1851

Curtis High knows the ins and outs of building a strong team.

For nearly two decades, High worked his way up the ladder of success with Yum! Brands, Inc., specifically with Pizza Hut, as a store and corporate trainer. Having a tedious commute to and from work, he eventually made the decision to enter the franchising industry with <a href="http://saladworksfranchising.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-one-multi-unit-franchisee-resolves-store-issues-by-stepping-in-as-acting-manager-6516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Saladworks</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nearly 10 years later, High has opened four <a href="http://saladworks.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-one-multi-unit-franchisee-resolves-store-issues-by-stepping-in-as-acting-manager-6516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Saladworks</a> locations in various parts of Pennsylvania with business partner Jordan Rideout. During the past decade, he&rsquo;s seen firsthand what works&mdash;and what doesn&rsquo;t work&mdash;when it comes to operating a successful location. And perhaps most importantly, as a multi-unit franchisee, High has learned that&rsquo;s he&rsquo;s often unable to be at all his locations at all times, and instilling trust in his entire team, especially the General Managers, is crucial &nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;I have to trust my team, especially the General Managers, to do the right things,&rdquo; said High. &ldquo;If you want to run a strong system you have to have a strong General Manager. When they give 50 percent, that&rsquo;s what your store&rsquo;s outcome will be.&rdquo;

Through these experiences, High quickly realized that if any of his stores aren&rsquo;t living up to their full potential, nothing can stop him from stepping in as acting manager to help turn things around. It was during the times when Curtis immersed himself in the day-to-day operations of his Saladworks locations that he realized one important lesson&mdash;working directly within your franchise is crucial to better understanding issues and operational challenges.

&ldquo;Jordan [Rideout] and I are in our stores every day,&rdquo; said High. &ldquo;We hold our employees to our personal standards and are constantly coaching them to reach success.&rdquo;

When it comes to taking a hands-on approach as a franchisee to keep his stores afloat, here are the three key lessons High has learned.

Hire the Right Individual 
 
From having managers leave during a location&rsquo;s peak hours to having employees that don&rsquo;t live up to their potential, High has dealt with a variety of staffing issues over the years. To avoid an unsavory situation in the first place, High says it&rsquo;s important to protect your restaurant by hiring only the best talent.

&ldquo;I have learned that you must take the time to find the ideal candidate who can help you achieve your business goals,&rdquo; said High. &ldquo;Instead of throwing someone right into the action, we take our time. Even if it means taking on the responsibilities ourselves, we know that it will be worth it in the end.&rdquo;

Realize the Difference Between Working For and Working With 

If an owner isn&rsquo;t actively engaged in the daily operations within a franchise&rsquo;s system, it&rsquo;s nearly impossible to properly identify and correct any issue that comes to the surface. That&rsquo;s why, High lives by the motto, &ldquo;You cannot coach what you do not see.&rdquo;

&ldquo;As the franchisee, it is important for me to witness every issue that comes to the surface,&rdquo; said High. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t correct a problem and coach my employees if I do not have all of the specifics.&rdquo; 
 
Motivation and Incentives Matter 
Incentives motivate employees and inspire them to create a plan of action. When a store is under performing, High believes it&rsquo;s important to incentivize the sales goals they need to hit. &nbsp;As an owner, he provides his general managers with quarterly cash bonuses based off of how that store is performing when compared to last year&rsquo;s same-store sales. So far, this program has proven itself time and time again. For example, in the middle of the month, he noticed one of his managers was on the low end of her sales numbers to receive her bonus. He feels the incentive pushed her the last two weeks of the month and motivated her to achieve her goals. 
 
&ldquo;If general managers hit his or her bonus, it&rsquo;s a win-win for everyone,&rdquo; said High.&nbsp; &ldquo;Not only do they receive the bonus, but it also helps me as an owner because my team is driven to meet and exceed their goals.&rdquo;

How One Multi-Unit Franchisee Resolves Store Issues By Stepping in As Acting Manager

1851 Franchise

Notable franchisee Curtis High steps in to coach his employees to success.

how-one-multi-unit-franchisee-resolves-store-issues-by-stepping-in-as-acting-manager

TruBlue Home Service Ally

TruBlue’s Home Maintenance Plans: Peace of Mind for Homeowners

trublues-home-maintenance-plans-peace-of-mind-for-homeowners

Caring Transitions

Caring Transitions Targets Peoria, Illinois, for Franchise Growth

caring-transitions-targets-peoria-illinois-for-franchise-growth

Caring Transitions Celebrates a Strong Start to 2025 With 19 New Franchise Sales and Momentum-Building Training Events

caring-transitions-celebrates-a-strong-start-to-2025-with-19-new-franchise-sales-and-momentum-building-training-events

Right at Home

Right at Home 30th Anniversary in Home Care with Right at Home Logo

Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence and Future Innovations in Home Care

celebrating-30-years-of-excellence-and-future-innovations-in-home-care

Why TruBlue is the Ideal Franchise for Multi-Unit Owners: Scalable Growth With a Purpose

why-trublue-is-the-ideal-franchise-for-multi-unit-owners-scalable-growth-with-a-purpose

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands - 1851 Franchise

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands

doordash-acquistions-deliveroo-sevenrooms

Crumbl Franchise Investment - TSG Consumer Partners -  1851 Franchise

TSG Consumer Partners Takes Minority Stake in Crumbl, Signaling Franchise Growth Potential

crumbl-franchise-investment-tsg-consumer

Yum Brands Reports Strong Q1 Results with Big Boost from Taco Bell

yum-brands-reports-strong-q1-results-with-big-boost-from-taco-bell

QSR: McDonald’s Gains Momentum With Chicken Innovation, Value Deals and Franchisee Support

mcdonalds-franchise-recovery-chicken-strategy-value-deals-2025

The Future of Franchising: Trends and Predictions for 2025 and Beyond

the-future-of-franchising-trends-and-predictions-for-2025-and-beyond

Layoffs Surge to Pandemic-Era Highs, Opening Doors for Franchise Growth

layoffs-surge-to-pandemic-era-highs-opening-doors-for-franchise-growth

Franchisee spotlight image with Randy and Sandy Craft, Children's Lighthouse logo on blue background

The Crafts’ Successful Journey from New Parents to Children’s Lighthouse Franchisees

the-crafts-successful-journey-from-new-parents-to-childrens-lighthouse-franchisees

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Amy Lepke and family and Papa Murphy's logo

After 14 Years as a Stay-At-Home Mom, Amy Lepke Returned to Papa Murphy’s — This Time as an Owner

papa-murphys-franchise-amy-lepke

Franchisee Spotlight with Micki Waters and Papa Murphy's Logo

Work Mom: How Micki Waters Became a Mother Figure to Her Entire Papa Murphy’s Team

work-mom-how-micki-waters-became-a-mother-figure-to-her-entire-papa-murphys-team

District Taco Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-district-tacos-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Franchisee spotlight image with photo of Robert Trujillo and UWRG logo on blue background

How Robert Trujillo Expanded His Construction Business With UWRG

how-robert-trujillo-expanded-his-construction-business-with-uwrg

How One Multi-Unit Franchisee Resolves Store Issues By Stepping in As Acting Manager

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS