Growing a Franchise
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Stacked Pickle team member John Kaufman continues to succeed with the brand in new markets as Stacked Pickle opens its first location in Dayton, Ohio.
Having worked in the bar and restaurant industry since the age of 19, John Kaufman is no stranger to serving up quality customer service. Having taken ownership of the Stacked Pickle Downtown IUPUI (Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis) location in Indianapolis back in August 2018, Kaufman has seen great success with the brand.
In May 2019, just nine months after taking over his first location, Kaufman played an integral role in the opening of a new Stacked Pickle in Dayton, Ohio—the brand’s first in the market. Situated right near the Dayton Mall, this location is double the size of the IUPUI restaurant and two to three times the size of most other locations across the Stacked Pickle system, with a capacity of 240 guests.
“Over the years I have worked with many restaurant and bar brands,” said Kaufman. “I started my career as a server and bartender for restaurants like Bennigan’s and TGI Fridays, ultimately working my way up through the ranks to a general manager position. Eventually, I expanded out into more of the nightclub scene, managing a Howl at the Moon in the Indianapolis market before finding Stacked Pickle and returning to fast-casual dining.”
While operating two restaurant locations simultaneously can be challenging in and of itself, Kaufman noted that Indianapolis and Dayton are two very different markets, each offering their own unique opportunities.
“Being near the Dayton Mall has been great,” said Kaufman. “We are located at a massive intersection and knowing that we can seat up to 240 guests at any time is a big edge for us versus the local competition. For the Indianapolis location, we are downtown right near IUPUI as well as a local hospital, which allows us to generate a great crowd on a daily basis.”
Kaufman noted that each of Stacked Pickle’s locations allows for various deals, from lunchtime specials to delivery partnerships, based on their local markets. This helps to drive traffic at strategic points in the day.
“Lunchtime is huge for us at the IUPUI location right now,” said Kaufman. In the summer we usually see a slight drop-off for customers, but this year it has grown more and more each week. In addition, we have seen success rolling out third-party delivery through partners including GrubHub, DoorDash and Uber Eats.”
With Stacked Pickle being the perfect spot to catch game days or just a quick meal, happy hour specials are another way in which Stacked Pickle attracts local residents to its restaurants.
“Happy hours are always a good opportunity for us to provide some great deals to local residents and attract new customers,” said Kaufman. “Both Indiana and Ohio have different liquor laws, so at our Dayton location, we have the ability to run specials at different times throughout the day. At the Indianapolis IUPUI location, we run happy hours from open to close.”
Having vast experience within the restaurant and bar industries has allowed Kaufman to continue growing sales at each of the two locations, although he took care to note that his fellow Stacked Pickle team members been extremely supportive throughout.
“These are some of the best people I have ever worked with,” said Kaufman. “There are at least seven to 10 people I can call at any time to ask for advice or assistance on something and they will pick up every single time. Everyone within the Stacked Pickle family is willing to dive right in and help out and it’s truly appreciated.”
For those looking to open a Stacked Pickle franchise of their own, Kaufman offered some advice.
“Overall it is a low-cost investment compared to a lot of other companies out there,” said Kaufman. “The reward in opening a Stacked Pickle is that it really does not take long to get your investment back as long as you are dedicated to the business. That’s the biggest piece of advice I can give to any new or potential owners. You need to be dedicated, as there is a lot of hard work involved, but if you are up to the challenge, then you will always have support every step of the way.”
The start-up costs for a Stacked Pickle franchise range from $425,550 to $939,850, with a franchise fee of $40,000. To learn more about franchising opportunities with Stacked Pickle, visit https://buildthepickle.com/.
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About the Author
Nick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.
