Fifties Grill and Dairy at 1514 Washington St. is one of two locally owned restaurants in the early stages of becoming a regional franchise. Submitted photo
A local restaurant company wants to start a franchise operation as part of a regional expansion project.
Fifties Grill and Dairy has partnered with Franchise Marketing Systems, an Atlanta-based company, to begin the process of regional expansion.
For co-owners and brothers Mike and Steve Jones, founders and owners of Fifties Grill and Dairy, expanding and selling a franchise is a dream come true and another step in the evolution of the family business.
“Our father owned a Dairy Queen franchise,” said Steve Jones. “When we opened our stores, we tried to model them between various fast-food chain models and a full-service restaurant. However, we added an extra layer of quality to our products and focused on that – with a 1950s-style decor as a backdrop.”
For Chris Conner, president of FMS, Fifties offers a unique and comprehensive menu with high quality at reasonable prices, which he says sets it apart from other franchise options.
“From the delicious burgers to a wide menu selection to the reasonable prices and unique retro design and layout, this is a win-win when it comes to selling this model as a franchise,” he said. “Most fast food restaurants only offer basic burgers, shakes and sides. But here you have a full menu.”
However, as with most things, teamwork is an essential component, and it is no different with the Jones brothers.
“A large part of our success is due to our great employees (who have worked for us in the past), a devoted and loyal customer base, word of mouth from our customers and a supportive family. All of this has contributed to us now being at the point where we are looking into franchising,” said Steve Jones.
Mark Jones is convinced that the partnership with FMS management will catapult Fifties to the next business level.
“Chris Conner is an experienced franchise expert,” he said. “He has worked with large companies and I am confident he will help us expand regionally first. Our goal is to establish franchises in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida first.”
According to fmsfranchise.com, Conner has worked with and created franchises with companies such as Anytime Fitness, Baxter Healthcare, Blimpie, Hungry Howie’s Pizza, Restoration 1, Smash My Trash, and Two Men and a Truck. Additionally, Conner leads a staff of 28 developers and has developed more than 400 franchises since 2009.
“It’s about finding the right product that’s marketable. Fifties is marketable, good value for money and high quality. I think it’s going to be a big success,” Conner said.
For the Jones brothers, this is the direction they want to go.
“We want to share our heritage and our products with a larger audience and a larger crowd. We will maintain our standards and work with all franchises,” said Mike Jones. “We will be with them every step of the way.”
For more information about franchising, call 1-866-259-2916.
