Empires

Building Jersey Mike's - 25 Unit Operator

Kavrin McGuire operates 25 Jersey Mike’s locations alongside his father and brother. In this conversation, we break down:• How Jersey Mike’s maintains product quality at scale• What it’s actually like operating a high-volume sandwich business• Why Peter Cancro built such intense loyalty among franchisees• The truth about the Blackstone acquisition rumors• How Kavrin’s family scaled through acquisitions + development• Why they bought the entire state of Minnesota for Mike’s Red Tacos We also dive deep into staffing, operations, digital ordering, real estate strategy, small-town expansion, and what separates great restaurant operators from average ones. SUBSCRIBE TO EMPIRES WEEKLY FOR MULTI-UNIT OWNERS WHO ARE SELLING: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/ CHAPTERS00:00 Intro00:54 How Kavrin’s family found Jersey Mike’s03:22 Learning restaurant ops from the ground up05:20 The reality of running a restaurant07:57 Why Jersey Mike’s ops are harder than Little Caesars11:10 Staffing a Jersey Mike’s lunch rush13:50 How Jersey Mike’s built its digital ordering system15:22 Why Jersey Mike’s became a breakout brand16:50 Peter Cancro’s obsession with sandwich quality20:26 Stories that explain why franchisees love Peter Cancro25:53 Kavrin’s role running 25 Jersey Mike’s27:31 Building a long-term leadership team29:26 Acquiring Jersey Mike’s locations31:58 Real estate strategy + buildout costs34:33 Can Jersey Mike’s work in small towns?37:17 Jersey Mike’s culture of giving42:31 Blackstone, Charlie Morrison & the future of Jersey Mike’s47:14 How much white space Jersey Mike’s still has50:59 Why they bought Mike’s Red Tacos54:38 Betting on birria tacos as the next big category57:17 Mike’s Red Tacos operations explained01:00:42 Comparing Mike’s Red Tacos vs Jersey Mike’s ops01:04:42 Long-term vision for both brands01:06:09 Final thoughts This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit empirespod.substack.com [https://empirespod.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Inside the Largest KidStrong Empire (60+ Units)

Joe Pedatella is scaling one of the fastest-growing KidStrong empires in the country: * 16 locations open * 60+ in development * And a goal of 100 long term In this episode, he breaks down how he pre-sold 700 members before opening, built a culture that scales, and turned one gym into a multi-unit machine that is only just starting to hit it’s stride. Considering buying a franchise? https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqblUwU0x4ZXJrV3M2OHE3WVRIY19GTkwyN1hXZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuTkNoaFBSRDJ6X3pfdHdzYmpvV2M5dTBCbmRvNDMweUIyWmpFU2tYQ1RrTzItVmxTVWM5cEJBanNKMloyYVR1XzNtMjEzeDVXYjB1bUhqUndXUHBYZ0s5OHBuaVZfcHdpV09kdm9NZ3VGaExSY2x3dw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.empirespod.com%2Fbuy-a-franchise&v=SKnl8ECbzB4www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise [https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise] For multi-unit franchisees selling their locations: www.fdcapitalgroup.com [https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit empirespod.substack.com [https://empirespod.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Franchising the Farm: Area 2 Farms

Area 2 Farms, a venture backed start up, is trying to bring (vertical) farms into every town across America. They've learned from past mistakes of other vertical farm startups, and have changed the model, which they are now franchising... Considering buying a franchise? https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchiseSubscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://empirespod.substack.com/For multi-unit franchisees selling their locations: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/ CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:55 What’s Broken with Food Distribution 2:43 Franchises in Disguise? 4:50 Why “Progress” Crushed Food Quality 7:22 The Machine of Food Distribution 8:50 Starting as a Government Spy 11:19 Pentagon’s Domino’s Pizza Tracker 11:50 What he learned from Hacking Countries 13:23 Becoming a Founder 14:43 Selling His Startup to Cloudfare 15:50 Starting Area 2 Farms 17:35 Why other Vertical Farms Failed 20:35 Why Area 2 is Different 23:09 Moving the Plants, Not Air 24:55 Live Look at Area 2’s Tech 25:57 The 3 Key Innovations 27:22 Location #1 28:50 The Farm Business Model 31:58 Do Customers like it? 32:52 Area 2 vs Grocery Stores 37:47 Turning Farms into a Business 39:46 Franchising the Farm 43:00 Area 2 Farms’ Unit Economics 46:30 The Target Franchise Owner 48:49 Franchise Launch Update 50:36 Is Energy Usage a Concern? 52:05 The Energy Myth in Vertical Farming 53:22 How the Model Evolves Over Time 55:08 Avoiding “Menu Creep” & Staying Focused 56:52 New Revenue Streams: Seedlings, Pumpkin Patches & More 58:10 What Franchisees Actually Need to Learn 1:02:31 Labor Model & Serving 400 Customers per Farm 1:04:10 Systems, SOPs & Avoiding Crop Failure 1:06:00 Why Farming Is the Original Franchise Model 1:07:53 The Mission Behind Area 2 Farms 1:09:00 Convenience vs Community 1:10:53 Real Estate Strategy (Why Gas Stations Work) 1:12:09 Making Each Location Feel Local 1:15:22 What Success Looks Like in 10–20 Years 1:18:00 Closing Thoughts This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit empirespod.substack.com [https://empirespod.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Booming Business of Bundt Cakes

