1851

In 2005, Ben Miller opened the first <a href="http://www.benspretzelsfranchising.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=profiles-in-franchise-development-scott-a-jones-of-bens-soft-pretzels-2707855" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Ben&rsquo;s Soft Pretzels</a> in a farmers market in South Bend, Indiana. The Amish-inspired recipe was a hit, and before long Miller was wholesaling his pretzels for local grocery stores and retailers. That shift was just the first step in a rapid growth trajectory that soon saw Ben&rsquo;s Soft Pretzels opening multiple brick-and-mortar locations throughout Indiana and eventually turning to franchising to open locations in markets across the country.

Spearheading that growth has been Miller&rsquo;s friend and business partner Scott Jones, Co-Founder and CEO of Ben&rsquo;s Soft Pretzels. We asked Jones why the business turned to franchising and what he loves about the model. Here&rsquo;s what he had to say.

When did Ben&rsquo;s Soft Pretzels decide to franchise?

In 2007, we wrote the Ben&rsquo;s Soft Pretzels business plan, which was based around building our first 1000 units. We now fondly refer to that time as the beginning of our World Pretzel Domination plan. We knew that to get there, we would have to franchise our business. &nbsp;We had no idea what that would entail, and we didn&rsquo;t know the first thing about franchising. We started really investigating franchising in 2010, and then after doing due diligence, we hired an attorney and got to work setting up all of the necessary components to franchise. We were legally able to sell our first franchise on March 31, 2013, and we sold one of our corporate stores to a franchisee that would later open another five units.

What do you love about franchising?

My favorite thing is the transparency in the industry and the collaboration between franchisors. There is a lot of support in the franchise community and you can get help for just about any concern or obstacle.

Is there anything you wish you could change about the industry?

I&rsquo;m not sure there is much I would change if I could. I&rsquo;m sure there are some imperfect things about every industry. There is something I wish more people understood, which is the nature of the franchisor-franchisee relationship. There&rsquo;s a misunderstanding, I think, by the general public that the franchisor and franchisee are one and the same. The understanding that these are small businesses with individual risk-takers does not always come through. This, of course, leads to the misunderstanding on joint-employer issues we&rsquo;re seeing now. &nbsp;Finding a way to bridge the understanding gap in the general public is key. So that&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;d like to see evolve.

What&rsquo;s the biggest change you&rsquo;ve noticed in franchising since you started out in the industry?

This ties back to the issue of the franchisor-franchisee relationship. While it seems that much of the general public sees franchisors and franchisees as one and the same, the governing bodies, who should know better, almost all have the same perspective. The biggest change I have seen has been the industry&rsquo;s response to that issue. I think the industry had a major wake-up call, and our verbiage had to change, our approach to training had to change, and we created dialogue around defining our relationship status with our franchisees. That dialogue may not have been comforting for some people who are new to the industry since it was almost anti-relational, but it&rsquo;s important.

What makes a great franchisee?

For Ben&rsquo;s Soft Pretzels, we recognize that people who spend time in their business, follows the KPIs, are willing to try, willing to put in the hours, and who stay positive are the greatest franchisees. Usually, they are creating great environments to work in that are not clouded with confusion. They are setting expectations and helping staff meet them. They work smart, but also hard. They care and are compassionate for those around them. The two big rules in our business that define great franchisees is that they never compromise on delivering 1) excellent service and 2) and excellent product. 

What&rsquo;s the number-one thing that sells franchises?

The number-one thing that sells franchises is the realization of opportunity. &nbsp;I know that most people will say, &ldquo;profitable stores,&rdquo; and while there is a lot of weight to that, I think we all are seeking something greater in life than just profit. We all want to work towards something. If it was just money, then we could go work for any employer. Opportunity is a different animal. It allows us to hope and dream, and it allows us a vision.

Profiles in Franchise Development: Scott A. Jones of Ben’s Soft Pretzels

1851 Franchise

The pretzel chain’s founder and CEO on why he turned to franchising to grow the brand.

profiles-in-franchise-development-scott-a-jones-of-bens-soft-pretzels

Layne's Chicken Fingers

image of laynes chicken finger restaurant with 4 hands holding cups in the air to celebrate 

 Layne’s Chicken Fingers Crosses Mid-Year Mark With 11 New Restaurants Opened, Including the First Time the Brand has Seen Two Openings on the Same Day on July 14

laynes-chicken-franchise-growth-2025

HomeTeam Inspection Service

image of an employee from home team checking an outlet with an ipad

HomeTeam Inspection Service Franchise Owners Diversify Income With Multi-Service Model

hometeam-inspection-service-revenue-streams

Right at Home

image of jennifer selden right at home franchisee for a webinar with nick powills

Right at Home Franchise Owner Jennifer Selden To Share Franchise Journey, Sparked by Personal Care Experiences

jennifer-selden-right-at-home-franchise-journey-webinar

Paris Baguette Canada

image of a paris baguette bakery cafe latte with delicious food, croissants, and pastries

What Paris Baguette Franchisees Have To Say About Their Experiences

paris-baguette-franchise-canada-eric-chang

image of right at home franchisee gregory brewer for a webinar with nick powills

Gregory Brewer To Share 20-Year Franchise Journey With Right at Home in Upcoming Webinar

gregory-brewer-right-at-home-franchise-winston-salem-webinar

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 Development Website Builder

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

AI Is Reshaping Franchising: $100 Billion Valuations and Hyper-Localized Advertising

ai-is-reshaping-franchising-100-billion-valuations-and-hyper-localized-advertising

Mega Franchisee Sizzling Platter Acquired by Bain Capital

mega-franchisee-sizzling-platter-acquired-by-bain-capital

Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down - Breaking News - 1851 Franchise

Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down Amid Challenges, Leaving Franchisees Facing Uncertainty

wendys-ceo-transition-kirk-tanner-franchisee-uncertainty

"Come in, We're OPEN" sign against abstract background

Small Business Optimism Dips, Raising Concerns for Franchise Owners

small-business-optimism-dips-raising-concerns-for-franchise-owners

Photo of Roof Scientist truck and trailer

Roof Scientist Expands Into Northern Indianapolis as Entrepreneur Dale Speckman Launches New Business in Fishers

roof-scientist-expands-into-northern-indianapolis

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Kelsey McManemin — Vice President of Marketing, HTeaO

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-kelsey-mcmanemin-vice-president-of-marketing-hteao

Plante Moran: Trusted Financial Advisors to More Than 180 Franchise Brands Nationwide

plante-moran-trusted-financial-advisors-to-more-than-180-franchise-brands-nationwide

Mike Revak - Chief Business Officer - Sky Zone - Franchise Marketing Leaders - 1851 Franchise

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Mike Revak — President and Chief Business Officer, Sky Zone

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-mike-revak-chief-business-officer-sky-zone

Coffee & Analytics graphic with photo of Nick Powills

Franchise Growth Is Messy. Lead Gen Is Uncomfortable. Let’s Fix It.

franchise-lead-generation-insights

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores

hooters-franchise-model-company-owned-closures

Blending Tech, Hospitality and Health Care: How Three Women From Different Worlds Came Together to Build a Paris Baguette Franchise

Profiles in Franchise Development: Scott A. Jones of Ben’s Soft Pretzels

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS