Bradley Dethmers believes restaurant marketing works best when people know the person behind the business. Since taking over the Andover, Minnesota, location of Beef 'O' Brady's, the family-friendly sports pub franchise, in May 2021, he has made community involvement a regular part of running the restaurant.
"With any brand that I've been a part of, I've always believed that grassroots marketing is the best way to go," Dethmers said. “People want to have their hands shaken. They want to be acknowledged. They want to know that whatever they're working on is just as important as what you're trying to grow within your business.”
Dethmers earned the Marketer of the Year Award at the 2026 conference hosted by parent company FSC Franchise Co. The award recognizes franchisees who build connections with their guests, employees and communities and consistently find ways to keep their businesses involved locally.
Dethmers has spent nearly 30 years in hospitality, starting at 15. After opening restaurants around the world and working with several franchise brands, he purchased the Andover Beef 'O' Brady's in 2021. His marketing strategy draws in part from his memories of growing up in a small town.
"Some people think you can just go out right away and get people to come in, but we really built a community base here," he said. “When I was a kid growing up in my small town, if they needed to raise money for the football team, the entire town came together.”
Rather than limiting a fundraiser to customers who specifically arrive to support an organization, Dethmers tries to make everyone in the restaurant feel included. Someone who walks in without knowing about the event can still participate. Over time, those events have become a regular part of how the Andover restaurant operates.
"We invite the entire community in rather than just random people here and there," he said. "It creates a feeling that everybody belongs. Whether it's a $5 donation or a $100 bottle pull, they're all involved."
Community events also give Dethmers a chance to work with other Andover businesses. Restaurants and other local companies frequently contribute donations to fundraisers held at Beef 'O' Brady's, and Dethmers makes a point of publicly recognizing them.
"If we're holding a fundraiser inside my business, I think it's right to showcase on social media the other restaurants or businesses that contributed," he said. “It's not just Beef 'O' Brady's putting this on. It's all these different organizations and businesses contributing to its success.”
That recognition can also make businesses more willing to participate the next time an organization asks for help. Dethmers sees each event as another opportunity to strengthen relationships throughout the community, not a one-time promotion designed only to bring people through his doors.
Dethmers' employees play an important role in making the events work. His team knows when a fundraiser or community event is coming and prepares for a busy restaurant rather than dreading the additional traffic.
The team prepares each station so employees have support when business picks up. That allows the team to focus on serving guests even when the restaurant fills up.
"We have a very high-octane team here that likes to go," he said. “They get excited when they know about upcoming events because they know it's going to be a fast, high-energy day. They don't think, 'God, I hope it's slow today.' They come in expecting it to be busy, and that's our job to build that.”
That attitude aligns with the hospitality Dethmers has worked to build at the restaurant. He and his team get to know regular customers, and he describes their service philosophy as "old-school hospitality," emphasizing recognition for the people who choose to spend their time and money at the restaurant.
Dethmers knows community involvement requires work. Business owners get plenty of requests for donations and support, and it can be easy to see them as another expense or obligation. He encourages franchisees to look at them differently.
"There are more organizations that need help out there than you can ever imagine," he said.
Building a local marketing program also means figuring out which efforts are effective instead of expecting immediate results. The Marketer of the Year recognition reflects work that happens well beyond a single campaign. Marketing the Andover Beef 'O' Brady's means knowing the people who walk through the doors, giving employees a reason to get excited about a busy weekend and making the restaurant a place where the community can come together.
"Sometimes you have to look past your own mental block and say, 'I've got to work at this. I've got to put some extra time into this. I've got to find out what's working and what's not working,'" Dethmers said. “Then you start trusting the people around you, and you can build that success.”
To find out more information on costs of opening a Beef 'O' Brady's franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/beefobradys.
Beef 'O' Brady's
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The franchise's 2026 Marketer of the Year, Bradley Dethmers, has made grassroots marketing and community fundraising part of the culture at his Andover, Minnesota, restaurant.
Bradley Dethmers believes restaurant marketing works best when people know the person behind the business. Since taking over the Andover, Minnesota, location of Beef 'O' Brady's, the family-friendly sports pub franchise, in May 2021, he has made community involvement a regular part of running the restaurant.
"With any brand that I've been a part of, I've always believed that grassroots marketing is the best way to go," Dethmers said. “People want to have their hands shaken. They want to be acknowledged. They want to know that whatever they're working on is just as important as what you're trying to grow within your business.”
Dethmers earned the Marketer of the Year Award at the 2026 conference hosted by parent company FSC Franchise Co. The award recognizes franchisees who build connections with their guests, employees and communities and consistently find ways to keep their businesses involved locally.
Dethmers has spent nearly 30 years in hospitality, starting at 15. After opening restaurants around the world and working with several franchise brands, he purchased the Andover Beef 'O' Brady's in 2021. His marketing strategy draws in part from his memories of growing up in a small town.
"Some people think you can just go out right away and get people to come in, but we really built a community base here," he said. “When I was a kid growing up in my small town, if they needed to raise money for the football team, the entire town came together.”
Rather than limiting a fundraiser to customers who specifically arrive to support an organization, Dethmers tries to make everyone in the restaurant feel included. Someone who walks in without knowing about the event can still participate. Over time, those events have become a regular part of how the Andover restaurant operates.
"We invite the entire community in rather than just random people here and there," he said. "It creates a feeling that everybody belongs. Whether it's a $5 donation or a $100 bottle pull, they're all involved."
Community events also give Dethmers a chance to work with other Andover businesses. Restaurants and other local companies frequently contribute donations to fundraisers held at Beef 'O' Brady's, and Dethmers makes a point of publicly recognizing them.
"If we're holding a fundraiser inside my business, I think it's right to showcase on social media the other restaurants or businesses that contributed," he said. “It's not just Beef 'O' Brady's putting this on. It's all these different organizations and businesses contributing to its success.”
That recognition can also make businesses more willing to participate the next time an organization asks for help. Dethmers sees each event as another opportunity to strengthen relationships throughout the community, not a one-time promotion designed only to bring people through his doors.
Dethmers' employees play an important role in making the events work. His team knows when a fundraiser or community event is coming and prepares for a busy restaurant rather than dreading the additional traffic.
The team prepares each station so employees have support when business picks up. That allows the team to focus on serving guests even when the restaurant fills up.
"We have a very high-octane team here that likes to go," he said. “They get excited when they know about upcoming events because they know it's going to be a fast, high-energy day. They don't think, 'God, I hope it's slow today.' They come in expecting it to be busy, and that's our job to build that.”
That attitude aligns with the hospitality Dethmers has worked to build at the restaurant. He and his team get to know regular customers, and he describes their service philosophy as "old-school hospitality," emphasizing recognition for the people who choose to spend their time and money at the restaurant.
Dethmers knows community involvement requires work. Business owners get plenty of requests for donations and support, and it can be easy to see them as another expense or obligation. He encourages franchisees to look at them differently.
"There are more organizations that need help out there than you can ever imagine," he said.
Building a local marketing program also means figuring out which efforts are effective instead of expecting immediate results. The Marketer of the Year recognition reflects work that happens well beyond a single campaign. Marketing the Andover Beef 'O' Brady's means knowing the people who walk through the doors, giving employees a reason to get excited about a busy weekend and making the restaurant a place where the community can come together.
"Sometimes you have to look past your own mental block and say, 'I've got to work at this. I've got to put some extra time into this. I've got to find out what's working and what's not working,'" Dethmers said. “Then you start trusting the people around you, and you can build that success.”
To find out more information on costs of opening a Beef 'O' Brady's franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/beefobradys.
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