From Blockbuster to Building Futures: Brothers Celebrate 5 Years with Houston Center and 20 Years With Sylvan Learning

When Jano and Chris Pittner transitioned from long careers at Blockbuster Video into the world of education, they were looking for something more meaningful. With a father who spent nearly 50 years as a math teacher, they felt a strong connection to academic support — and Sylvan Learning proved to be the right fit.

Now, after 20 years with Sylvan Learning and with seven successful locations under their belt, the brothers are celebrating the fifth anniversary of their Houston location, a center that has become a cornerstone for local families seeking personalized academic help. Throughout their journey, the Pittners have focused on surrounding themselves with strong directors and certified teachers, creating a team that puts student growth and family connection at the center of everything they do. 

Their approach — from maintaining a two-director model for better communication with families to offering scholarships for students in need — reflects their belief that education should be accessible and effective. Over the years, they’ve seen parents walk in with tears of frustration and leave months later with tears of joy as their children re-engage with learning.

As the demand for supplemental education continues to grow, the Pittners remain committed to Sylvan Learning’s mission and their local community, helping students succeed both inside and outside the classroom.

1851 Franchise spoke to Chris Pittner about his and Jano’s journey with Sylvan Learning and the five-year milestone of their Houston center. Here’s what he had to say: 

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Chris Pittner: Both Jano and I were with Blockbuster Video for a long time. When we left, we were looking for something more meaningful. Our dad was a math teacher for almost 50 years, so that was our connection to education. I started working for Sylvan corporate originally. When they began divesting some of their centers, we bought six of them and started opening more. At one point, we had 13 locations across Dallas, Central Texas and Houston, but we eventually decided to keep it smaller and focus on Houston.

1851: Tell me about what you think has made your locations so successful? What has growth looked like over the years?

Pittner: I think the reason we've done well across all our centers is that we're very careful in who we select. Hiring is a constant process for us — not because we always have openings, but because we're very specific about who we bring on. We have great directors who are highly engaged, care about kids and have strong educational backgrounds. A lot goes well when you focus on people first, and our strength is finding good people and keeping them for a long time.

1851: What do you think sets Sylvan apart from other tutoring franchises in the community?

Pittner: It’s funny you ask that — we just hired two directors who previously worked at a competitor. Sylvan does a lot better from an academic standpoint. It’s more technologically advanced, the results are stronger, and yet it still maintains a personal connection between the student and the teacher. That balance is rare.

Other brands don’t always have certified teachers or leverage technology as effectively. Sylvan really offers the best of both worlds: a strong academic program with a personal touch. The people we’ve hired from other brands often notice that right away. They’re impressed by what Sylvan has in place. I think that’s why parents consistently have a good experience — because it’s good people delivering an exceptional product.

1851: Are there any special things about your center staff that you’d like to highlight?

Pittner: We focus on a two-director model. Not all brands do that, and not all Sylvan franchisees do either, but we believe it's important. One director can't always be there every day, so having two provides better coverage and convenience for families. It also helps us connect more effectively — one director might relate better to a particular parent or student.

More than anything, we see this not just as education but as customer service. We work to engage parents in meaningful ways. Of course, we focus on the kids too, but that parent connection is stronger because of our directors and our focus on service.

1851: How do you believe Sylvan has helped kids in your area?

Pittner: A lot of times, kids come to us and we literally have parents in our offices crying tears of sorrow. They're at their wit's end and not sure what to do. Then, a few months later, they're crying tears of joy. We've seen that several times — because they've got their kid back. He's no longer withdrawn, he's more engaged, and he likes school. We often refer to that as a "Sylvan Moment," and we've seen many of them in our centers.

It's not just that. I think a lot of Sylvan franchisees do a great job reaching out to families who can’t typically afford Sylvan through institutional contracts. We do a lot of work with the Boys and Girls Clubs and reach students who normally wouldn't be able to attend Sylvan.

In our centers, we also offer needs-based scholarships for some students, because we believe education is for everyone. I think that’s part of what makes us a little different.

1851: What have been some of the most significant milestones in your journey?

Pittner: When we opened our first center, it was a learning experience. It was more challenging than we expected, but very rewarding. The first brand-new center we opened — rather than acquired — was our Cypress location. It was difficult, but it went really well and has always been a strong center for us.

We've also acquired other franchises and, without changing the people, just put new processes in place and focused on key areas. Those centers went from struggling to high-volume. It doesn’t always work out that way, but if you're engaged with your team every day, a lot of success can happen.

It's hard to pick just one best experience. It's always nice to see your team grow and go on to other things. We've had employees go on to do some pretty incredible things — some are even working for Sylvan corporate now.

1851: What do you think the future holds for the Houston location, as well as all of your Sylvan locations?

Pittner: Education is becoming more relevant with each passing year. We do a lot of interviewing and talk to many teachers, and a lot of them are leaving the school system because, as they often say, it's just not the same anymore. There's a lot of truth to that.

The need for supplemental education is only going to grow. I think there’s going to be continued growth for us, which is good, but it also reflects the broader challenges in the national education system. From that perspective, Sylvan is going to remain very relevant to families for a long time.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?

Pittner: If you're looking to be a franchise owner in the education space, it's not a difficult decision when it comes to the brand. There are a lot of options. But I believe Sylvan is different because we take a more holistic approach.

My advice would be to really get to know the brands. Don’t just look at it from a dollars and cents standpoint. Look at the level of support you’ll receive and the quality of the product. When times get tough, it’s the quality of the product that keeps families engaged — and tough times will happen.

Take your time, do your due diligence. But if you do that, I’d be surprised if you find a brand that provides better education than Sylvan. It’s the best — because of the technology, the quality teachers and the high standards. That would be my advice.

ABOUT SYLVAN LEARNING

With more than 45 years of experience and more than 710 points of presence, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. Sylvan is transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvan’s proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync™ technology on the iPad® for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan also leads the way with Sylvan EDGE — STEM and accelerated courses and Sylvan Prep — college and test prep courses. Sylvan supports families through every stage of the academic journey.  For more information, visit www.SylvanLearning.com.

ABOUT UNLEASHED BRANDS

Unleashed Brands currently includes portfolio brands Urban Air, The Little Gym, Sylvan Learning, Snapology, XP League, Class 101, Premier Martial Arts and Water Wings Swim School. The platform was founded to curate and grow a portfolio of the most innovative and profitable franchise brands that help kids learn, play, and grow. Over the last 10 years, the team at Unleashed Brands has built a proven platform for scaling businesses focused on serving families. Its mission is to impact the lives of every child by providing fun, engaging, and inspiring experiences that help them reach their full potential. For more information, visit UnleashedBrands.com.