The 8 | July 20, 2018

1. Frantastic: It’s a word that brands can’t avoid — “millennials.” Now the largest U.S. Labor force, millennials have somewhat of a bad reputation in the eyes of the employers who are hiring them because they’re automatically associated with things like selfies and avocado toast. However, hiring millennials can be a Frantastic move when taken seriously. The things that they’re looking for in a job have changed — in addition to a competitive salary, millennials are looking to be a part of a company that hears them and has created a genuine, positive culture. Until brands are able to find the balance between what millennials want and what older generations are used to, they’ll continue to struggle.

2. Franlebrity: We kicked off a new issue on 1851 this week highlighting franchises who are winning when it comes to operations. That’s why our latest Franlebrity — and cover star — is Jeff Bonner, the COO behind Culver’s. Bonner told 1851 that in order for brands to improve their operations, they need to streamline processes while staying true to founding principles. He said, “Over the years, practicing a commitment to these shared values has led to thriving relationships between Culver’s and our owner-operators.”

3. Frash Money: For Penn Station East Coast Subs, strong operations come down to closely analyzing profit-and-loss sheets. In order to help its franchisees make Frash Money, the brand works closely with store owners and managers. Penn Station’s VP of operations, Lance Vaught, told 1851, “All franchisees submit P&L sheets on a monthly basis so we can analyze that and hone in on areas where we can help them. We also look at balance sheets for every restaurant on a semi-annual basis.”

4. Frant of the Week: When companies have job openings, they obviously set out to find a top performer to take on the role. But how are those top performers found? According to No Limit Agency* CEO Nick Powills, finding giants is more difficult than it sounds. In his latest Frant, Powills details how hiring for his agency began with recruiting someone from a big agency that in the end, didn’t work out. The lesson Powills learned is that top performers should be top performers in every situation — regardless of where they come from. Check out his column to learn more.

5. Franch Forward: Last week, we mentioned some of the recent reasons that Papa John’s has been having trouble Franching Forward. And this week, that story is continuing to unfold. The pizza chain announced that it’s removing John Schnatter, the founder and former CEO of Papa John’s, from all of its advertising and marketing efforts. The decision comes after it became known that Schnatter used a racial slur during a conference call in May. However, Schnatter is now saying that resigning from his role was a mistake. In a letter to the board of directors, he accused the board of requesting his resignation without “apparently doing any investigation.” He also said that his use of a racial slur was taken out of context.

6. Fran Funny: What did the ocean say to the shore? Nothing, it just waved.

7. Franspiration: “Operations needs to make sure that Development is asking the right questions and providing the right expectations to make sure they are finding the right matches.” - Paul Pickett, Chief Development Officer of Wild Birds Unlimited*, on why development and operations teams need to work closely together.

8. Franemies vs. Frands: Franchise brands are being forced to decide whether no-poach agreements are their Franemies or their Frands. Early last week, attorneys general from 10 states and Washington, D.C. announced that they were investigating no-poach agreements that some foodservice franchise brands have included in their franchisee contracts. These no-switching clauses prevent workers from moving from one franchise location to another. Now, seven of the chains under investigation — Arby’s, McDonald’s, Carl’s Jr., Jimmy John’s, Auntie Anne’s, Buffalo Wild Wings and Cinnabon — have pledged to strip no-poach clauses from their existing contracts with franchisees nationwide.