The former Wall Street equity trader is achieving his dream of business ownership — four times over — with the NYC-based BBQ franchise.

The Great Franchisee: Michael Dolan, Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue, New York

The number of senior citizens is growing rapidly, positioning senior care franchises as particularly lucrative business opportunities.

Best Senior Care Franchises to Buy in 2021

Temporary salon and barbershop closures due to COVID-19 did not stop the need for hair care services.

Best Hair Care Franchises to Buy in 2021

Mark Mize has helped build and sell multiple businesses. Now, he and his wife Heather are set to open five Hand & Stone franchises throughout the Houston area.

The Great Franchisees: Heather & Mark Mize, Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, Houston

If you’re looking to franchise in entertainment, these brands are playing the game right in the COVID-19 environment.

7 Entertainment Franchises For 2021

The NYC taco brand has partnered with BBQ franchise Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue to facilitate a streamlined new operational model. 

Otto’s Tacos Pivots to Off-Premise-Only Model

Paris Baguette’s Chief Development Officer Mark Mele says with recent franchise agreement signings the bakery cafe franchise is pacing to open 1000 locations in the next ten years.

Franchise Marketing Radio: Paris Baguette Signs More Franchise Agreements in Q1 of 2021 than in all of 2020

Paris Baguette’s Chief Development Officer Mark Mele talks with the Dallas Business Journal about how the bakery cafe plans to add new locations to the Dallas Fort Worth market.

Dallas Business Journal: Bakery chain plans to add up to 30 locations in North Texas

New marketing strategies helped the 80 unit restaurant franchise Buffalo Wings & Rings attract new customers and keep existing ones in 2020.

Buffalo Wings & Rings Takes Marketing Beyond Its Four Walls to Promote its Pickup and Delivery Options

Cincinnati-based, club-level sports restaurant concept Buffalo Wings & Rings wants to expand its footprint in Ohio from 14 to more than 50 locations.

Buffalo Wings & Rings Aims to Triple in Size in Home State of Ohio

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Franchise Deep Dive graphic with Keke's Breakfast Cafe logo

Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: Keke’s Breakfast Cafe® is a well-established breakfast and lunch brand serving high-quality, fresh meals in a warm, family-friendly environment.

Keke's Breakfast Cafe® Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2026

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Opening a new&nbsp;<a href="https://ownaparisbaguette.com/">Paris Baguette</a> in Federal Way this summer is not just a career milestone for Eric Cao. It’s the destination of a journey that spans continents. Cao studied accounting in Seattle and has managed franchise operations before, but his entrepreneurial ambitions were first shaped by his father in Vietnam. Growing up, Cao watched his dad navigate the business world and dreamed of becoming an owner one day. That dream stayed with him as he moved from Vietnam to Australia, and eventually to Washington.&nbsp;Pursuing franchise ownership with&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/parisbaguette/info">Paris Baguette</a> stemmed from a personal connection to the business for Cao, who says the heart of his venture comes from his wife, who loves to bake. It’s what sparked Cao’s interest in the brand. For years, the family imagined building something together that combined Cao’s operational background with his wife’s passion for baking. They hope this new chapter will become a lasting legacy for their children.&nbsp;Turning this dream into reality has required a difficult sacrifice for the family. As Cao is in Washington preparing for the new café opening, his wife and children are in Vietnam enduring a temporary separation. But for Cao, every hour spent preparing for the opening is driven by his anticipation for a new beginning and the realization of his family’s dream.Cao sat down with 1851 Franchise to discuss more about the journey that led him to business ownership. Here’s what he had to say:&nbsp;1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?Eric Cao:&nbsp;I used to be an international student in Australia, and I worked for multiple corporations, from a part-time staff member to general manager. I’ve been through a lot of franchises like KFC, 7-Eleven, and a burger franchise back in Australia. I also operated a franchise back in Vietnam from 2014 to 2017. I had three stores similar to Starbucks. In 2017, I moved to the U.S. and pursued my Master’s degree. My dad actually started his own business, and I look at him as my goal. I really want to start my own business, just like my dad.1851: What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?Cao: I got a Bachelor of Accounting in Australia and my Master’s in Administration in Seattle. After graduating, I was looking for a job, and I knew it didn’t suit me to sit in the office, to be honest. My fiancée, who is now my wife, really loved to make cakes and bake stuff. She said once she arrived in the U.S., she would like to have a mini bakery. My uncle in San Jose hooked me up with Paris Baguette. He saw a store in San Jose and brought it to me. I thought it was such a good opportunity for myself, my uncle, and my future wife.1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?Cao:&nbsp;I worked for multiple franchises, and I did research on their corporate, the projected revenue, the potential sales, and the profit. Even though we haven’t got the store running yet, the Paris Baguette corporate is really supportive and helpful. They have all the guidance for you to start as a franchisee instead of you starting on your own. As a franchisee, you are not alone. There is a corporate team to support you as well as your family.1851:&nbsp;What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?Cao:&nbsp;Since I knew about Paris Baguette, we visited them back in Vietnam dozens of times. Since I lived in Seattle, there were really not other competitors competing with Starbucks. I think it’s a great opportunity to give Seattle, Washington a new, fresh line of pastry and drinks.1851:&nbsp;What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?&nbsp;Cao:&nbsp;I hope that my store maintains good revenue and keeps growing.1851:&nbsp;Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?Cao:&nbsp;I’m really grateful to have my wife. She has been really helpful searching for the location and everything. We have two daughters, twins, who are only 15 months old. She is looking after them in Vietnam right now for me to do the business. Once the store has been settled down, I’ll bring them over to the U.S.1851:&nbsp;What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?Cao:&nbsp;You’ve got to have determination in yourself and the belief that you can do it. You’ve got to research. It’s going to be challenging, but there are people down the line helping you.ABOUT PARIS BAGUETTE:&nbsp;With a projected 1,000 bakery cafés in North America by 2030, Paris Baguette is on a mission to reestablish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community. Paris Baguette serves craveable baked and brewed treats and creates warm and welcoming experiences through a blend of gracious service, expert craftsmanship and community connections. From decisions made behind a desk to smiles offered behind a counter, the desire to spread joy and make the world a happier place drives everything we do. Being a neighborhood bakery café means caring about those around us and finding ways to make a real impact. We do so through our "Love Baked In" programs that bring to life our commitment to serving local communities through various charitable programs and initiatives. Paris Baguette is a leader in the hospitality industry with its commitment to creating unique consumer experiences and a network of successful franchisee relationships. For information and to find the Paris Baguette location closest to you, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.parisbaguette.com">www.parisbaguette.com</a>.&nbsp;

image of eric cao owner of paris baguette Seattle Washington

Eric Cao left his family in Vietnam while he prepares to open a new Paris Baguette in Federal Way, betting that today's sacrifice will create a better future for the people he loves most.

He Hasn't Seen His Wife and Twin Daughters in Months. He's Building the Business That Will Bring Them Together.

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Beef 'O' Brady's Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2026

Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is a family sports pub concept built around community, casual dining and lifelong local loyalty.

beef-o-bradys-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

image of said abrouch and douaa touris franchise owner of pigtails and crewcuts Snellville

Said Abrouch is using his finance experience to help his wife, Douaa Touris, pursue her childhood passion for hairstyling as they build a salon for children with sensory sensitivities.

Former Stylist Steps Into Ownership With Pigtails & Crewcuts Franchise

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<a href="https://www.mellowmushroom.com/franchising/">Mellow Mushroom</a>, the psychedelic pizza franchise known for its imaginative pizzas, hand-tossed stone-baked dough and unique atmosphere, is continuing its growth across Georgia. The brand has signed a new franchise agreement in Carrollton, where longtime restaurateurs Rich and Stephanie Weaver are preparing to bring a new restaurant to the city’s historic downtown district. The Weavers have owned and operated several successful independent concepts in Carrollton, but&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mellow-mushroom/info">Mellow Mushroom</a> is their first franchise. The couple had been fans of the brand since dining in a restaurant years ago.“We've been in this area and in the business for a couple of decades,” Rich said. “It's always kind of been in the back of my head to open a pizza place. We don't know everything about pizza, but we know the restaurant business pretty well. We love Mellow Mushroom and frequent them. We’ve always traveled around to get to a local Mellow Mushroom, whether it was Douglasville, Anniston or Atlanta.”When the Weavers began considering a new concept for a downtown building they own, Mellow Mushroom quickly rose to the top of the list. Before contacting the brand, they tested local interest through social media.“The response was overwhelmingly, ‘Let's get a Mellow Mushroom in town,’” Rich said. “Our downtown is known for its food scene. There are many restaurants in a small area, but there isn't a pizza place. That's what Carrollton is lacking.”<h2>Bringing a New Gathering Place to Downtown Carrollton</h2>The new restaurant will occupy a nearly 120-year-old downtown Carrollton building. While guests can expect Mellow Mushroom’s signature environment, the Weavers also plan to preserve the historic property's character. The franchisees want to create a place where people can gather while adding something unique to the downtown experience.“We want to preserve the integrity of the building while we make sure it's a cool, hip, funky Mellow Mushroom,” Rich said. “We're extremely excited to be able to bring that to the downtown area because that's a huge gap. [The community] is going to love it.”The location will help fill a gap in a category that has been missing from Carrollton's growing dining scene. There is currently no dedicated pizza destination that combines quality food, a full bar and the kind of atmosphere that encourages guests to stay and socialize. The Weavers hope the restaurant becomes a go-to spot for families, students, sports teams and friends gathering for a night out.<h2>Why Franchising Made Sense After Years of Independent Ownership</h2>After years of building systems, sourcing vendors and developing operating procedures on their own, the Weavers were attracted to the support structure that comes with opening an established franchise brand.“We've done every bit of this ourselves,” Stephanie said. “The design, the build, the menu, hiring and all our systems and processes. Now, it's time to let somebody else put those things in place, and we'll uphold the standards. We fell in love with their corporate support and all their systems. It aligns well with what we do.”The Carrollton Mellow Mushroom is expected to open next year. The Weavers see a significant opportunity to introduce a well-known brand to a market that has been waiting for a Mellow Mushroom, and could see themselves expanding in the future.&nbsp;“The brand recognition is huge,” Rich said. “Most everyone here has been to a Mellow Mushroom and knows it. The people we've told are excited because it's great pizza.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mellow-mushroom">https://1851franchise.com/mellow-mushroom</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;

After decades of independent restaurant ownership, Rich and Stephanie Weaver are opening Mellow Mushroom to fill a gap and bring a beloved pizza brand back to the community.


Experienced Carrollton Restaurateurs Bring Mellow Mushroom Back to Downtown Carrollton, Georgia

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For an emerging franchise brand, the pressure to sell can be significant. But adding franchisees does not necessarily mean a system is moving closer to becoming what&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodsparkfranchise.com/">GoodSpark Franchise Growth Accelerator</a> CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-internicola/">Charles Internicola</a> and Chief Strategy Officer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/powills/">Nick Powills</a> define as a unicorn brand.A brand can sell franchises without building the culture, franchisee performance or customer affinity needed to sustain that growth. The bigger question is whether the people entering the system can carry forward what made consumers care about the original business in the first place.“In order to get unicorn status, you have to have a business model that can, in fact, have fans of the brand,” Powills said during a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIsMhyJzpNA">webinar</a>.&nbsp;<h2>Customers Have to Care About the Brand</h2>The industry itself does not determine whether a franchise has unicorn potential. A restaurant may have an easier time creating an emotional connection around its food, but service businesses can build the same kind of affinity.&nbsp;“There’s got to be affinity for the service,” Powills said. “So let's just say you mow lawns. They have to feel that you mow lawns better than everybody else. In order to get unicorn status, you have to have a business model that can, in fact, have fans of the brand.”That distinction matters because the consumer experience is where the cycle begins. A strong franchise system needs franchisees who can preserve and replicate the experience that originally created fans of the business.<h2>The Right Franchisee Is More Than a Qualified Buyer</h2>Finding someone with enough capital to buy the franchise is only one part of franchisee recruitment. Brands also need to understand who is most likely to believe in the concept, become involved in the business and represent it well in the community.Powills used&nbsp;<a href="https://www.magnoliafranchising.com/">Magnolia Soap Company</a> as an example of how a franchisee’s connection to the brand can shape the opportunity. Many of the company's earliest franchisees came to the opportunity because they were already attracted to the brand, its products and its mission. Later candidates who entered through a broker network were more likely to be approaching the opportunity primarily as a business investment.“It doesn't mean the broker network deal is bad,” Powills said. “It just means it's a different level of franchisee. They didn't fall in love with the idea of owning your business. They fell in love with the idea of quitting their job and buying a business.”That difference also showed up in performance, he said. The earlier franchisees brought more of the “grit and hustle” that came from caring about the business itself.That makes defining the ideal franchisee an important part of the foundation. Instead of starting with who can afford the franchise, leadership should determine the characteristics that make someone likely to succeed within the system.<h2>Brokers Need to Know Who the Brand Wants</h2>Working with franchise brokers does not have to mean giving up control over franchisee quality. The franchisor can set expectations for exactly who should enter the sales process.Powills pointed to&nbsp;<a href="https://waterlooturf.com/own-a-franchise/">Waterloo Turf</a>, which took that approach by educating brokers about the candidates it wanted. The brand established expectations around factors such as owner involvement and what franchisees would need to do before opening.“They told the brokers, ‘Here's what they have to fit. They're going to have to work in the business. This is what they're going to do in the business. They're going to have to quit their job before they become a franchisee or before they open up their unit because we need to get them trained and open,’” Powills said.&nbsp;That specificity can benefit both sides. Rather than brokers presenting the franchise to anyone looking for a business opportunity, they can identify candidates who already fit the profile. For the franchisor, better alignment at the beginning can make it easier to move the right candidates through the process.<h2>Protecting the Brand Sometimes Means Saying No</h2>Franchisors can become so focused on adding units that they overlook the long-term impact of each franchisee entering the system. Internicola argued that the franchisees a brand chooses not to onboard can be just as important as those it signs.“Unlocking that unicorn status is also about the franchisees you don't onboard,” he said. “A big takeaway from today's conversation is, if you're an emerging brand, take the moment now. Pause in a genuine way, not from a marketing perspective, but: What is that franchisee persona? That person that your brand can improve their lives, and they can improve the franchise?”That requires resisting the pressure to accept a candidate simply because that person is financially qualified or ready to sign an agreement. An owner who is not aligned with the culture can affect customer experiences, franchisee validation and the broader system long after the initial franchise fee has been collected.<h2>Franchisee Support Has to Mean Something</h2>Support is one of the most common selling points in franchising, but simply promising great support does little to distinguish one opportunity from another. The stronger question is what that support actually enables franchisees to do.“The truth is, it's all in the support, but it has to be legitimate support,” Powills said. “Most brands articulate it as, ‘We have great support.’ They don't break it down.”Franchisors should be able to clearly explain how their systems help owners move from signing an agreement to opening successfully and eventually scaling the business, creating a much more tangible definition of support than simply telling prospects the corporate team will be there for them.<h2>Look for Evidence That the Model Is Working</h2>Every business can claim to provide better service or stronger support than its competitors. The evidence should come from what customers and franchisees actually experience.Customer reviews can provide one indication of whether franchisees are consistently delivering the experience the brand promises. Franchisee satisfaction, performance and the ability of owners to scale can provide others.“Can you maintain the fan of the franchise with the consumer? Can you translate that over to the franchisee?” Powills said.When that happens, the relationship can become a cycle: customers become fans of the business, franchisees believe in the brand they own and those franchisees work to create the same experience for the next customer.<h2>Unicorn Growth Starts With Protecting What Works</h2>A franchise system does not have to follow these principles to sell agreements. Brands can grow their unit count by finding financially qualified candidates and moving them through a sales process. But becoming a unicorn requires something more.“What we're defining as a unicorn brand is something that can grow, that can set expectations, that the franchisees scale, franchisee satisfaction is high,” Powills said.That means taking the time to understand what makes the consumer care about the business, identifying the people best equipped to carry that forward and resisting pressure to sacrifice those standards for faster franchise sales.The work does not necessarily require a massive franchise development budget. It can begin by talking to existing customers and franchisees, studying what separates strong operators from struggling ones and becoming much more intentional about who gets invited into the system.“The fan of the brand, both as franchisees or fans of your brand when they buy, and the consumer before they buy, will give you tremendous insights into whether you have the potential to be a unicorn,” Powills said.Watch the webinar above or on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIsMhyJzpNA">YouTube</a>.For more information on GoodSpark and its services for developing franchises, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodsparkfranchise.com/">https://www.goodsparkfranchise.com/</a>.&nbsp;

image of nick powills and charles internecola from francamp

Finding franchisees who believe in the brand, protecting the culture and delivering meaningful support can matter more than simply adding units.