Swing for Singles and Doubles, Not Home Runs: How FAT Brands CEO Andy Wiederhorn Approaches Business With Intention

Andy Wiederhorn, CEO of FAT Brands, made his first restaurant acquisition in 2003. At the time, Fatburger had only 40 restaurants; now, FAT Brands has grown to include 2,300 restaurants across 17 brands and 40 countries. Wiederhorn appeared on the Chief Executive Podcast and offered a master class on using a customer-focused mindset to scale corporate culture during periods of exponential growth.

There is a common thread of intention and care throughout all of Wiederhorn’s stories. “Always try to hit singles and doubles. Don’t try to hit home runs; the home runs will come on their own when you get the right shot,” he said.

In 2021, FAT Brands acquired Global Franchise Group for $442.5 million, tripling FAT Brands’ number of units and revenue. Merging such a wide number of people, brands and cultures can be a lot to handle, but Wiederhorn said he focused more on the end goal rather than trying to micromanage. “I run our business on a results-driven basis,” he explained.

As growth continued, Wiederhorn realized that “It’s just really hard to be an operator of restaurants and be the franchisor at the same time.”

With this, he worked to shift FAT Brands’ focus away from taking on both corporate and franchise locations to focusing primarily on franchising.

This, in turn, allowed the company to put focused energy into taking on franchisees’ needs and providing the resources and support necessary for them to succeed. After living through both the recession of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic, Wiederhorn said it was incredibly clear to him just how much a concrete plan and support system is necessary for restaurant owners in times like these. Customer service is a pinnacle of FAT Brands’ approach.

“When we look at our business today, it’s about the guest experience or the customer experience,” Wiederhorn said.

To the franchisee, any person entering a restaurant is the customer. However, a similar approach applies at FAT Brands corporate; franchisees are considered to be customers of the company. Wiederhorn encourages his team to remember who their customers are and do what they can to provide great customer service. A franchisee pays royalties partially for the sake of this support.

Intentional growth also penetrates FAT Brands’ coaching and relationship strategies. When working with a franchisee, a corporate team member must be acutely aware of the franchisee’s situation; being a good coach means knowing the people you aim to support and giving advice that makes sense for them.

As FAT Brands expands, Wiederhorn remains focused on maintaining relationships through mergers and acquisition periods. Ensuring that employees feel like they are a valued part of the brand and team is often critical to the success of a business. Many employees love what they do and are excited to come to work, but a feeling of exclusion or lack of appreciation can decrease this drive. Building and maintaining relationships with employees, outside of only work-related issues, is a great way to strengthen a team.

“It’s really foundationally about having that connection with your employees on all levels,” Wiederhorn explained. “You can’t learn anything by talking. You’ve got to listen. Getting feedback from your team members is critical, and they have to feel like if they need to say something, they can say it without being criticized somehow.”

Taking thorough feedback and established relationships into account also allows leaders — both at restaurants and within the corporate team— to focus on ways they can make a difference in the now.

Oftentimes, this comes in the form of thoughtfulness, flexibility and preparation. Allowing team members to express their ideas, work together to develop plans and identify clear goals and outcomes is what continues to drive success.

In many cases, business development and execution truly does rely on the effort of multiple individuals; carefully creating both a company culture and interpersonal expectation of intentionality, flexibility and consideration allows all members of the team to work together toward a common goal. Swinging for those singles and doubles, and letting the home runs come naturally, allows the time and space for intentional growth.

ABOUT FAT BRANDS:

FAT Brands, Inc operates as a leading global franchising company that strategically acquires, markets, and develops fast casual, quick-service, casual dining, and polished casual dining concepts around the world. The Company currently owns 17 restaurant brands: Round Table Pizza, Fatburger, Marble Slab Creamery, Johnny Rockets, Fazoli’s, Twin Peaks, Great American Cookies, Hot Dog on a Stick, Buffalo’s Cafe & Express, Hurricane Grill & Wings, Pretzelmaker, Elevation Burger, Native Grill & Wings, Yalla Mediterranean and Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses