Every year, when the Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise community gathers for its annual conference, the competition to take home the brand’s top honor becomes tougher. Earning the title of “Franchisee of the Year” is no easy feat—the brand’s system is stacked with top performers and passionate local business owners. That’s why 1851 Publisher Nick Powills sat down with Buffalo Wings & Rings CEO, Nader Masadeh, at this year’s conference in Clearwater, Florida to learn more about the qualities that the brand’s best franchisees all have in common.

According to Masadeh, there are a few things that Buffalo Wings & Rings’ corporate leadership team evaluates when selecting the annual Franchisee of the Year. And when a local owner checks off all of those boxes, they go home with the title.

Masadeh said, “What do they do best? What does it mean to us? How well are they doing? We have a set of criteria—do they live our culture? Do they live our values? Are they executing the system well? Do they believe in the brand?” He then continued to explain that one of the most important questions that the brand asks when selecting its top franchisee of the year is also one of the most expected. “Are they challenging us? Sometimes we mistake those franchisees that challenge the corporate office as renegades, where in turn those guys are only trying to make the system better.”

Mike Weyer and Ann Bennett, the owners and operators behind two successful restaurants in Jasper and Bedford, Indiana, were the recipients of this year’s top award. The Franchisees of the Year have been a part of the Buffalo Wings & Rings system since 2008.

Check out the article above or click here to watch Masadeh’s full interview.