Young Ones to Watch: Zac Deem, Hungry Howie’s Franchise Owner

Zac Deem is clearly goal-driven. The 33-year-old entrepreneur crushed college by all accounts, earning an accounting degree from the University of Central Arkansas, a Master’s degree in accountancy shortly thereafter, and then topped it all off with a doctorate law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. 

After receiving his J.D., Deem went on to work for telecom companies in the Fortune 500 world, his main focus on financial planning. While working full-time, Deem was also studying for his CPA exam and became a certified public account in 2011. Despite his myriad career accomplishments, Deem’s life-long goal was always to own his own business.

When Deem eventually decided it was time to go into business for himself, he knew Hungry Howie’s was how he was going to do it. 

Every time Deem visited Florida, he’d frequent the same Hungry Howie’s location. This coupled with his father’s minority stake in another Hungry Howie’s location in the state made Deem confident in the fact he was the right person to bring the brand to Arkansas. In February 2019, Deem became a Hungry Howie’s Pizza & Subs franchise owner in Little Rock, Arkansas. 

1851 caught up with Deem to get the low-down on why he left the accounting world to pursue a career in the franchising industry—and why he went with Hungry Howie’s specifically. Deem also shared his advice for others in the industry and who he looks to for inspiration. 

1851: What initially drew you to franchising? 

Deem: I wanted to do something I was passionate about. At first, I was looking at starting my own brewery; however, I realized that wasn’t going to work out. So, I started looking at getting into something that had to do with my second passion—pizza. I did have some background in the pizza industry as I worked at a pizza place in college as an assistant manager. I also had a lot of experience in the corporate world, but none really in the culinary world, so that’s why I decided to go the franchising route. It provided me the flexibility of owning my own business, while also giving me a good head start from an operational and support standpoint that I could leverage. 

1851: Where do you see the most opportunity in franchising and why are you excited about the future of the industry?

Deem: I think the opportunity in franchising is that it gives someone who may hold a diverse set of skills, but isn’t necessarily an expert in something they are passionate about, an opportunity to get into the business. And for someone who does have those skills, franchising gives them an affordable opportunity to get into the business, all while providing a proven method. 

The industry as a whole, I think, is pretty much how it always has been, meaning it gives people opportunities they may not have had otherwise. The franchising industry honestly helps people’s dreams come true. While it is an investment and a risk, you at least have a support system and a community to help you when needed. 

1851: What advice do you have for other young up-and-comers in the space? 

Deem: Don’t take it lightheartedly. I think some young people, and probably even myself included, think that because it’s a franchise, it’s going to be a little easier. However, that is not the case—you own your business and everything that comes with it. It’s up to you to get people through the door and to make those sales. If you’re afraid to put the work in, then franchising is not for you. 

1851: What advice would you give your younger self? 

Deem: I would say it kind of piggy-backs off of what I would tell other young franchisees. For me, it was eye-opening to actually see how much work goes into owning your own business. Each aspect is very time-consuming, especially if you want to be a multi-unit operator. I thought that once I got the first store up and running that I was going to be working on store No. 2. But, that was not the case—franchisees are much more involved than I originally expected. 

1851: Who is someone you look to for inspiration?

Deem: I look to my dad. He is actually a minority partner in my Hungry Howie’s store. He was the only one in his family of five that went to college. He worked really hard to establish himself as a well-respected executive in the telecom industry. I draw a lot of leadership, inspiration and guidance from him.