From day one of Dillas Primo Quesadillas, founders Kyle and Maggie Gordon have built the brand around a simple belief: if you invest in the right people, build the right culture and stay committed to operational excellence, the business will follow. Today, as Dillas prepares for its next stage of franchise growth, that philosophy is not just visible in its restaurants. It is woven directly into its leadership team.
“I hired my area leader when he was just 17 years old. My wife is our president. I hired my longtime mentor to be our franchise development person, and our marketing manager was his intern,” Kyle said. “Crazy. And now, somehow, we all ended up here building Dillas together.”
That interconnected leadership story is part of what makes Dillas different. Kyle and Maggie are not only co-founders, but a husband-and-wife team who have grown the business side by side. Their first franchisee, Pete John, worked with Kyle during their Raising Cane’s days. Michael Mabry, who now leads franchise development, has known the team for years. Kristen Serrano, who leads marketing, previously worked with Mabry.
Together, they represent a leadership tapestry woven over decades of shared experience, trust and aligned values.
For Kyle, restaurants have always been about people first. “I got into this business because restaurants are about people,” he said. “Every time that you look for a person and you finally find them and you get to work with them and develop them, it just pays compound interest. I love that about this business.”
That belief has shaped Dillas over the past 12 years, helping the brand grow to 11 locations, build a $2 million AUV model and establish itself as one of the only quesadilla-focused QSR concepts in the industry. But for Kyle, the real proof of the brand is the team behind it.
“We don’t build businesses, we build people, and it’s the people that build the business,” Kyle said. “Whether it’s a vendor, a team member or a franchisee, that’s the model. We build the person and they deliver that exceptional experience for our customers.”
Kyle’s leadership philosophy is rooted in operational excellence, but not at the expense of culture. After spending years at Raising Cane’s, he brought lessons in simplicity, execution and team development into Dillas.
“At Cane’s, when I was there, we went from 35 to about 135 locations,” Kyle said. “That gave me a lot of validation and insight. I tried to absorb everything I could about what it takes to run a great restaurant, and more importantly, a great restaurant culture.”
If Kyle’s focus is building people and operations, Maggie’s role is helping ensure the entire organization is moving in the same direction. “I don’t think I ever would have thought I’d be the president of Dillas,” Maggie said. “In normal terms, you think of the president as an executive role. But my version of president at our growing company is really about cross-functional departments and making sure that everybody’s rowing in the right direction.”
For Maggie, leadership means removing friction, aligning teams and making sure the company’s values show up consistently across restaurants, franchise support, marketing, operations and culture.
“We’re all working toward the same goal, and my job is to remove roadblocks, get everybody on the same page and make sure that the vision is coming to life,” she said.
That work has become especially important as Dillas expands through franchising. “We’ve built deep verticals in manpower, culture, operations, training, financial performance, top-line revenue, all of the critical drivers,” Maggie said. “So now it was like: How do we apply that and invite others to scale and make a bigger impact?”
For prospective franchisees, Maggie’s leadership reflects the care Dillas is putting into franchisee onboarding and support. “We’ve always had great onboarding for our restaurant team, but now we’re applying that same care to onboarding our franchisees,” she said. “We want people to come into our system and say, ‘Wow, this place runs at a high level.’”
In many ways, the Dillas franchise story began with John, the brand’s first franchisee and a longtime restaurant operator who worked with Kyle during their Raising Cane’s days.
“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 leaving Cane’s, John spent time outside the restaurant industry, but he missed the energy of restaurants. When he saw what Kyle and Maggie were building with Dillas, he knew he wanted in.
“My wife and I went to the first Dillas in Plano and really fell in love with it,” John said. “I loved the freshness, I loved the vibe, and I knew the drive the team had. I wanted to be a part of it.”
Dillas’ first franchise opened in Shreveport in 2018. John now operates five locations across Louisiana and East Texas, giving the brand an early example of how the model could work outside its home market.
“Kyle and Maggie are super open to suggestions and what is best for the brand and the people,” John said. “It’s nice to have your voice heard at the table and to have some autonomy to build the brand through great people.”
As the first franchisee, John also helped shape what future franchisees can expect: a brand that listens, supports and expects operators to take the business seriously. “A potential franchisee should understand that our restaurant group is operations first,” John said. “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.”
As Dillas enters its next phase of franchise growth, Mabry, a seasoned franchise strategist, is helping lead the charge.
Mabry, who heads franchise development, has known the team for years. That existing relationship matters because Dillas is not simply trying to sell franchises. It is trying to find the right people to carry the brand into new communities.
“An emerging brand is a brand trying to find its footing,” Mabry said. “Dillas figured that out years ago. We already are a powerhouse in depth of systems and operational efficiency. Now it's time to match the unit count to the strength of our systems. We’re no longer going to be franchising’s best-kept secret.”
