Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue II, 2014 | Page 30
MULTI-BR A N D 50
cept with a kitchen in the back room,
that could be problematic, but we have
operated licensed Chick-fil-A units in a
consolidated format by making accommodations in the kitchen.”
When considering additional brands,
Hough says that instead of looking at the
hot new concepts, “We decide what type
of food we need for a particular location.
Each of our locations is different. Even if
we’re talking about regional airports, we
can be talking about one that is businessfocused and another that’s a tourist airport. We select concepts based on what
we perceive consumer demand to be.”
Another factor that makes this model
so successful is that restaurants in airports
and malls have a built-in clientele. “We
don’t have to generate customers through
special marketing. They are generated
for us,” says Hough. The same is true
at universities, where students supply a
steady stream of customers.
Nearly 20 years after his first consolidated food court model, however,
everyone’s gotten in on the action. “Ev-
NAME: Jack Hough
TITLE: President and founder
COMPANY: MSE Branded Foods
NO. OF UNITS: 5 Caribou Coffee;
4 Jump Asian Express; 4 Sbarro;
4 Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen; 3
Subway; 3 Green Leaf Café; 3
Bananas; 2 Arby’s; 1 Cinnabon;
1 Steak ’n Shake; 1 Auntie Anne’s
Pretzels; 1 Freshens Yogurt; 1
Jamba Juice; and 1 PJ’s Coffee.
Signature concepts include JJ’s
Sports Bar & Grill, Buckhead Grill,
Gateway Grille, and Blue Ridge
Bakery
AGE: 65
FAMILY: Son, Brandon
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 23 as
an operator
YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION: 28.
I worked signature concepts at
first, including Main Street Eateries,
which is where MSE comes from
ery location we look at, we’re competing with somebody. You win some and
you lose some. If you look at nine or 10
locations, you may end up with one or
two,” Hough says.
His company, based in Gainesville,
Ga., must remain nimble, he says. For
example, since 9/11, MSE employees
who work in the six regional airports
must undergo TSA background checks
and wear special identification badges.
MSE, which has found its niche—created it in fact—strives to maintain the
quality of the franchised product, says
Hough. “Everything runs so the brand
integrity is protected, but behind the
line is a shared functionality. The various
brands share sinks, coolers, prep space,
and dishwashing facilities.”
In addition to his franchised brands,
Hough is especially proud of his signature brands. For example, Buckhead Grill
specializes in top-quality Black Angus
beef burgers. “We must have tested 40
different suppliers to come up with the
best burger on the market,” he says.
PERSONAL
First job: I’ve worked since I was 11—paper routes, Western Union, and in
a bakery between college semesters.
Formative influences/events: In any business, you must have the ability to read and understand financials. My nine years in banking gave me great
insight into how to run a business.
Key accomplishments: I sit back and look at the number of concepts we
run and the geographical spread, and I wonder how we got where we are.
Achieving the structure of the company over the years, and now with more than
700 employees, has been gratifying.
Biggest mistake: I made a couple of location selections that turned out to
be bad choices.
Smartest mistake: We did a food court in the Opryland Hotel in 2001–02,
and it turned out we had five or six concepts, including Chick-fil-A. The court
exceeded our projections by almost double. It did phenomenally well and was
so different—in a good way—from how we read the location.
Decision I wish I could do over: I try not to look back.
Work week: Five days a week, usually 10- to 12-hour days, plus travel to
visit our locations.
How do you spend a typical day? If I’m in town, I start my day with
meetings and go to 5 or 5:30 p.m. My weeks get broken up by travel. I’m usually traveling every other week, doing lots of business development. We have
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MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE II, 2014
business in 12 states, from New Hampshire to Daytona Beach.
Favorite fun activities: Golf, time at the beach.
Exercise/workout: Cardio work, weights, Pilates.
Favorite tech toys: iPad.
What are you reading? I read trade magazines, but for pleasure I love to
read history, Civil War, and World War II books.
Do you have a favorite quote? No.
Best advice you ever got: My father used to say, “Worry about things
you can do something about and let the rest go.”
What gets you out of bed in the morning? My coffee.
What’s your passion in business? I want things done right. I want our
personnel to look right, to treat our customers right, and to serve the best food.
I’m a bit of a perfectionist.
How do you balance life and work? I work hard, but I have a condo
near Destin, Florida, and when I can I go there and relax. I still use technology
to stay in touch from there.
Last vacation: The beach.
Person I’d most like to have lunch with: Bill Gates. I like him personally, and I like the way he conducts business.