Five Franchisees to Know

The advantage to becoming a franchisee is a simple premise: follow a proven model and success will follow.

But for many business-minded entrepreneurs, the path to becoming one’s own boss varies from person to person. Below you will find five restauranteurs you should know.

Melinda Evans

Melinda Evans grew up in Troy, Michigan, watching her father run his own business. It seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The attorney-turned-entrepreneur decided to try her hand at franchising, beginning with Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen about nine years ago. Now, Evans is the owner of two Popeyes, a Which Which Superior Sandwiches and Swirl’n Dipity, a frozen yogurt shop.

Evans said she has no intentions of slowing down: she plans to open an additional five to six Which Which locations throughout the region in the coming years.

Dave McMahon

Dave McMahon is approaching a milestone: the Houston native will soon be celebrating 20 years as a Smoothie King franchisee. With 25 locations in operation, McMahon plans to have more than 30 units open by the end of 2016.

As the healthy-eating category continues to put a chokehold on the restaurant industry, McMahon recognizes the advantages of continued development with Smoothie King.

“They have a great product and as an active person I just loved the whole concept: that a smoothie had function and you could get the protein and electrolytes your body needs,” he said.

Keith Kaminskas

A veteran of franchising, Keith Kaminskas got his first taste of the industry when he was a 14-year-old Dunkin’ Donuts employee.

In his early 20s, Kaminskas entered the franchising world when he and a business partner purchased a Rita’s Italian Ice location. Now, at 42, he also owns and manages a number of Dunkin’ Donuts locations throughout Bergen County in New Jersey, and he recently opened a MOOYAH Burgers, Fries and Shakes in Old Tappan, New Jersey.

Kaminskas said he believes if you serve good food in a clean environment, you can’t go wrong.

Jon and Jon Crowe

Father and son franchisees Jon and Jon Crowe found a new way to bond. As owners of Toppers Pizza in Lincoln, Nebraska, the duo discovered the brand online and decided to take a road trip to experience the concept for themselves. Impressed by the variety offered by the brand, they were unable to control their appetite, and their first order totaled nearly $100.

“It came so fast and was really good, so we were immediately impressed with the quality, the people and their attitude. I really liked their number one core value was integrity. Everybody there has integrity, and their aspect of customer service is incredible,” the youngest Crowe said.

Now, the father/son combo is preparing to expand throughout Nebraska with intentions of opening more Lincoln locations, as well as establishing a presence in Omaha.

Nick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.

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