When Pete John first walked into a Raising Cane’s as a shift manager, he never imagined it would one day lead him to become the trailblazer behind a whole other franchise brand. But after more than a decade in restaurants, a brief detour away from the restaurant industry and a call to former colleague Kyle Gordon, John became Dillas Primo Quesadillas’ very first franchisee. His journey has not only shaped his career but also played a pivotal role in proving that Dillas Primo Quesadillas is a brand built for scale.
“I was looking at getting my master’s from the University of Georgia, but I didn’t have any management experience,” John said. “I was looking for places hiring and started as a shift manager with Raising Cane’s. I ended up staying and loving it, worked there for 12 years. I started hourly, worked my way up to general manager, district manager, managing partner program, and ended up with a multi-unit managing partner. That was really where I cut my teeth in the industry.”
During his time at Cane’s, John and Gordon crossed paths. “Kyle was a general manager at Raising Cane’s while I was a district manager,” John said. “Through that relationship, we got to know each other really well. He was a top performer, and me being his director was more of a partnership. We got along great and had the same values.”
After climbing the ranks and becoming a managing partner, Kyle and his wife Maggie raised the capital, built a team and opened the first Dillas Primo Quesadillas location in Plano, Texas.
After leaving Cane’s, John spent a few years outside the restaurant industry. But he missed the fast-paced environment. “I knew Kyle had a lot of good things going on with Dillas Primo Quesadillas. I called him and told him I wanted to get back in the restaurant game. My wife and I went to the first Dillas Primo Quesadillas in Plano and really fell in love with it. I loved the freshness, I loved the vibe, and I knew the drive the team had. I wanted to be a part of it.”
In 2018, that conversation led to a joint venture: franchising. “We created a deal where I would open the first one in Shreveport,” John said. “I brought some core-values aligned people who had worked with me in the past. They wanted to be part of something new and fresh.”
Just a year into running his first store, COVID hit. “We had a lot of soul searching to do,” John said. “My first location didn’t have a drive-thru, so we really pivoted to a lot of curbside service. It was such an unknown, but we made it through.”
Not only did they make it through, they grew. “In 2021, we opened two more locations during COVID in Louisiana,” John said. “One of them was only off-premise for a while. We were able to do that because we recruited great people and we innovated a lot.”
Since then, John has opened two more — including a drive-thru and take-out only prototype location in Ruston, Louisiana, designed with throughput and cost savings in mind. “Last year, in August, we opened our first college location in Ruston practically on the Louisiana State campus,” John said. “Two months later, we opened our fifth location in Nacogdoches, Texas right by Stephen F. Austin University. We really are after college towns.”
When it comes to the reasons behind his rapid growth, John says Dillas Primo Quesadillas is in a category of its own.
“There is no real direct competition from a food perspective,” he said. “There are no other quesadilla concepts that do it the way we do it. Therefore, we have the opportunity to really capture being the only quesadilla QSR in the industry.”
Another factor that has made Dillas Primo Quesadillas so scalable and successful, John says, is the level of employee appreciation. “We take really great care of our people,” he said. “We have flexible scheduling, and we teach our employees how to be good business people. We like to instill life values beyond just restaurant operations.”
John’s territory covers all of Louisiana and parts of East Texas, with a development plan of 13 total stores. “We have found that Dillas Primo Quesadillas is a viable restaurant to make money,” he said. “We intend on growing in East Texas and in Louisiana. I really love the bigger college markets around us as well. The goal is to get one new location open a year.”
For John, being the first franchisee has meant more than growth — it’s meant partnership. “It’s really nice to be able to have your input heard,” he said. “Kyle and Maggie are super open to suggestions and what is best for the brand and the people. We have made mistakes, but it’s nice to have your voice heard at the table and to have some autonomy to build the brand through great people.”
He’s also eager to support future franchisees. “I think I’ll be a great asset for those future franchisees since I’ve been here through the brand’s growth,” he said. “I’ve also sat on both sides of the franchising table. I started at Raising Cane’s when there were 25 units and left when there were around 400. I know what I would do differently this time. Kyle and I bounce things off each other and we want to remain true to our partners.”
And John has a clear message for those considering Dillas Primo Quesadillas: “A potential franchisee should understand that our restaurant group is operations first. We are sales-driven and profit smart. We do what is needed to deliver an exceptional product to our customers and give them value in their experience. If my team has the tools they need, it ultimately makes me successful as well. With a brand like Dillas Primo Quesadillas that is young and poised to take off, that foundation is super important. I am very excited to see what the future holds.”
For more information on franchising with Dillas Primo Quesadillas, visit: https://1851franchise.com/dillas-quesadillas.
Dillas Quesadillas
SPONSORED
Pete John drew on years of franchising experience to grow Dillas Primo Quesadillas from a single restaurant into a successful multi-unit brand, underscoring its strength and growth potential.
When Pete John first walked into a Raising Cane’s as a shift manager, he never imagined it would one day lead him to become the trailblazer behind a whole other franchise brand. But after more than a decade in restaurants, a brief detour away from the restaurant industry and a call to former colleague Kyle Gordon, John became Dillas Primo Quesadillas’ very first franchisee. His journey has not only shaped his career but also played a pivotal role in proving that Dillas Primo Quesadillas is a brand built for scale.
“I was looking at getting my master’s from the University of Georgia, but I didn’t have any management experience,” John said. “I was looking for places hiring and started as a shift manager with Raising Cane’s. I ended up staying and loving it, worked there for 12 years. I started hourly, worked my way up to general manager, district manager, managing partner program, and ended up with a multi-unit managing partner. That was really where I cut my teeth in the industry.”
During his time at Cane’s, John and Gordon crossed paths. “Kyle was a general manager at Raising Cane’s while I was a district manager,” John said. “Through that relationship, we got to know each other really well. He was a top performer, and me being his director was more of a partnership. We got along great and had the same values.”
After climbing the ranks and becoming a managing partner, Kyle and his wife Maggie raised the capital, built a team and opened the first Dillas Primo Quesadillas location in Plano, Texas.
After leaving Cane’s, John spent a few years outside the restaurant industry. But he missed the fast-paced environment. “I knew Kyle had a lot of good things going on with Dillas Primo Quesadillas. I called him and told him I wanted to get back in the restaurant game. My wife and I went to the first Dillas Primo Quesadillas in Plano and really fell in love with it. I loved the freshness, I loved the vibe, and I knew the drive the team had. I wanted to be a part of it.”
In 2018, that conversation led to a joint venture: franchising. “We created a deal where I would open the first one in Shreveport,” John said. “I brought some core-values aligned people who had worked with me in the past. They wanted to be part of something new and fresh.”
Just a year into running his first store, COVID hit. “We had a lot of soul searching to do,” John said. “My first location didn’t have a drive-thru, so we really pivoted to a lot of curbside service. It was such an unknown, but we made it through.”
Not only did they make it through, they grew. “In 2021, we opened two more locations during COVID in Louisiana,” John said. “One of them was only off-premise for a while. We were able to do that because we recruited great people and we innovated a lot.”
Since then, John has opened two more — including a drive-thru and take-out only prototype location in Ruston, Louisiana, designed with throughput and cost savings in mind. “Last year, in August, we opened our first college location in Ruston practically on the Louisiana State campus,” John said. “Two months later, we opened our fifth location in Nacogdoches, Texas right by Stephen F. Austin University. We really are after college towns.”
When it comes to the reasons behind his rapid growth, John says Dillas Primo Quesadillas is in a category of its own.
“There is no real direct competition from a food perspective,” he said. “There are no other quesadilla concepts that do it the way we do it. Therefore, we have the opportunity to really capture being the only quesadilla QSR in the industry.”
Another factor that has made Dillas Primo Quesadillas so scalable and successful, John says, is the level of employee appreciation. “We take really great care of our people,” he said. “We have flexible scheduling, and we teach our employees how to be good business people. We like to instill life values beyond just restaurant operations.”
John’s territory covers all of Louisiana and parts of East Texas, with a development plan of 13 total stores. “We have found that Dillas Primo Quesadillas is a viable restaurant to make money,” he said. “We intend on growing in East Texas and in Louisiana. I really love the bigger college markets around us as well. The goal is to get one new location open a year.”
For John, being the first franchisee has meant more than growth — it’s meant partnership. “It’s really nice to be able to have your input heard,” he said. “Kyle and Maggie are super open to suggestions and what is best for the brand and the people. We have made mistakes, but it’s nice to have your voice heard at the table and to have some autonomy to build the brand through great people.”
He’s also eager to support future franchisees. “I think I’ll be a great asset for those future franchisees since I’ve been here through the brand’s growth,” he said. “I’ve also sat on both sides of the franchising table. I started at Raising Cane’s when there were 25 units and left when there were around 400. I know what I would do differently this time. Kyle and I bounce things off each other and we want to remain true to our partners.”
And John has a clear message for those considering Dillas Primo Quesadillas: “A potential franchisee should understand that our restaurant group is operations first. We are sales-driven and profit smart. We do what is needed to deliver an exceptional product to our customers and give them value in their experience. If my team has the tools they need, it ultimately makes me successful as well. With a brand like Dillas Primo Quesadillas that is young and poised to take off, that foundation is super important. I am very excited to see what the future holds.”
For more information on franchising with Dillas Primo Quesadillas, visit: https://1851franchise.com/dillas-quesadillas.
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