Advice From a Multi-Unit Franchisee: George Tinsley Sr., Tinsley Family Concessions

Multi-Unit Franchisee: George Tinsley Sr.

Franchises: KFC, Chili’s, PF Chang’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and more

George Tinsley Sr. is the president and CEO of Tinsley Family Concessions, operating over 60 restaurants at airports in Florida and Kentucky, including KFC, Chili’s, PF Chang’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and more. His journey from a professional basketball player to a successful multi-unit franchisee is a testament to his perseverance, strategic thinking and dedication to excellence. 

1851 Franchise talked with Tinsley about his journey in franchising, his accomplishments in the industry and his advice for other entrepreneurs looking to become the next great multi-unit franchisee.

“Take your time and ensure your infrastructure is in place,” Tinsley said. “Don’t grow too fast; instead, develop slowly and steadily. Hire people who share your values and never settle on the quality of your team. It’s crucial to front-load your hiring to ensure you have the right talent in place as you grow. Building a strong team and maintaining high standards in service, cleanliness and product preparation are key to long-term success.”

A summarized transcript of Tinsley’s interview with 1851 Franchise has been included below. It has been edited for clarity, style, and brevity.

1851 Franchise: We'd love to hear a little bit about your personal story. How did you find your way to the franchise world to begin with?

George Tinsley: I have been in the restaurant business since 1976. I started off on the corporate side, where I worked for eight years. I started as a training instructor, given my teaching background from the school system. I began with KFC, working with the real Colonel back in 1976. We opened a training school in Louisville, Kentucky, and worked with different franchisees who were either getting started or needed retraining.

My teaching and coaching background helped me to be on a very upward learning scale. I learned the business through a lot of on-the-job training, traveling around the United States, visiting other franchisees and developing training programs. I moved on as a supervisor with KFC, running restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia, and then back to corporate in the human resources area.

Eventually, I became a franchise manager — a liaison between the corporation and the franchisees — helping them develop their restaurants. I did that for three years in South Georgia and North Florida, working with about 26 franchisees with over 250 restaurants. In 1984, I got the opportunity to become a franchisee myself and opened my first franchise in Auburndale, Florida. Over the next few years, we opened three more restaurants.

We then diversified into the airport business in Tampa with T.G.I. Friday's and ran that restaurant for over 25 years. We also became partners in different concepts in Tampa, Miami, and Louisville, Kentucky, including Starbucks, Chili's, P.F. Chang's, Pei Wei, Wendy's and the Columbia Restaurant, among others. We developed some of our own concepts in various airports as well.

1851: When you're evaluating a new franchise to add to your portfolio, what do you look for? How do you evaluate a brand before you invest in it?

Tinsley: I start with the strength of the brand, both historically and moving forward. It doesn’t make sense to get involved with a franchise if they don’t have a strong brand with strong resources to help the franchisee be successful. You don't want to partner with a franchisor that’s not strong, unsure where they’re going or doesn’t have a good system in place.

I look at their track record in working with franchisees, talk to existing franchisees to see how they feel about the brand, especially in areas like marketing and site selection. Strong franchisees will guide you to a particular area rather than letting you develop restaurants all over the place. As a franchisee, you're in competition with your franchisor and other franchisees, so everyone needs to run their restaurants well to maintain the system's overall success.

1851: Looking back on your history, were there any big roadblocks that you had to overcome?

Tinsley: One guide I've taken from experience is not buying existing franchises with a bad reputation. I'd rather develop my own locations and build strong relationships within the community. Once a reputation is ruined, it’s extremely hard and costly to turn it around. Also, not growing too fast is crucial. It's better to have a few well-running restaurants than many poorly managed ones.

1851: What advice do you have for first-time franchisees who have big dreams of becoming great multi-unit owners?

Tinsley: Take your time and ensure your infrastructure is in place. Don’t grow too fast; instead, develop slowly and steadily. Hire people who share your values and never settle on the quality of your team. It’s crucial to front-load your hiring to ensure you have the right talent in place as you grow. Building a strong team and maintaining high standards in service, cleanliness and product preparation are key to long-term success.

1851: Is there anything else about your story that you’d like our audience to know or anything you’d like to promote?

Tinsley: I’d like to invite everyone to visit my website, tinsleyspeaks.com. My latest autobiography, "Catch as Catch Can," will be released in July. It’s a story about turning obstacles into opportunities and finding success against the odds. Additionally, I offer coaching and motivational speaking to help others achieve their goals.

Watch the interview above or on YouTube.

Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and start your journey.