How This Busboy Surpassed His Childhood Dreams by Investing in a Village Inn Franchise

Danny Lehan knew what he wanted from a very young age. At only 16 years old, as he worked hard cleaning tables, he told his parents he would own a Village Inn one day. His love for people and his confidence in the brand kept him invested all this time, and his dream of owning his own Village Inn has been surpassed; Lehan is now the owner of nine Village Inn franchise locations in Florida.

1851 Franchise spoke to Lehan about his franchising journey with Village Inn.

PROFILE QUESTIONS

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you? 

Lehan: I started out with Village Inn in August 1990 as a busboy. I worked my way up. I was a busboy for about two years. Then I became a dishwasher, then a server, then a manager. I moved away from the restaurant, and I started being a general manager of other locations. When I was 16, I told my parents I’d own it someday. On August 1, 2011, I bought a franchise and took over my current restaurant.

When I joined the company, I absolutely loved it. I was the guy that had the job and the car, and I was able to drive my friends because of the work I got from Village Inn. I fell in love with the brand, food and people. I just went forward from there.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Lehan: I had no perceptions, but I learned very quickly. Just be prepared that it's not always a downward slide. Success always looks like a knot. It's a challenge every day: a lot of success, a lot of ups and downs, but the ups always make up for the downs.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

This is my first and only job. I never left. it's what I know. I’m very proficient. I understand it. I love people. I think that’s the secret of my success: my love of people and serving them.
 

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

We are building our ninth restaurant, which will open the second week of November hopefully. We are going to reimage with BBQ Holdings. We are changing the almost 70-year-old brand and refreshing it, making sure it’s relevant. 

We have been very blessed. Locations come to us. We take a look at any opportunities that are available.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

This is my first and only job. You never see that nowadays. People jump ship. It has been 33 years, and I'm still in love with the brand. The brand is something that is active in the community. It is something that you feel just besides eating and drinking. It's something that we have great passion for. Everyday people can feel and touch the brand; it’s accessible.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Don’t give up. If there’s a wall, we always say “build a door.” Don't give up. Keep chasing it. You’ll see a lot of doors begin to open. What continually happens in our organization specifically is that success creates more success and opportunity. It continues to compound with the growth. We moved quickly to nine stores safely, and that's because the success and opportunity presented itself. When it knocks, we always answer.

About Village Inn

Village Inn first opened its doors in 1958 and has become an admired comfort food staple nationwide. Now, over 60 years later, Village Inn continues to expand and improve its offerings. The store design has recently been refreshed to offer a warm, welcoming and modern atmosphere for customers to enjoy made-from-scratch pancakes and pies. Village Inn’s pie business is legendary and its boozy brunches are gaining popularity. Now, with plans for nationwide expansion, it is the perfect time to join the Village Inn family with a franchise of your own. 

About BBQ Holdings 

BBQ Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BBQ) is a national restaurant company engaged in franchising, ownership and operation of casual and fast dining restaurants. As of March 14, 2022, BBQ Holdings had multiple brands with over 100 company-owned locations and over 200 franchised locations, including ghost kitchens operating out of the kitchen of another restaurant location or shared kitchen space. While BBQ Holdings continues to diversify its ownership in the restaurant community, it was founded with the principle of combining the “art and science” of barbecue to serve up the very best of the best to barbecue lovers everywhere. Along with a wide variety of BBQ favorites served at their BBQ restaurants, BBQ Holdings also operates Granite City Food and Brewery restaurants, which offer award-winning craft beer and a made-from-scratch, chef driven menu featuring contemporary American cuisine. Village Inn and Bakers Square add a legendary family dining element to BBQ Holdings, with these concepts specializing in breakfast and pies. Tahoe Joe’s is known for their pellet-broiler cooked and smoked infused steak.