortunate when it
happens, but the best way to deal with it is open communication and documentation of th