For Mabry, the franchise opportunity is rooted in a brand that knows who it is and who it serves. “Any potential franchise partner that is going to be lucky enough to be part of the Dillas experience, they’re going to learn that we put people first, then we put our product, and we put our community,” he said. “The idea is to be one with the community through a great product by delivering it through our people.”
That message is especially important as Dillas looks for franchisees who are aligned with the brand’s operating culture. The Gordons have made clear that they are not looking for passive investors or franchisees who see the concept as a real estate play. They want operators who care about restaurants, teams and the community.
For Serrano, who leads marketing, the work is also rooted in support. “My job exists to support our corporate restaurant as well as our franchise partners,” Serrano said. “You have to have that servant part and know that we’re in this together.”
Serrano previously worked with Mabry, adding another thread to the interconnected leadership story at Dillas. Today, her role connects corporate restaurants and franchise partners, ensuring both sides of the business have the communication and marketing support they need to grow.
“Having conversations with our corporate operators weekly is extremely important to me,” Serrano said. “Talking to our franchise partner weekly is extremely important to me. They are the success of the business.”
That approach reflects Dillas’ broader belief that franchise growth depends on relationships, communication and shared execution. “Our growth is dependent on them,” Serrano said. “You’re not going to be successful in the restaurant industry if you don’t have that mentality.”
For franchisees, that means they are not entering a system where marketing is disconnected from operations. They are joining a brand where the leadership team sees support as a core responsibility.
Taken together, Dillas’ leadership team tells a story that is rare in franchising: founders who are still deeply involved, a president focused on alignment, a first franchisee who helped prove the model, a franchise development leader rooted in long-term relationships and a marketing leader committed to operator support.
It is not a team built overnight. It is a team woven together over time.
“Twelve years in, 11 locations, we’ve done it the right way, the hard way,” Kyle said. “So I’m super excited about the next phase and really building out the infrastructure to do this at scale.”
And as Dillas grows, the leadership tapestry will continue to be one of its strongest advantages.
“I don’t know what you’re building, but I hope you’re doing it with people who chose you, people who bet on you way before it was obvious,” Kyle said. “That’s what I’ve done, and it’s paid off in dividends. If you’re looking to get into something that is absolutely fun, ground floor and where your voice matters, come find us at Dillas. We’ve got a spot for you.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/dillas-quesadillas.
Dillas Quesadillas
SPONSORED
Built on long-standing relationships, Dillas' leadership team is guiding the brand's next phase of franchise growth with a focus on culture, alignment and execution.
From day one of Dillas Primo Quesadillas, founders Kyle and Maggie Gordon have built the brand around a simple belief: if you invest in the right people, build the right culture and stay committed to operational excellence, the business will follow. Today, as Dillas prepares for its next stage of franchise growth, that philosophy is not just visible in its restaurants. It is woven directly into its leadership team.
“I hired my area leader when he was just 17 years old. My wife is our president. I hired my longtime mentor to be our franchise development person, and our marketing manager was his intern,” Kyle said. “Crazy. And now, somehow, we all ended up here building Dillas together.”
That interconnected leadership story is part of what makes Dillas different. Kyle and Maggie are not only co-founders, but a husband-and-wife team who have grown the business side by side. Their first franchisee, Pete John, worked with Kyle during their Raising Cane’s days. Michael Mabry, who now leads franchise development, has known the team for years. Kristen Serrano, who leads marketing, previously worked with Mabry.
Together, they represent a leadership tapestry woven over decades of shared experience, trust and aligned values.
For Kyle, restaurants have always been about people first. “I got into this business because restaurants are about people,” he said. “Every time that you look for a person and you finally find them and you get to work with them and develop them, it just pays compound interest. I love that about this business.”
That belief has shaped Dillas over the past 12 years, helping the brand grow to 11 locations, build a $2 million AUV model and establish itself as one of the only quesadilla-focused QSR concepts in the industry. But for Kyle, the real proof of the brand is the team behind it.
“We don’t build businesses, we build people, and it’s the people that build the business,” Kyle said. “Whether it’s a vendor, a team member or a franchisee, that’s the model. We build the person and they deliver that exceptional experience for our customers.”
Kyle’s leadership philosophy is rooted in operational excellence, but not at the expense of culture. After spending years at Raising Cane’s, he brought lessons in simplicity, execution and team development into Dillas.
“At Cane’s, when I was there, we went from 35 to about 135 locations,” Kyle said. “That gave me a lot of validation and insight. I tried to absorb everything I could about what it takes to run a great restaurant, and more importantly, a great restaurant culture.”
If Kyle’s focus is building people and operations, Maggie’s role is helping ensure the entire organization is moving in the same direction. “I don’t think I ever would have thought I’d be the president of Dillas,” Maggie said. “In normal terms, you think of the president as an executive role. But my version of president at our growing company is really about cross-functional departments and making sure that everybody’s rowing in the right direction.”
