In one of my favorite cartoons, a little girl comes home from her first day of school. With a warm, loving smile, her mother asks, “What did you learn in school today?” With a sad, dejected look on her face, the girl replies, “Not enough. I have to go back tomorrow.”

Managing a multi-branch restaurant franchise organization is very similar.

The most successful franchisees are lifelong learners who are constantly looking for ways to improve on their growth path. Of course, because they’re smart people, they don’t try to reinvent the wheel. After all, they’ve bought into a system that they believe will help them achieve their goals. So they look to people who are ahead of them on that path for pointers, tips, advice, and even a shoulder to cry on during their worst times.

Fortunately, there are experienced franchisees in franchising who were themselves in the red at the beginning and can step in as mentors and role models. As the saying goes, “Just because you can do it alone doesn’t mean you can do it alone.”

We asked several successful multi-franchisees who they look up to and learn from.

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DAVID OSTROWE

Company: Founder and CEO, O&M Restaurant Group

Brands: Captain D’s Seafood, Burger King, Taco Bueno, Taco Bell, Blaze Pizza, Personalized Management Associates, O&A Consulting, 180 Business Solutions, Career Ladder

Years in franchising: 34 (24 on the franchisee side, 10 on the franchisor side)

Ostrowe is the incoming chair of Franchise Update’s 2025 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference. In addition to his successful franchising and related ventures, he has served as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Digital Transformation and Administration and as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Oklahoma Lottery Commission.

For me, learning from others is a lifelong mission. I have gained invaluable insights from both good and bad bosses, as well as from colleagues who are ahead of me. My competitive spirit drives me to constantly strive for excellence.

I have learned important lessons from several experiences in franchising. One memorable experience was dealing with a franchisor who was more concerned with collecting fees than growing the brand. His short-sighted approach ultimately led to his failure and had a negative impact on many franchisees.

On the positive side, I’ve had the privilege of working with incredible industry leaders. My first big deal was with Darin Harris, then Captain D’s (he’s now CEO of Jack in the Box). It was a no-brainer, win-win deal.

Another remarkable experience was working with Jose Padilla, Steve Wiborg and Glen Helton at Burger King. In less than 30 minutes, we negotiated a deal to save a Burger King store. These champions are an example of the power of collaboration and growing together.

It is important to surround yourself with people who promote win-win relationships. Their support and vision make the business not only feasible but also worthwhile.

GREG FLYNN

Company: Chairman and CEO, Flynn Restaurant Group

Brands: 1,200 Pizza Hut, 460 Applebee’s, 360 Arby’s, 280 Taco Bell, 295 Wendy’s, 125 Panera Bread, 35 Planet Fitness

Years in franchising: 25

There are many I admire, but probably at the top of my list is Ed Doherty.

(Editor: Ed Doherty is chairman and co-CEO of Doherty Enterprises, which operates more than 150 restaurants: Applebee’s, Panera, Chuy’s Fresh Mex, 2 of its private brands and Sola Salon Studios)

EVAN FU

Brand: 2 Charley’s Cheesesteaks & Wings

Years in franchising: 1

Evan Fu is not only a franchisee but also the Franchise Development Manager for Charley’s Philly Cheesesteaks.

I have found organisations such as IFA and Franchise Update’s Multi-Unit Franchising Conference to be hugely valuable. They have provided an excellent platform to connect with successful franchisees and brand leaders from across the industry. Their stories and experiences have been invaluable both in my decision to pursue this path and in navigating current challenges.

I make it a point to visit other Charleys stores on a regular basis. It’s a great opportunity to work with successful franchisees and learn from their approaches to different aspects of the business. Their insights have been consistently helpful.

I also always look forward to meeting leaders from different industries. You can learn so much from different perspectives. And I am still looking for mentors who can give me further inspiration for both my professional and personal development.

This approach of networking and continuous learning has been critical in my journey as a multi-unit franchisee. It’s about staying open to new ideas and experiences, which ultimately helps make better decisions and tackle challenges head-on.

FRANCHISE BYTES

What is your business philosophy?

We create a culture of inclusivity and belonging where everyone is welcome, exceed customer expectations in everything we do, take responsibility at every step, embrace change and innovation, and look for new ways to evolve our company and ourselves.
—Joseph Omobogie, President/Owner, Golden Management LLC, 14 Golden Chick, 11 Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 4 Marco’s Pizza, 2 Thai Express, 1 Captain D’s. He is Franchise Updates 2024 American Dream MVP for achieving remarkable success in his new country.

My business philosophy is simple. We always want to continue to grow, both in the total number of locations and the number of employees. I want to continue to provide a roadmap so that employees continue to be promoted and have more and more opportunities. This allows us to expand into more communities where we can have a big impact on the community as a whole, whether that’s through connections with local schools or just overall good customer service.
—McLain Hoogland, president, Hoogland Restaurant Group, 117 Marco’s Pizza. He is Franchise Update’s Single-Brand Leadership MVP for taking the lead with a single brand.

Be a people-first leader. I make sure I am constantly available to my team via call, email, and message. I serve my team and care about them as employees and as people. I always want to see how I can help them.
—Bill Aseere, CEO, Space Cowboys Restaurant Group, 17 Donatos Pizza, 3 Guthrie’s Chicken, 2 Whit’s Frozen Custard

Do the right thing and stick to your principles. Treat people right and treat others the way you want to be treated. I am a firm believer that everything you do will come back to you. If you do the right thing to someone today, that action will reflect on you someday.
—Bill Mathis, multi-unit franchisee, 3 Subway, 1 Caribou, 4 more under construction

Build great companies by building great people.
—Milo Leakehe, Managing Partner, Imbue Capital, 3 Crumbl Cookies, 1 PayMore Stores, 1 Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 1 Rolling Suds, 1 Solve Pest Pros

Success is measured not only by profits, but also by the positive impact we have on the communities in which we operate and the development we see in our employees.
—Phillip Scotton, COO, Primo Partners, 23 Ben & Jerry’s, 2 Starbucks

If you treat your employees and customers right, pray, and make sound business decisions, success will follow.
—Stephanie Moseley, President, Pisa Pie Enterprises, 6 Marco’s Pizza

Without growth, it’s just a full-time job. You have to enjoy what you do.
—Nadeem Saleem Bajwa, CEO, Bajco Group, 207 Papa John’s