1851

When <a href="http://ownasobelmans.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-rejecting-the-cookie-cutter-model-has-helped-sobelmans-pub-grill-grow-through-franchising-2703155" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sobelmans Pub &amp; Grill</a> first opened its doors for business 20 years ago, it changed the game in Wisconsin&rsquo;s burger scene. Its unique recipes and famous Bloody Mary&rsquo;s created a new segment in the state&rsquo;s restaurant industry that others have been trying to mimic ever since. And as founder Dave Sobelman continued building his business, he recognized that demand for a brand like <a href="https://sobelmanspubgrill.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-rejecting-the-cookie-cutter-model-has-helped-sobelmans-pub-grill-grow-through-franchising-2703155" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sobelmans</a> was at an all-time high. So he decided to capitalize on the brand&rsquo;s position as an innovative leader and break into the franchising industry.

Today, Sobelmans boasts three corporate locations and two franchisee-owned restaurants that are officially open for business. And its sights are set on continued growth in 2017&mdash;the brand is partnering with local owners at a rapid rate. But it&rsquo;s more than top quality burgers and Bloody Mary&rsquo;s that makes Sobelmans stand out. Entrepreneurs are investing in the brand&rsquo;s system because it provides them with the opportunity to be creative, which is rare in a traditionally structured industry.&nbsp;

That&rsquo;s because Sobelmans doesn&rsquo;t open up restaurants in generic or traditional locations. The brand specifically looks for older, historic buildings with their own stories and backgrounds when launching a new unit. In the same way that a classic car grabs your attention, Sobelmans is sure to stand out from the crowd and draw consumers in.

&ldquo;We aren&rsquo;t your typical, cookie cutter franchise. By opening up all of our restaurants in old, historic buildings that have their own character, our franchisees are able to take the Sobelmans&rsquo; model and make it their own.&rdquo; said Sobelman. &ldquo;Similar to the uniqueness of a classic car, owning a Sobelmans franchise is a cool and different type of business venture for entrepreneurs. The 1950 Ford truck looks nothing like a &rsquo;57 Chevy, &rsquo;65 Mustang or &rsquo;73 Buick convertible, but we understand that they&rsquo;re all classic cars and all belong under one umbrella in a classic car show. The same thing can be compared to the growth of Sobelmans. Some of our buildings will be in cream city brick structures or 100-year-old wooden buildings while others might be in an old warehouse or old colonial home. But they&rsquo;ll all be old, unique and fun, and add to the Sobelmans dining experience.&rdquo;

That initiative to open up locations in old, historic buildings is already proving to be successful as Sobelmans builds its franchising opportunity. The brand&rsquo;s first franchisees, Jimmy and Alison Dakolias, have shown that the brand&rsquo;s unique approach to expansion works. Just two weeks after opening up their Waukesha location, the restaurant was already bringing in record sales. And with hundreds of burgers and Bloody Mary&rsquo;s still being made in their restaurant every day, it&rsquo;s clear that customers are coming back for more.

The couple says it&rsquo;s no accident that they experienced success right off the bat. By working closely with Sobelman, they received unrivaled training and support that has made all the difference.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Dave and his wife Melanie have been incredibly supportive throughout the entire franchising process, which has absolutely been instrumental in our success. They&rsquo;ve created a system that&rsquo;s simple for business owners and attractive to customers. That&rsquo;s ultimately what has helped us get our restaurant off the ground&rdquo; said Jimmy. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no way that we would be able to report record sales without their help. We couldn&rsquo;t have imagined a better grand opening, and we&rsquo;re confident that business will continue to boom.&rdquo;

In addition to placing an emphasis on its overall dining experience, Sobelmans goes above and beyond to play an active role in the local communities it calls home. From its corporately owned locations to franchise restaurants, the brand is committed to supporting other local businesses. As an example, Sobelmans only uses local microbrews and is currently in the process of switching its house vodka to a Wisconsin owned and distilled label. The brand is also incredibly involved in charity initiatives that give back to members of the local community. One organization that&rsquo;s especially prominent in Sobelmans&rsquo; charitable efforts is the ALS Association. But the brand&rsquo;s franchisees have the ability to support any and all causes that are meaningful to them, ultimately opening up the door for its owners to make a positive impact on people&rsquo;s lives.

&ldquo;We not only cater to the locals&rsquo; pallets, but we also cater to their pocketbooks by integrating ourselves with our communities. We also encourage all of our franchisees to do the same,&rdquo; said Sobelman. &ldquo;The fun of the brand is not only enjoying the burgers, the local microbrews, the Bloody Mary&rsquo;s and the cheeseballs, but it&rsquo;s also in the anticipation of getting there and living the experience that each 100-year-old building is bringing to the table, along with its d&eacute;cor. From our Waukesha restaurant that&rsquo;s located in an old livery to our other historic locations, each Sobelmans location comes with its own personality and character.&rdquo;

Going into the second quarter of the year, Sobelmans is planning to fuel its expansion efforts by targeting Wisconsin and Northern Illinois for development. As the brand continues to build its franchising system, Sobelman wants to make himself available to his franchisees so that he can guide them through the grand opening process.

That hands-on support is another benefit that comes with being a part of Sobelmans&rsquo; growing network of franchisees. Not only is Sobelman there to lend a helping hand every step of the way, local owners also have the opportunity to tap into the growth potential of an increasingly popular industry. Sobelman is also able to assist his franchisees in finding historic locations to open up in&mdash;he&rsquo;s consistently offered buildings that are for sale, and has even worked with Mayors, City Managers and the managers of BID districts across Wisconsin. That means he already has solid leads on historic buildings for sale, and can steer owners in the right direction when finding the site for their Sobelmans restaurant. And with an initial investment that can start as low as $276,500, the brand makes its one of a kind business ownership opportunity affordable to both experienced franchisees and first time owners. That initial investment then has the potential to lead to impressive annual sales&mdash;right now, Sobelmans&rsquo; franchisees are performing exceptionally well and experiencing record breaking sales.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve created a system that&rsquo;s attractive to all kinds of business owners. Whether you&rsquo;re a veteran franchisee that&rsquo;s looking for one unique brand to add to your portfolio or someone looking to break into the restaurant industry for the first time with the backing of a proven system, we&rsquo;re here to help you realize your full potential as an owner,&rdquo; said Sobelman. &ldquo;Joining Sobelmans&rsquo; franchising system is unlike any other business ownership opportunity in the industry. We create a full experience for our customers, from our historic buildings to our menu items. Looking forward to dining in a Sobelmans Pub &amp; Grill should be as important to the experience as the burgers, Bloody Mary&rsquo;s, cold local microbrews or cheeseballs. That&rsquo;s what keeps customers coming back, and we&rsquo;re confident that trend will continue in new communities as we expand.&rdquo;

How Rejecting the Cookie Cutter Model Has Helped Sobelmans Pub & Grill Grow Through Franchising

1851 Franchise

Like a classic car that has character, the brand provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to be a part of something completely unique.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

how-rejecting-the-cookie-cutter-model-has-helped-sobelmans-pub-grill-grow-through-franchising

Lindora

Celebrating the Nurse Behind the Mission: How Melinda Endricks Is Powering Lindora’s Growth and Impact Nationwide

celebrating-the-nurse-behind-the-mission-how-melinda-endricks-is-powering-lindoras-growth-and-impact-nationwide

Sola Salons

Sola Salons Targets Chicago for Strategic Franchise Growth

sola-salons-targets-chicago-for-strategic-franchise-growth

Melting Pot

Photo of Melting Pot white chocolate fondue

How Melting Pot Franchisees Drive Year-Round Success Through Strategic Promotions and Local Marketing

melting-pot-franchise-year-round-success

Crust Pizza Co.

Crust Pizza Co. - Technology Piece - CTO Nick Fontenot - May 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Crust Pizza Co. Builds the Future of Franchising With Tech-First Strategy

crust-pizza-co-technology-nick-fontenot-cto

Paris Baguette

Paris Baguette’s Recipe for Expansion: Leadership, Community and A Vision for 1,000 Cafés by 2030

paris-baguettes-recipe-for-expansion-leadership-community-and-a-vision-for-1000-cafes-by-2030

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

Restaurant Business: Crumbl Cools Its Expansion, Refocuses on Profitability

restaurant-business-crumbl-cools-its-expansion-refocuses-on-profitability

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 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

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

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

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: Building Your Brand’s Growth Machine

ultimate-guide-to-selling-franchises

How Rejecting the Cookie Cutter Model Has Helped Sobelmans Pub & Grill Grow Through Franchising

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS