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Building a successful burger franchisee takes more than good grilling technique. It takes a tireless work ethic, outstanding leadership and the desire to delight the customer. <a href="http://www.backyardburgers.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=back-yard-burgers-piles-new-franchise-markets-on-its-plate-621" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Back Yard Burgers</a> multi-unit franchisee Bridgforth Rutlege has all three. Rutledge owns seven Back Yard Burgers restaurants and is one of the system&#8217;s most influential franchisees. He is also president of the company&#8217;s Franchise Advisory Committee, an elected board that develops company strategy. &#8220;Back Yard Burgers has a solid foundation, it is primed for growth and I am delighted to be a part of this outstanding company,&#8221; said Rutledge. Rutledge worked his way to the top. He earned his bachelor&#8217;s degree from Millsaps College and entered graduate school at Mississippi College where he earned his law degree. It was in 1998 when Rutledge decided to become an entrepreneur. &#8220;Rather than starting from scratch, I explored franchising opportunities, searching for a brand that focused on people and a first-class product,&#8221; Rutledge added. Back Yard Burgers, a brand in his Jackson, Mississippi hometown was the perfect match. &#8220;After meeting with franchise developers at Back Yard Burgers&#8217; headquarters, I was sold on the brand,&#8221; Rutledge said. &#8220;So I opened my first Back Yard Burgers in Jackson and quickly learned the ins and outs of the brand and the burger industry.&#8221; Rutledge&#8217;s first restaurant was a tremendous success, so he opened six additional Back Yard Burgers units across Mississippi. Altogether, he has the most restaurants system-wide. Rutledge&#8217;s restaurants are also among the most successful in the system. Last year, six of his Back Yard Burgers were included in the company&#8217;s Top Ten for sales increases. In addition to his impressive restaurant portfolio, Rutledge is a practicing attorney for Phelps Dunbar and he owns a retail real estate development company, Bridgforth Rutledge Real Estate, which manages 30 properties. As the Back Yard Burgers system looks to extend its 12 consecutive months of same-store-sales increases, many industry experts have asked about the company&#8217;s next steps. Back Yard Burgers CEO David McDougal indicated that the brand looks to grow its number of restaurants in 2015, and Rutledge could not be happier. &#8220;I am already setting my sites on developing another unit in Brandon, Mississippi. It is a great community and I believe it will only add to our success,&#8221; Rutledge said. It is safe to say Rutledge&#8217;s success with Back Yard Burgers originates from keeping his plate full, which is a good thing in the restaurant industry.

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Franchisee Bridgeforth Rutledge has seven Back Yard Burgers restaurants and plans on opening more. 

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