Can You Balance Family With Multi-Unit Growth? Todd Fetter of Buffalo Wings & Rings Has Found The Recipe for Success.

Todd Fetter finds that relying on family, building a strong team and keeping your eye on a shared goals has put him on the path to success

By Nick Powills1851 Franchise Publisher

SPONSOREDUpdated 8:08AM • 04/27/16

For Buffalo Wings & Rings multi-unit owner Todd Fetter, franchising is a family affair. He owns and operates his three restaurants with the help of his wife Audra, and their five children.

His journey as a franchisee began with his first restaurant in Piqua, OH where his eldest son, Kellan, manages the restaurant. Oldest daughter Kyla pitched in on weekends, and sons Keaton and Kieran help out in the kitchen and with the audio-visual side of things. Now, some of the kids have moved on as they graduated college and the restaurants expanded, but eldest son Kellan is still actively involved, helping to manage multiple locations.

After opening in 2013, Fetter set out to expand. He partnered with former banker John Gerbus to purchase an existing restaurant in the Columbus, OH market in July 2015 and they recently opened a restaurant they built from the ground-up within view of the popular King’s Mill Amusement Park in Mason, OH.

Todd’s next restaurant will open this spring, but this time in Aberdeen, SD. Keeping franchising in the family, he’s partnered with son Kellan’s father-in-law Rich Lacher to bring the brand to a new community.

Building his business around family has created a trusted team that Fetter can rely on to further a shared vision. Todd shared with us a few keys to his multi-unit success and they include:

Stay Focused on the Big Picture

While running multiple units, Todd focuses on creating a team he can trust so he is not micro-managing. With three restaurants in three different communities (and another opening in a different state) there’s no time to be constantly looking over employees shoulders. Instead, Fetter focuses on building a strong team that allows him to look towards continued growth.

Pay Attention to Detail

It’s important to Todd’s team to provide the best experience for their customers. Therefore, his management team ensures all employees share their philosophy of never losing sight of the little things. Superior customer service, smooth operations and providing a great experience is how Fetter continues to expand his business.

Do Whatever It Takes

For Todd, growing your business means you have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and put in the work to ensure success. He is adamant about sharing goals with his team and working towards them together. He insists that multi-unit owners can never be afraid to step in when help is needed because you have to be willing to do what is needed in order to run a prosperous business.

As Fetter continues to grow with Buffalo Wings & Rings, he’s managed to balance multi-unit ownership with the help of his family and trusted team. Staying focused on a shared philosophy and goals, while resisting micro-management, has been this entrepreneur’s recipe for success.