For Maggie, leadership means removing friction, aligning teams and making sure the company’s values show up consistently across restaurants, franchise support, marketing, operations and culture.
“We’re all working toward the same goal, and my job is to remove roadblocks, get everybody on the same page and make sure that the vision is coming to life,” she said.
That work has become especially important as Dillas expands through franchising. “We’ve built deep verticals in manpower, culture, operations, training, financial performance, top-line revenue, all of the critical drivers,” Maggie said. “So now it was like: How do we apply that and invite others to scale and make a bigger impact?”
For prospective franchisees, Maggie’s leadership reflects the care Dillas is putting into franchisee onboarding and support. “We’ve always had great onboarding for our restaurant team, but now we’re applying that same care to onboarding our franchisees,” she said. “We want people to come into our system and say, ‘Wow, this place runs at a high level.’”
In many ways, the Dillas franchise story began with John, the brand’s first franchisee and a longtime restaurant operator who worked with Kyle during their Raising Cane’s days.
“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 leaving Cane’s, John spent time outside the restaurant industry, but he missed the energy of restaurants. When he saw what Kyle and Maggie were building with Dillas, he knew he wanted in.
“My wife and I went to the first Dillas in Plano and really fell in love with it,” John said. “I loved the freshness, I loved the vibe, and I knew the drive the team had. I wanted to be a part of it.”
Dillas’ first franchise opened in Shreveport in 2018. John now operates five locations across Louisiana and East Texas, giving the brand an early example of how the model could work outside its home market.
“Kyle and Maggie are super open to suggestions and what is best for the brand and the people,” John said. “It’s nice to have your voice heard at the table and to have some autonomy to build the brand through great people.”
As the first franchisee, John also helped shape what future franchisees can expect: a brand that listens, supports and expects operators to take the business seriously. “A potential franchisee should understand that our restaurant group is operations first,” John said. “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.”
As Dillas enters its next phase of franchise growth, Mabry, a seasoned franchise strategist, is helping lead the charge.
Mabry, who heads franchise development, has known the team for years. That existing relationship matters because Dillas is not simply trying to sell franchises. It is trying to find the right people to carry the brand into new communities.
“An emerging brand is a brand trying to find its footing,” Mabry said. “Dillas figured that out years ago. We already are a powerhouse in depth of systems and operational efficiency. Now it's time to match the unit count to the strength of our systems. We’re no longer going to be franchising’s best-kept secret.”
For Mabry, the franchise opportunity is rooted in a brand that knows who it is and who it serves. “Any potential franchise partner that is going to be lucky enough to be part of the Dillas experience, they’re going to learn that we put people first, then we put our product, and we put our community,” he said. “The idea is to be one with the community through a great product by delivering it through our people.”
That message is especially important as Dillas looks for franchisees who are aligned with the brand’s operating culture. The Gordons have made clear that they are not looking for passive investors or franchisees who see the concept as a real estate play. They want operators who care about restaurants, teams and the community.
For Serrano, who leads marketing, the work is also rooted in support. “My job exists to support our corporate restaurant as well as our franchise partners,” Serrano said. “You have to have that servant part and know that we’re in this together.”
Serrano previously worked with Mabry, adding another thread to the interconnected leadership story at Dillas. Today, her role connects corporate restaurants and franchise partners, ensuring both sides of the business have the communication and marketing support they need to grow.
“Having conversations with our corporate operators weekly is extremely important to me,” Serrano said. “Talking to our franchise partner weekly is extremely important to me. They are the success of the business.”
That approach reflects Dillas’ broader belief that franchise growth depends on relationships, communication and shared execution. “Our growth is dependent on them,” Serrano said. “You’re not going to be successful in the restaurant industry if you don’t have that mentality.”
For franchisees, that means they are not entering a system where marketing is disconnected from operations. They are joining a brand where the leadership team sees support as a core responsibility.
Taken together, Dillas’ leadership team tells a story that is rare in franchising: founders who are still deeply involved, a president focused on alignment, a first franchisee who helped prove the model, a franchise development leader rooted in long-term relationships and a marketing leader committed to operator support.
It is not a team built overnight. It is a team woven together over time.
“Twelve years in, 11 locations, we’ve done it the right way, the hard way,” Kyle said. “So I’m super excited about the next phase and really building out the infrastructure to do this at scale.”
And as Dillas grows, the leadership tapestry will continue to be one of its strongest advantages.
“I don’t know what you’re building, but I hope you’re doing it with people who chose you, people who bet on you way before it was obvious,” Kyle said. “That’s what I’ve done, and it’s paid off in dividends. If you’re looking to get into something that is absolutely fun, ground floor and where your voice matters, come find us at Dillas. We’ve got a spot for you.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/dillas-quesadillas.
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