Nothing Bundt Cakes was recently acquired for $2 billion dollars. Founded in 1997, the brand has quietly built one of the greatest franchises of all time. I explore how they did it, and what their unique X-factor is that has created such consistent success…. Listen to the full conversation with Nick (coming out next week): https://www.youtube.com/@EmpiresPod [https://www.youtube.com/@EmpiresPod] Subscribe to my weekly newsletter: Considering buying a franchise? https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqblUwU0x4ZXJrV3M2OHE3WVRIY19GTkwyN1hXZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuTkNoaFBSRDJ6X3pfdHdzYmpvV2M5dTBCbmRvNDMweUIyWmpFU2tYQ1RrTzItVmxTVWM5cEJBanNKMloyYVR1XzNtMjEzeDVXYjB1bUhqUndXUHBYZ0s5OHBuaVZfcHdpV09kdm9NZ3VGaExSY2x3dw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.empirespod.com%2Fbuy-a-franchise&v=SKnl8ECbzB4] For multi-unit franchisees selling their locations: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/ CHAPTERS 0:00 - Intro0:49 - The Founders1:27 - What’s a Bundt Cake?2:23 - Launching Nothing Bundt Cakes3:04 - Launching Franchising3:58 - Early Growth4:19 - The Craig Moore Era5:12 - Basics of the Model6:17 - Craig’s Impact7:31 - Selling the Business8:11 - The LLCP Era10:00 - Roark Capital Enters11:01 - Roark’s Insane Portfolio11:33 - Current Unit Economics12:20 - Why Do Bundt Cakes Dominate?13:15 - Reason #1: Narrow Menu X Variety15:02 - Reason #2: Simple Cost of Goods16:13 - Reason #3: Labor Model17:37 - Economic Durability18:39 - Reason #4: The X Factor20:25 - The Most Reliable “Edge”21:26 - The Magic of Bundt Cakes22:00 - Why Competitors Fail23:18 - Will KKR Ruin the Brand? NOTE:The material used in this video is meant to be used for educational purposes and fall within the guidelines of fair use. For all inquiries, questions, and complaints, please get in touch by filling out the contact form by clicking this link: https://www.empirespod.com/about#about-footer [https://www.empirespod.com/about#about-footer] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit empirespod.substack.com [https://empirespod.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

What It’s Really Like To Operate Chick-Fil-A (2-Unit Owner)

Brandon Hurst went from - in his own words - “a broke college student” working overnight shifts, to becoming one of the top-performing Chick-fil-A operators in the country, now running multiple locations that generate tens of millions in revenue. In this conversation, Brandon breaks down the real Chick-fil-A business model, why the $10K buy-in is misunderstood, and how profit-sharing actually works behind the scenes. He explains why Chick-fil-A operators don’t build equity like traditional franchisees, and why that tradeoff has major benefits. We also dive into what it takes to get selected (it’s harder than getting into Harvard), the reality of running a restaurant with 80+ employees, and how Brandon built systems to scale leadership across multiple locations. He shares how he turned cash flow into investments, built a real estate portfolio, and more. Plus, we go deep on: * The biggest myths about Chick-fil-A franchising * How COVID accelerated his growth (including 60%+ digital sales) * Why culture, not systems, is the real moat * His “LOVE” philosophy for building teams and developing future leaders This is a masterclass on modern franchising, leadership, and building wealth through cash flow - not just exits! Get In Touch Follow/Subscribe to Brandon Grab Your FREE Guide “The 5 Seasons of Leadership”   [https://brandon-j-hurst.kit.com/5-seasons-of-leadership?fbclid=PAVERFWAP3A7FleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAac82l1d2RH066XEZ9xNjVxnGKwk5N4xjCDG0dZBSJt7JafTZtooLcxe0KyeCg_aem_xC7PXKQnkF1kbJ9A1IKUmg] Follow Brandon on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iambrandonjhurst/] Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-hurst-bjh/] Learn More About Brandon Here [http://www.brandonjhurst.com/]   Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise [https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise]    Are you a multi-unit owner considering selling your business? https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/ [https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/] Subscribe to our newsletter: https://empirespod.substack.com/ [https://empirespod.substack.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit empirespod.substack.com [https://empirespod.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]