1851

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dolan-9b6a1773/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=the-great-franchisee-michael-dolan-mighty-quinns-barbecue-new-york-2715423" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><u>Michael Dolan</u></a> spent 13 years as an equity trader on Wall Street, but throughout that career, he says he was “always looking for something more entrepreneurial.” In 2019, Dolan found the perfect opportunity to fulfill his dream of business ownership with <a href="https://1851franchise.com/mightyquinnsbbq"><u>Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue</u></a>, the fast-growing New York City-based franchise that introduced authentic barbecue experiences to urban, fast-casual settings. Dolan signed on to open four locations with <a href="https://www.mightyquinnsfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=the-great-franchisee-michael-dolan-mighty-quinns-barbecue-new-york-2715423" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><u>Mighty Quinn’s</u></a>, the first of which is set to open later this summer at 108-22 Queens Boulevard.&nbsp;</p><h4>1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?</h4><p>Michael Dolan: I graduated from college in 2004 and moved to New York City to start working on Wall Street in trade equity. I did that for about 13 years, but I was always looking for something more entrepreneurial. Something I could call my own with a little more freedom.&nbsp;</p><h4>1851: How did you initially find out about franchising, and what was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchise owner?</h4><p>Dolan: I’m essentially the first entrepreneur in my family. Most of my family members work in the corporate world, but I want to pave the way for future generations. So, when I started looking into being an entrepreneur, I first turned to franchising. I looked into the restaurant franchise space, particularly something that was high protein-based. Something that was lean, healthy but also chef-inspired. I looked at a ton of different concepts and ran each through a checklist.&nbsp;</p><p>I looked at a few brands outside of New York, including ones based on the West Coast that want to come to New York, but it wouldn’t have worked. Mighty Quinn’s essentially checked all of my boxes. They wanted to expand within the tri-state area, and take their equity and transplant it into places like Queens. Getting on the ground floor was pretty exciting too. I’m their second franchisee. Additionally, they are able to structure the business in multiple different ways — a small space in a high-density area or a larger space. All this, plus their product being high-protein based excited me.</p><h4>1851: Why did you pick Mighty Quinn’s<i>?</i> What excited you most about the brand’s potential?</h4><p>Dolan: I was living in the East Village when the first Mighty Quinn’s opened there in 2012. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but had no idea they were franchising. A few years later when I was well into my search for a restaurant franchise, a colleague told me they were going to check out the Mighty Quinn’s in New Jersey. I went with them and learned more about the product and business opportunities. Then in 2019, I&nbsp; ended up signing with Mighty Quinn’s for four units. I still plan on opening up multiple locations.&nbsp;</p><p>As soon as I signed on, I quit my job and focused on this full-time. This was all pre-COVID-19. Initially, I thought I would open in Nassau County where I live. I spent the first three to four months searching for a site with the Mighty Quinn’s corporate team. We looked at markets where Mighty Quinn’s may fit and then we looked at foot-based traffic. We decided Forest Hills was the perfect spot. We found a location on Austin Street and went through about six months of negotiations when COVID hit. Everything was put on the back burner. I ended up abandoning that spot, but I found a great alternative at 108-22 Queens Boulevard.&nbsp;</p><p>The corporate support through all this has been fantastic. I was very nervous when COVID-19 hit. They could have pressured me, but they didn’t. The entire lease deal is favorable. I would have opened up this past fall, but the pandemic was still a problem and it would have been tough. Our hope is to open in August or September of 2021.</p><h4>1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?</h4><p>Dolan: Barbecue as a concept is pretty underrepresented in Queens and Forest Hills. I think from a food-concept standpoint, people will be very happy with the high-quality barbeque coming to town. The growth of fast-casual restaurants has accelerated within the past five years. With Mighty Quinn’s you’re guaranteed to have a cool vibe. You’re not sitting in a glorified Chipotle. This is chic.</p><p>I signed a contract for four units and mapped out all four for Queens. Depending on the sales ramp of the first location, I’ll open my second location in maybe six to nine months.</p><h4>1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?</h4><p>Dolan: I guess there’s a little bit of luck with everything. Find a brand that you can get behind and then support your business with the right people.</p><h4>1851: What do you do in your personal time?</h4><p>Dolan: I grew up in Massachusetts. I am the youngest of seven kids. But New York is now my home. When I moved to New York after college, I met my wife, Paula. She was born in Queens and moved to Garden City, Long Island in Nassau County. After our first child was born, we decided we wanted to move to the suburbs, and Garden City seemed like the right place. Her family is there, and one of my siblings is there. It’s close to Manhattan and Queens, but it’s not as fast-paced as living in the city. My wife, Paula, was born in Queens and is a native New Yorker.&nbsp;</p><h4>ABOUT MIGHTY QUINN'S BBQ:</h4><p>Mighty Quinn’s is the first authentic barbeque experience in a fast-casual setting and winner of the 2013 Zagat award for best new restaurant in New York. Defining Urban BBQ, its barbeque is the merging of two great barbeque traditions: Texas and the Carolinas. It brings together the best of both and creates something uniquely its own. The process begins with the best all-natural meats and poultry, seasoned with perfect spice blends and then smoked with wood for many hours until the perfect harmony of smoke, flavor and time emerges. As a brand, Mighty Quinn’s was first introduced in 2011, when co-founder and Pitmaster Hugh Mangum smoked brisket and pulled pork out of a mobile smoker hitched to his pickup truck in Williamsburg (Brooklyn). Deciding to expand beyond the mobile offering, which regularly resulted in a 40-person line that continued to grow until Mangum ran out of product, Mangum joined forces with his stepbrother, Micha Magid, and Micha’s brother-in-law, Christos Gourmos, to open the first brick-and-mortar Mighty Quinn’s restaurant in the East Village. Since the brand’s inception, the three partners have opened nine corporate-owned locations, a restaurant at Yankee Stadium, two locations in Madison Square Garden and one international franchised restaurant. Now, with strong operations and a growing fan base, the brand is excited to push growth forward through franchising.</p>

