Empires

Raj Patel is one of the most prolific franchise operators in the country. His family started with one Dunkin’ in the late 1980s — today, Raj oversees a 100+ unit portfolio across Dunkin’, Dave’s Hot Chicken, and several other brands. In this episode, we go deep into: How Raj decides which brands to bet on Why leadership matters more than food What it’s really like to scale from 1 store to 100+ How...

Most people think private equity “kills” franchise brands. But in this episode, Adam Lewin — CEO of Wonder, a holding company for franchisors and multi-site operators — explains why the truth is far more nuanced. Adam breaks down: How Wonder evaluates franchise acquisitions Why they refuse the typical “platform” roll-up model What emerging franchisors get wrong Why franchise hype cycles (Dave’s Ho...

Are you a multi-unit franchisee looking to sell your locations? https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/     Are you interested in buying a top new restaurant franchise? https://eatagape.com/franchise/   Keni’s story begins in 1982, when his family immigrated to the U.S. with nothing but visas and a network of distant relatives. Like many Patels from Gujarat, his family moved directly into a relative’s mot...

Agapé Restaurants: eatagape.com Franchise Info: eatagape.com/franchise Matt started as a Subway employee at 13 — and by his twenties, he owned 12 locations. From there, he expanded into Cinnabon, Dunkin’, and Wingstop, learning hard lessons about unit economics, scaling challenges, and why some brands hit ceilings while others explode. Today, Matt is the co-founder of Agapé, a fast-casual Mediterr...

Connect with FranDawgs Agape franchise opportunity: https://eatagape.com/franchise/ Buy a franchise: https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise Sell your franchise: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/ YouTube: FranDawgs Podcast LinkedIn: Patrick Buckley   Episode Summary At just 28, Nico Verano walked out of a private equity job and into the heat—literally. After hearing SweatHouz founder Jamie Weeks p...

Chris Hatch, founder of Dirt Dogs and Forza Commercial, breaks down the business of owning the land beneath America’s top franchises. From Dutch Bros and Raising Cane’s to the dirty soda craze, Chris explains how site selection, drive-thru culture, and brand “soul” shape billion-dollar outcomes. A masterclass on franchising, real estate, and what makes a location truly win.   Interested in Agape?...

Austin Smith started his career helping build Savory Fund into a powerhouse that scaled concepts like Swig, Mo’Bettahs, and R&R Barbecue. After years of investing in food & beverage, he made the leap from investor to operator — taking a massive bet on Big Blue Swim School. Considering buying a franchise? Reach out: https://www.frandawgs.com/   If you’re a multi-unit owner considering selli...

Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise   For multi-unit franchisees looking to sell their locations: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/   Kal walked away from a Wall Street career to chase his dream of entrepreneurship — and went 5-for-5 picking winning brands. From butcher shops and pizzerias to Orangetheory, European Wax Center, Marco’s Pizza, Dave’s Hot Chicken...

For help evaluating franchises, reach out: https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise     For multi-unit owners considering selling their locations: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/     Jon Benson’s journey into franchising wasn’t traditional. After scaling a Utah startup from $20M to $450M in sales, and later launching a COVID testing lab that served thousands of people a day, Jon stumbled across G...

If you’re a multi-unit franchisee considering selling your locations, get in touch https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/   Interested in buying a franchise? Reach out here: https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise   Episode Summary: In this episode of FranDawgs, Patrick sits down with Margarette and her husband Richard - franchise operators who turned their passion for resale into a thriving multi-unit...

🎙️ Guest: Jacob Horton, Multi-Unit Franchisee at Scenthound and Co-Founder of SBA Source 📍 Location: Birmingham, AL & Nashville, TN If you’re a multi-unit franchisee considering selling your locations, get in touch https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/     Interested in buying a franchise? Reach out here: https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise   🔥 Episode Summary: Jacob Horton went from PowerPo...

In this episode, Patrick sits down with Michael Horowitz to unpack his journey from venture capital and real estate to owning and operating 20 Wingstop franchises in Ohio. Michael shares the full story of how he sourced his initial 7-unit acquisition, competed for the deal, and navigated the franchise transfer process without prior restaurant experience. They dive deep into the realities of QSR ow...

In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Feghali, also known on X as the famous QSRguy, a powerhouse multi-unit franchisee who: Owns 33 Little Caesars across California, Oregon, and Arizona Operates a Jersey Mike’s Founded his own viral cookie-and-coffee concept, Coco Playa, which did $1.3M+ in its first year We cover: 🍕 Ryan’s roots folding boxes in his dad’s Little Caesars and why he initially swo...

Jacob Jaber helped turn his dad’s corner store in San Francisco into one of the most beloved coffee brands in the country. In this episode, we break down how Philz became a Silicon Valley icon — without ever serving espresso. We cover: How Jacob scaled from 1 store to 80+ The real reason they refused to add espresso machines Why hospitality was always the product (not coffee) Their $100M raise — a...

Bret Borock co-owned 5 Orangetheory studios—including one of the top 10 locations in the country. At the peak, they were printing cash. But when COVID hit, he nearly lost it all. The deal fell through. And Bret had to wait until 2024 to finally exit. So what did he do next? He went from boutique fitness… to garbage. He bought into Smash My Trash—and then doubled down with a Heavyweight Waste franc...

Taylor Byington owns 12 Crumbl Cookies franchises doing over $13 million a year in revenue — but it didn’t start that way. In this episode, Taylor shares the insane story of how he and his partner signed a franchise agreement with no capital, got ripped off by a contractor for $400,000, and still clawed their way into becoming top operators across four states. You’ll learn: Why they chose Crumbl o...

In 2009, James Temple had just lost his father to a heart attack. He was 30 years old, getting his MBA at UVA, and facing a choice: take a stable consulting job… or buy a $40K franchise that barely made money. He chose the latter. James partnered with his mother—a retired teacher—and bought a struggling Mathnasium tutoring center in Richmond, VA. It had done just $70K in revenue the previous year....