Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue I, 2015 | Page 34

RECONNECT
BY KERRY PIPES

Resetting Priorities
Anand Gala resizes, refocuses, and restrategizes

S

implification and a renewed focus
on business and life have taken
center stage for Anand Gala since
we profiled him in 2010. “It’s really a simple story of taking a step back
and reassessing where I am,” he says.
At th e beginning of 2010, Gala and
his company were coming out of the
recession and picking up steam. He had
19 Applebee’s, 5 Famous Dave’s, and 3
Del Taco locations. But he says with
units spread across several western states
he was looking to bring his operation
back home when an unexpected offer
came his way.
“We had been going through the
massive reimaging program rolled out
by Applebee’s with all of our locations,”
he says. “Then about two years ago we
were approached by the largest Applebee’s
franchisee in the system who wanted to
buy our locations.” It was a big deal for
Gala because almost half of his sales were
generated in his Applebee’s units. But it
seemed like the right time and place, and
he closed the deal in the summer of 2014.
He’s still sitting on the proceeds from
the sale and evaluating his next move.
He also sold his Del Taco locations
NAME: Anand Gala
TITLE: President & CEO
COMPANY: Gala Corp.
NO. OF UNITS: 10 Famous Dave’s

of America
AGE: 41
FAMILY: Married, 2 children
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 31
YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION: 16

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