Mr. Mac’s Taps into SMB Franchise Advisors’ Expertise to Launch What’s Now a Rapidly Growing Franchise Concept

When Mr. Mac’s first opened its doors for business, it was evident that they had tapped into something special. By focusing on macaroni and cheese and creating a unique environment that was welcoming to its guests, the brand started experiencing a level of success that it never could have envisioned. That’s why the leadership team behind Mr. Mac’s—including co-founder Patrick Cain—started brainstorming ways to capitalize on its momentum.

After realizing that demand for its concept was rapidly climbing, the brand found itself at a crossroads. It could either continue growing with corporate stores, or it could launch a business ownership opportunity through franchising. After weighing its options for three years, Mr. Mac’s opted to franchise. And according to Cain, they haven’t looked back.

“When it came down to deciding whether we wanted to open up another corporate location or expand through franchising, it became clear that it would behoove us to go the franchise route. And we haven’t regretted it since—making that investment in our brand has made all the difference in our growth efforts,” said Cain.

But launching a franchise concept isn’t as easy as it may sound. That’s why they turned to the experts—SMB Franchise Advisors—for help. After meeting SMB’s founder, Steve Beagelman, at a franchising conference in New York, Cain knew that they were the ones to turn to if they ever decided to make the leap.

“Steve really inspired us to franchise. We had been talking about it for three years before we officially pulled the trigger in 2015. But after doing some research online and seeing what the SMB team was able to do for other brands, we knew that it was the right opportunity for us. To tell you the truth, it just clicked,” said Cain. “We initially signed on to jump start our journey to becoming a fully operating franchise. But now, we consider them to be members of the Mr. Mac’s team.”

SMB Franchise Advisors started with Mr. Mac’s from square one. From putting together the strategic terms to include in the brand’s Franchise Disclosure Document, or FDD, to creating training and operations manuals, the SMB team has guided Mr. Mac’s through every step towards becoming a franchise concept. And now that the brand has officially launched its first franchise location—with more franchisees interested in investing—SMB is still working with Mr. Mac’s to ensure that its system is operating the way that it should.

“Every member of the SMB team has been invaluable throughout the entire franchising process. Not only are they always available when we need help, but they’ve taken us by the hand and explained the entire business model to us from beginning to end. And even now, after opening up our first franchise, they’re still holding our hand whenever we come up against things that we haven’t seen before,” Cain said. “We couldn’t be happier with the work that we’ve done together with SMB, and we’re looking forward to continuing our relationship with them as we add more locations to our system.”

Today, Mr. Mac’s has three units that are currently open for business, with a franchisee committed to launching another restaurant. And as more local owners sign on board to open up their own units, SMB is committed to seeing the brand’s development process through. Whether it’s preparing the necessary legal documents needed to franchise to setting training standards and validation programs for franchisees, SMB goes above and beyond to ensure that its clients are able to successfully get their business ownership opportunities off the ground.

“Our mission is simple: we want to help entrepreneurs like Patrick take their business concepts to the next level. Franchising offers brands the unique opportunity to grow with the help of passionate, local experts, and it’s incredibly rewarding to help make those connections a reality,” said Beagelman. “We’re looking forward to seeing what’s next for Mr. Mac’s as it continues to expand in the Northeast and beyond. We’re just as invested in their success as their corporate team members are, and we’re committed to playing our part in making their expansion goals a reality.”