1851

Dave and Sandy Rollins are well-known business owners in the small town of Howard Lake, Minnesota. Soon, they will also be the town’s first fast-food franchise owners.In May, the Rollins will open their&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/awrestaurants">A&amp;W</a>, the iconic, century-old American-Food franchise&nbsp; — and the very first quick-service restaurant in Howard Lake — at 620 Dutch Lake Drive.1851 Franchise:&nbsp;What did you do before franchising?Dave Rollins: I’m originally from Ohio, and my wife and I moved to Minnesota 20 years ago because my brother and his kids are all here. We wanted to be around the lakes and raise our own kids here. I went to school to be a pastor and worked at a few churches, followed by working in a lumber yard and in a supply chain role. However, for the last six years, we have owned a combined coffee shop and gas station in town, The Pit Stop.&nbsp;1851: How did you perform your research/due diligence?Rollins: I hired a business planner to help us get organized. Also, our oldest son has been instrumental in helping us run our current businesses. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t be in the successful position we are now to start another business venture.1851: What made you say "yes" to A&amp;W?&nbsp;Rollins: I didn't want to open a restaurant that's everywhere. For example, Subways are everywhere —&nbsp; I wanted to open a restaurant that you can’t find in every town and city. Our town of 2,000 people is just too small for large franchises to consider building here. Looking at larger franchise opportunities, you’re also looking at larger, more expensive investments. A&amp;W just made sense physically and financially for us and our town.1851: What could have scared you away?&nbsp;Rollins:&nbsp;We might have been scared away from franchising if the initial investment had been out of our budget. We will be the only food franchise in the town —&nbsp; it’s not like we are being scared away from major competitors at this time. We are ready to get up and running as soon as possible.1851: What makes you stand out as a unique business owner in the local community?Rollins: It’s a small town, and everybody knows everybody. We are lucky to have great customers and a supportive community. Our name is well-known around town for our services at the gas station, coffee shop and auto shop. We will definitely be unique in terms of being the only fast food restaurant available. Between the restaurant and the coffee shop, the community will know we have a place for them to gather and enjoy food and company.1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?&nbsp;Rollins: We want to create a space where community members and visitors have a place to eat good food, drink coffee and relax. We want to provide the residents of our town with a restaurant that is close by.&nbsp;1851: What do you do in your personal time?Rollins: Outside of running my businesses, my biggest hobbies are fishing and boating, and I enjoy spending time with my family. My wife and I have been married for 37 years, and we have two sons and a daughter. They’ve helped with our business ventures from the start, so we’re together a lot of the time.&nbsp; I also love spending time with my four grandchildren.1851: What is the one thing about your story that you want us to know?Rollins: Over the past decade, there have been a lot of changes in my personal and professional life. In 2011, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. After two years of treatment, surgeries, and three years of recovery, I’m glad to say I’m a cancer survivor. Another cool story is that our gas station sold a million-dollar lottery ticket in 2017. That was a cool experience being in the spotlight and having all the major media outlets come out to cover the story.

The Winning Franchisee | Cancer Survivor Sells Million-Dollar Lottery Ticket and Opens Howard Lake's First-Ever Fast-Food Restaurant with A&W

1851 Franchise

Dave and Sandy Rollins are branching out from the gas station they’ve owned for six years to introduce the iconic franchise brand to Howard Lake.

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-winning-franchisee-cancer-survivor-sells-million-dollar-lottery-ticket-and-opens-howard-lakes-first-ever-fast-food-restaurant-with-aw

New U Women's Clinic & Aesthetics

image of New U Women’s Clinic & Aesthetics employees and franchise

How New U Is Redefining Women’s Health, Offering a Scalable Franchise Opportunity as the Next Big Category Creator in the $21 Billion Med Spa Industry

womens-health-wellness-franchise-new-u

image of New U Women’s Clinic & Aesthetics Founder and CEO Dr. Rachel Fidino

The Void in Women’s Health, Solved By a Two Time Cancer Survivor: How New U Built Care that Didn’t Exist and is Eying National Franchise Expansion

new-u-womens-clinic-consumer-positioning

SweatHouz

SweatHouz Expansion - Tribeca Opening and 12 NYC Franchise Units - 1851 Franchise

SweatHouz Franchise Expands Into New York City With 12-Unit Development Agreement Across Manhattan and Brooklyn

sweathouz-new-york-tribeca-expansion

DoodyCalls

How This Family Built a Fast-Growing DoodyCalls Business in Greensboro, North Carolina

families-in-franchising-robert-thomas-doodycalls-greensboro

Sparkle Squad Window Cleaning Services

Sparkle Squad Franchise - Ryan Fraser - Franchisee Feature - 1851 Franchise

Commercial Real Estate Veteran Leverages Commercial Work To Grow Sparkle Squad Franchise

sparkle-squad-franchise-new-jersey-ryan-fraser

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

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

Hardee's Franchise - ARC Burger Lawsuit - 1851 Franchise

Hardee’s Lawsuit Targets Franchisee as 77 Restaurants Prepare to Shut Down

hardees-franchise-closures-arc-burger-lawsuit

Domino's Franchise - North Pole - Dec 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Domino’s Pizza Brings Delivery Cheer to North Pole, Alaska

dominos-pizza-franchise-north-pole-alaska

California Pizza Kitchen’s Sale Is the Latest in the Era of PE-Backed Turnarounds in Franchising

california-pizza-kitchens-sale-is-the-latest-in-the-era-of-pe-backed-turnarounds-in-franchising

Buying a fitness franchise, people exercising

Boutique vs. Big Box Gym Franchises: Which Offers Best ROI in the $7 Billion Fitness Market?

buy-fitness-franchise-boutique-big-box-comparison

Pieology Pizza Enters Chapter 11 Following Costly Bid To Save Struggling Stores

pieology-pizza-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Eli Cohen, Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

C5 Restaurants Grows its Texas Footprint with 40 Layne’s Chicken Fingers Locations Planned Statewide

eli-cohen-laynes-chicken-fingers-texas

image of stephen westerman and matthew westerman, owners Fort Walton Beach Two men and a junk truck

Twin Brothers Move From Managers to Owners with New TWO MEN AND A JUNK TRUCK Franchise on the Gulf Coast

twin-brothers-two-men-and-a-junk-truck-fort-walton-beach

image of Danielle Pointer from Kidstrong  South Utah County child development franchise

Stay-at-Home Mom Returns To Work by Bringing KidStrong to Utah County

kidstrong-utah-county-danielle-pointer

Families in Franchising - Erik Andersen and Rikki Forgwe - TWO MEN AND A TRUCK - 1851 Franchise

After 25 Years in the Courtroom, This Lawyer Chose TWO MEN AND A TRUCK to Build a Family Franchise Legacy

families-in-franchising-erik-andersen-rikki-forgwe-two-men-and-a-truck

Do You Qualify? A Look at the Chick-fil-A Franchise Requirements

do-you-qualify-a-look-at-the-chick-fil-a-franchise-requirements

The Top 15 Pet Supplies and Retail Franchises for 2025

the-top-15-pet-supplies-and-retail-franchises

Scenthound Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

scenthound-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Ellianos Coffee Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

ellianos-coffee-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

AI-related job cuts, October U.S. job cuts, American job cut record

AI-Fueled Layoffs Reshape the U.S. Job Market — And Highlight Franchising’s Resilience

ai-job-cuts-franchising-path-forward

Sparkle Dog Care Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

The Winning Franchisee | Cancer Survivor Sells Million-Dollar Lottery Ticket and Opens Howard Lake's First-Ever Fast-Food Restaurant with A&W

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS