Beef O’ Brady’s announces Franchisee of the Year

Andy Bosko, owner of four Beef O' Brady's locations, was recently awarded Franchisee of the Year for successfully continuing to grow his business and maintain Beef’s standards of quality. Being recognized for hard work and success seems to be a trend in the family – Don, his father, was recognized as Franchisee of the Year in 2001; the entire family were honored with Beef’s Shamrock Award in 2012, and Don was recognized as the state of Florida’s Retailer of the Year in the Leadership category in 2005. These are just a few of the awards and recognitions that the Boskos have received over the course of their 23 years as Beef’s franchisees. [caption id="attachment_16668" align="alignright" width="279" caption="Andy's father Don Bosko"][/caption] This year, the Boskos will be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their Bartow, Florida location. Most significantly, the family will also be commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the devastation of their original Beef’s in South Lakeland, Florida which they rebuilt in 2005. Don’s success is a result of his inherent determination and business savvy. After graduating from Gannon University with a major in business management, Don began working for Owens-Corning Fiberglass as a customer service representative. Over the course of 18 years, Don made his way up to Region Director just before the company laid off thousands of workers two days before Christmas. Faced with unemployment, Don had fortunately garnered enough savings to pursue business ownership, which would allow him to take control of his future. After deciding that he wanted to open his own Beef’s, he approached the original owner of the Brandon, Florida location to allow him to learn the tricks of the trade. Although initially hesitant, Don was eventually permitted to work at the Brandon Beef’s for no wage. With a newfound ability to run his own Beef’s, and with the support of his family to pursue the venture, Don put all of his money and savings into opening his first family pub in Polk County. The growth of his business since joining the brand in 1991 would not have been possible without the help of other members within the Bosko family—his son Andy manages and owns a percentage of the North Lakeland location; Tim manages the South Lakeland pub, Bill is the general manager of Gainesville, and Don’s wife Linda is involved in record keeping and managing wait staff. His daughter also previously worked at Beef’s as a manager, and has been managing Don’s Edible Arrangements business for the past two years. How did you learn about Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and why did you choose an opportunity with the brand? Don: My family visited the Brandon location every Saturday night. One night, we attended a celebration at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and noticed the great mixture of people that enjoyed the pub. Everyone talked about how they loved Beef’s and how it was kid-friendly. I realized it was a business that I wanted to get into myself and build with my family. What are the keys to your success? Don: I lead by example, which has helped shaped my sons into the great managers that they are. I will offer advice to them, but I also sit back and watch them grow independently. I will clean and serve when I’m in the restaurant, and my sons do the same. We also have a routine that we stick by to ensure consistency, and we communicate well with our staff. We also make sure to make our customers feel special; we will have welcome signs made for customers that we know are having an event. Are you involved with any charities or community outreach programs? Don: Andy hosts Spirit Nights, where a percentage of the sales go to back to a selected school; we work with Lake Gibson High School, Sleepy Hill Elementary, Kathleen High School, and Victory Christian School. Sometimes he will stay open late for the schools after their games so students can enjoy the night. During the holiday season, Andy puts up a Christmas tree and has tags with a list of items for a child in need. We are also involved in a program by the LPD called ‘Do the Right Thing’, where students of all ages are awarded for doing the right thing and receive gifts that are donated by Beef’s. I am also on the board of VISTE (Volunteers in Service to the Elderly), March of Dimes Chef’s Auction and the Margarita Ball, which donates to Toys for Tots.