The Great Franchisee: Michael Dolan, Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue, New York

1851 Franchise

The former Wall Street equity trader is achieving his dream of business ownership — four times over — with the NYC-based BBQ franchise.

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

the-great-franchisee-michael-dolan-mighty-quinns-barbecue-new-york

Paris Baguette Canada

Photo of exterior of a Paris Baguette location

How Much Can I Make as a Paris Baguette Franchisee?

paris-baguette-franchise-disclosure-document-analysis

Busy Bee Jumpers

Busy Bee Jumpers: Where Proven Success Meets People-First Franchising

busy-bee-jumpers-franchise-culture-success

busy-bee-jumpers-consumer-positioning-image-kids-jumping-bounce-house

Delivering Fun With a Smile: How Busy Bee Jumpers Earns 5-Star Raves From Families Across New England

busy-bee-jumpers-party-rentals

busy-bee-jumpers-franchise-positioning-image

Bouncing Into Business: How Busy Bee Jumpers Is Building the First National Bounce House Franchise

franchise-opportunity-busy-bee-jumpers-franchise

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Photo of exterior of Layne's Chicken Fingers restaurant

Layne’s Franchisees Capitalize on First-To-Market Advantage in Chicken Finger Frenzy

laynes-franchise-first-mover-advantage

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

Homebuyers Keep Buying — And That’s Good News for Home Service Franchises - 1851 Franchise

Homebuyers Keep Buying — And That’s Good News for Home Service Franchises

homebuyers-keep-buying-and-thats-good-news-for-home-service-franchises

AI Could Push Unemployment to 20% — Fueling a Surge in First-Time Franchise Buyers - 1851 Franchise

AI Could Push Unemployment to 20% — Fueling a Surge in First-Time Franchise Buyers

ai-unemployment-impact-white-collar-job-loss

How To Sell Just One Franchise: What You’ll Learn at FranCamp NJ 2025

how-to-sell-just-one-franchise-what-youll-learn-at-francamp-nj-2025

House Passes Tax Relief Package With Key Benefits for Small Businesses and Franchises

house-passes-small-business-tax-relief-bill-2025

McDonald’s To Hire 375,000 Workers as It Prepares for Major U.S. Expansion

mcdonalds-to-hire-375000-workers-as-it-prepares-for-major-us-expansion

franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Brianna and Matt Fitchett, Seniors Helping Seniors logo

Nonprofit Leaders to Bring Seniors Helping Seniors® Franchise to East Bay, California

nonprofit-leaders-to-bring-seniors-helping-seniors-franchise-to-east-bay-california

franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Abid Khan and Paris Baguette logo

Longtime Tim Horton’s Franchisee Signs 4-Unit Agreement with Paris Baguette in Toronto

longtime-tim-hortons-franchisee-signs-4-unit-agreement-with-paris-baguette-in-toronto

franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Melissa & Matt Johnson and Pigtails & Crewcuts logo

Building a Family-Friendly Business: How Melissa and Matt Johnson Grew Pigtails & Crewcuts in San Antonio

how-melissa-and-matt-johnson-grew-pigtails-crewcuts-in-san-antonio

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Steve & Mia Kim & Paris Baguette logo

After Falling in Love with Paris Baguette, This North Carolina Couple Decided To Open One of Their Own

paris-baguette-franchise-charlotte-nc

The Top 20 Handyman Franchises To Invest in for 2025

top-handyman-franchises-to-invest-in

How Car Sales Taught Buddy's Home Furnishings’ Mitchell Lee the Secrets of Franchise Development

how-car-sales-taught-buddys-home-furnishings-mitchell-lee-the-secrets-of-franchise-development

The Top 20 Cleaning Franchises to Invest in for 2025

top-cleaning-franchises-to-invest-in

Affordable Franchise Opportunities: Exploring Low-Cost Home Service Franchises Under $50K

affordable-franchise-opportunities-exploring-low-cost-home-service-franchises-under-50k

The Great Franchisee: Michael Dolan, Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue, New York

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS