Veterans in Franchising: Bryan Atwood

As a young college attendee at MSU-Mankato, Bryan Atwood remembers Toppers Pizza* being synonymous with a “good time.” But what he didn’t know was how he could take his love for comradery and turn it into a business.

Like many young college attendees, Atwood wasn’t sure what career path he should pursue. However, relentless research proved to be successful for Atwood when he ultimately decided to let his incredible respect for the military guide him in choosing it as a career. When asked what influenced his choice to serve in the U.S. Army, Atwood simply stated, “I wanted to see if I could succeed.”

During his time in the service, Atwood used the military’s core values of discipline and teamwork as a guide when times were tough and found motivation in the momentum his unit created when working together to reach common goals. “It’s incredible the things you can get done by staying focused and having the people next to you working just as hard as you are. Much of the military wasn’t fun, but the camaraderie is something I’ll cherish forever,” he said.

As Atwood moved on from military service and searched for his next professional challenge, the core values of discipline and teamwork stayed with him. That’s what ultimately led him to couple his military mindset with the nostalgia he felt for his time at MSU-Mankato. So, he chose to “keep the good times rollin’” by opening a Toppers Pizza franchise.

1851: What is it about Toppers Pizza that attracted you to the brand?

Atwood: My wife, Erin, and I loved Toppers when we were attending college at MSU-Mankato. When I look back, I recall Toppers Pizza being at every party and you knew the crew was always having a good time. Once Erin and I saw a franchising advertisement for Toppers Pizza it instantly brought back great memories, so we thought it was worth checking out. What sold us on investing in Toppers Pizza was the passion for the brand and its relentlessness for taking care of the customer. Toppers isn’t just another Goliath throwing stores everywhere. They want the right people who share the same values and can grow our culture.

1851: How did your military service prepare you for franchising?

Atwood: As a Sergeant in the Army you’re required to manage teams, be very organized and task-oriented. Each one of these traits is required to run a business. Opening a new business is also exhausting work, but worth it when you see the team come together and when you know they are having a good time doing the work.

1851: What advice would you give to veterans who are looking to get into franchising?

Atwood: Utilize your resources! There are multiple lenders willing to work with veterans and perks you can take advantage of through the Small Business Administration. I would start by looking up your local SBDC - Small Business Development Center - for help building a business plan and to make sure you’re paying attention to the right things. Many franchises are happy to accept a fee and give you a chance, but you’ve got to make sure the business makes sense and is something you actually care about.

1851: What does franchising mean to you?

Atwood: Franchising allows people to open a new business but also benefit from the success that brand already has. If my wife and I just opened “Bryan & Erin’s Pizza,” we definitely would have had a rough start. Partnering with Toppers Pizza gave us the opportunity to run our own business while building on the successes the franchise already had. The help Toppers Pizza provided me through this entire process cannot be understated.

1851: What would you like to achieve in franchising within the next 5 years? In 10?

Atwood: For now, my wife Erin and I plan to focus on making our first store run well and provide excellent customer service. If we can continue that, we would look into opening another location or two over the coming years