From the Front Lines to the Franchise

Very rarely do “rocket launcher” and “pizza maker” occupy the same résumé. But for Derek Henze, who spent 8 years in the U.S. Military, drawing parallels between his time in the Army and his new life as a Toppers Pizza* franchisee comes easy. “It’s a certain mentality you have to have, and being in the military, war doesn’t stop after 8 to 5; it’s always going,” Henze, who now owns three locations in Minnesota, says (in the video below) of his phone’s tendency to endlessly ring ‘thanks’ to Toppers’ long hours. Henze is hardly the only veteran-turned-franchisee, as the International Franchise Association estimates one out of every seven franchises in the U.S. is owned and operated by a veteran. In fact, last July, Entrepreneur crafted a list of the top 10 franchises for veterans, including Aire Serv, Anytime Fitness and CruiseOne. If you’re still not convinced this is a trend, direct your attention to militaryfranchsing.com, which provides resources such as a franchise matchmaker, self-assessment test and net-worth calculator. Which brands do you think have the best military offering for franchisees? Let us know in the comments section. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNs_HhIMhic&feature=youtu.be