How Old-School Hospitality Helped This Restaurant Veteran Build an Award-Winning Beef 'O' Brady's Franchise

Bradley Dethmers has worked in the hospitality industry since he was 15. Over the past three decades, he built a career opening restaurants around the world and working with several franchise brands. When the Beef 'O' Brady's in Andover, Minnesota, went up for sale in 2021, he saw a chance to own a restaurant in the community where he lives.

Dethmers researched the brand, toured stores and met with the FSC Franchise Co. team before deciding to move forward. His years in the restaurant business gave him a good idea of what he was looking for, and he liked the support Beef 'O' Brady's could provide in areas such as marketing, HR and training.

Since taking over the restaurant in May 2021, Dethmers has focused on his employees and the guests who come through the door. He has the freedom to make decisions about his team without going through layers of corporate approval, while still having the resources of a franchise system behind him. He also makes a point of getting to know his regular customers and providing what he calls “old-school hospitality.”

Dethmers has made grassroots marketing and community fundraising a major part of the business, bringing residents, organizations and other local businesses together to support community causes. His work was recognized at the 2026 FSC conference, where he received both the Franchisee of the Year and Marketer of the Year awards.

Dethmers sat down with 1851 Franchise to discuss how nearly 30 years in the restaurant industry led him to Beef 'O' Brady's, what he values about being a franchisee and why taking care of his employees and guests remains his priority. Here's what he had to say:

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story in one sentence.

Bradley Dethmers: I've been involved with the hospitality industry for about 30 years, since I was 15 years old. It's just something I fell in love with, gravitated to and wanted to be a part of. So, I've built my career around that.

1851: What was happening in your life that made you realize it was time to make a change?

Dethmers: We were starting to come out of COVID, and this location going up for sale created an opportunity in the community. After more than 20 years of opening restaurants around the world and learning from some of the best franchises in the business, I believed Beef 'O' Brady's was poised for future growth. It also aligned with companies I had worked with before. As soon as we met with the team at FSC, we knew this would be a great opportunity.

1851: Why did you choose this franchise over every other opportunity?

Dethmers: When we were going through the questionnaire, some of the questions about personal beliefs, religious beliefs and business made it seem like they were more focused on the individual coming in rather than just the operations or the money they might be bringing to the table. That also showed up in the interviews we had before being selected as a franchisee. We also saw the level of support a smaller franchise could provide its franchisees.

1851: What is it really like owning a Beef 'O' Brady's franchise?

Dethmers: It's the best feeling of the day when you unlock those doors and see guests starting to come in happy. We really create a nice atmosphere for our guests when they walk in.

If guests are having a tough day, they come in here. If they're having a great day, they love to come in here. We know our guests who come through the door. We serve a fantastic product and provide what we call old-school hospitality, where we care about the guests who choose to spend their hard-earned money here.

1851: How has owning this franchise changed your life?

Dethmers: It's nice to be able to impact the people who work for you without having to go through a corporate checklist. We make decisions based on what's best for our people and how much we want to invest in them. At some franchises or corporations, you have to go through a bunch of hoops to do that. For us, if it's the right thing to do for our people, we're going to do it.

1851: If your best friend had enough money to buy this franchise tomorrow, what would you tell them?

Dethmers: I would reemphasize what the franchisor brings to the table. One thing people ask when they're interested in franchising is, "Couldn't you make more money if you just did it yourself?" You might make an extra $100,000, but then you have to spend money on marketing, HR, training and all those other pieces needed to keep the business going. With a brand like FSC, those resources are already in place to support you, so you can spend more time focusing on your guests.

1851: What's the one thing you wish someone had told you before you bought this franchise?

Dethmers: I really don't have anything I would change. We knew what we were getting into. We looked into the brand, toured stores, and, with my experience in the restaurant business, knew it was going to be a great fit for us. We decided to move forward.

1851: You recently won Franchisee of the Year and Marketer of the Year awards at the FSC 2026 conference. Tell me about that. Why do you think you've been so successful?

Dethmers: With any brand that I've been a part of, I've always believed that grassroots marketing is the best way to go. 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.

1851: What are some of the ideas or strategies that you think worked best and helped you get there?

Dethmers: Some people think you can just go out right away and get people to come in, but we really built a community base here. 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.

We've really adopted that idea. Other concepts may base their fundraisers on how much someone spends, but we open the doors to the entire community. Whether you're coming in for the particular event we're holding or you just happen to stop by, you feel that sense of community and want to give back more.

It's become our culture. It's what we do. We invite the entire community in rather than just random people here and there. It creates a feeling that everybody belongs. Whether it's a $5 donation or a $100 bottle pull, they're all involved.

1851: When it comes to the community, what are a few ways you stay involved, whether that's working with other businesses, volunteering or something else?

Dethmers: A lot of the fundraisers we do receive donations from other businesses. 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.

It's going to make things easier in the long run for other groups that may want to donate because you're acknowledging that it's not just Beef 'O' Brady's putting this on. It's all these different organizations and businesses contributing to its success. We acknowledge our community partners when we do these events. I think that's the best way to keep the ball and the energy rolling.

1851: How do you keep your team involved in marketing and the community? How do you keep them motivated to stay connected to guests?

Dethmers: We have a very high-octane team here that likes to go. They get excited when they know about upcoming events because they know it's going to be a fast, high-energy day. They know that every position within the restaurant has been thought through, so we're able to support them if they fall behind or get ahead. There's no problem getting the team excited. They see it and they're like, “This is going to be a good weekend.”

They gear themselves up for it. They don't have the mindset of, "God, I hope it's slow today." They come in expecting it to be busy, and that's our job to build that.

1851: What have you learned about marketing a local restaurant, and what advice would you share with other franchisees who want to do the same?

Dethmers: There are more organizations that need help out there than you can ever imagine. I hear franchisees, whether current or past, and other business owners saying, “They just want donations. They just want this or that.”

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." Then you start trusting the people around you, and you can build that success.

ABOUT BEEF 'O' BRADY'S:

Beef 'O' Brady's is a franchise of family sports pubs that provides the perfect atmosphere for friends and families to watch the game and grab a bite. With a focus on providing value without sacrificing quality, the Beef 'O' Brady's menu features delicious family favorites like award-winning wings, fresh Angus burgers, crisp salads, USDA Choice Cut sirloin, and grilled salmon, along with a kids' menu and a full bar for the adults. Beef 'O' Brady's is strongly dedicated to community involvement through ongoing partnerships with local schools, youth sports leagues and other community groups. Beef 'O' Brady's currently operates 120 locations in 21 states. For more information about franchising opportunities, visit http://www.beefobradysfranchise.com/.