Building Kidz gives Bobby Pierce (above with family) the meaningful career he yearned for after many years in high tech. The franchise’s childcare and education — for babies to school-age children — focuses on academic, emotional and social development through a curriculum that integrates performing arts. Pierce’s previous jobs included consulting and work with large companies like Facebook and Edward Jones. “While they’re great organizations, I found that helping large companies make more money felt somewhat empty at the end of the day.”

Today, he derives a wide-ranging sense of fulfillment from his 14-month-old Building Kidz franchise in New Port Richey, Fla. For instance, Pierce enjoys greeting parents and kids daily, a rewarding personal touch that transcends online and transactional businesses. “Building strong relationships and creating a family atmosphere is very important. I’m at the school almost every day and spend lots of time with the families and children. Several parents have told us that their 3-or 4-year-old is talking to them in a way they never have before after a couple of weeks with us. We know our families, celebrate their wins and feel for them when they have losses.”

Bringing People Together

Child care remains a major need for working families — and a significant expense. The national average annual price of care reached $13,184 in 2025, according to Child Care Aware of America. For Pierce, creating a welcoming, relationship-driven school helps families feel supported while their children learn and grow. Pierce’s relationship-building also involves being intentional about showing appreciation for staff and families each month. “We do extra events like Voluntary Prekindergarten Prom and Muffins with Moms. By bringing people together, we work to create our own Building Kidz family.”

The franchise’s local outreach extends to participation in holiday food drives and clothing donations. “I’ve seen kids in my school wearing clothes my kids outgrew,” Pierce says. “It’s cool to see.” As a bonus for families, his franchise offers two state-sponsored programs: Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten, which is free to any child who turns 4 by Sept. 1 and provides 540 hours of education during the school year; and School Readiness, which subsidizes childcare costs up to 100%.

A Typical Day

Entrepreneurial and civic activities keep Pierce happily on his toes. “Some days I’m at work early doing maintenance,” says the franchisee, who owns the property. “Some days I work from home focusing on business operations. A typical day, though, is usually a mix of some work at home in the morning before my kids get up.”

Then, after Pierce helps his kids get ready and go to school, he usually heads for his school, which has a staff of 15 in teaching and leadership roles (leadership employees help teachers with various activities and lunches). He helps the director, visits with parents and works on tasks to move the business forward.

“I try to be home by 5 p.m. to take my kids to activities like baseball and jiu-jitsu. After they go to bed, I often plan for the next day.” Pierce credits franchisor support as instrumental to his school’s success. “Building Kidz has handbooks, job descriptions, processes and systems that I can use. They have a full curriculum I can implement.” The corporate team and fellow franchisees provide valued sounding boards, and franchise technology tracks payments for the 200 or so parents his franchise serves. “By giving me the systems to be successful, I can focus on teachers, parents and children.”

Why He Chose Building Kidz

As Bobby Pierce weighed business opportunities, the level of difficulty involved in childcare nudged him toward Building Kidz. “I looked at opportunities to start small and build out. With childcare you can’t really start small. My school has a capacity of 108 children, and a staff of 15 to 18. That’s big and a little scary. That’s what I liked initially.”

But the deciding factor was the people at Building Kidz Worldwide. “The most important thing at this phase of my life and career is doing good work with good people. Building Kidz Worldwide is simply a bunch of good people trying to do good work.”

Learn more about the Building Kidz franchise opportunity.

PrimoHoagies, a specialty sandwich franchise, has appointed Glen Brandeburg chief operating officer. His 30-plus years of restaurant leadership experience spans corporate operations, franchise support, field leadership, executive management and multi-brand operations. Brandeburg has served in leadership roles with Yum! Brands, Heritage Partners Group and Wendy’s, where he worked alongside Angela Coppler, the new senior vice president of development at PrimoHoagies, to strengthen restaurant performance and improve franchisee economics. 

“In addition to being reunited with Angela, I am excited to design and implement disciplined systems to improve PrimoHoagies’ economic model, refine our operations playbook and to reposition our organizational structure to provide strong support to our field operations team and franchise partners,” Brandeburg said. “My engineering background has served me well over the years in helping to design and implement systems to drive operational efficiencies. Disciplined systems allow us to replicate success and ensure operational consistency as we continue to grow this brand.”

Brandeburg said PrimoHoagies differentiates itself by telling its brand story in a unique way. “We must also maintain our commitment to serving the best quality ingredients and products that no other competitor can match. This helps us deliver on our promise that ‘We’re Built Different.’”

In addition to appointing Brandeburg and Coppler, PrimoHoagies further demonstrated its commitment to growth by naming Alex Chu chief financial officer and Madalyn Weintrau vice president of marketing.

Nicholas Papanier Jr., owner, president and CEO of PrimoHoagies, said Brandeburg and his new colleagues are the ideal leaders for these roles. “Glen and Angela have already spent years proving what can happen when operations and development move together instead of independently,” Papanier said. “That shared history is incredibly valuable as we continue building PrimoHoagies. Along with Alex and Madalyn, we’ve assembled a leadership team where every function supports the next. Development brings us the right locations and the right franchisees. Finance strengthens profitability. Marketing builds customer demand. Operations ensures we consistently deliver on the promise our brand makes every day.”

Brandeburg said he is guided by his personal philosophy: Greatness is not a destination — it is a way of living. “Leadership is about having a positive impact on others,” he said. “It’s important to strive every day to have a positive impact on people and results. Every day is an opportunity for glory. Every day is an opportunity to continuously improve yourself, someone else or some tangible component of the business.”

During non-working hours, Brandeburg enjoys spending time with his family and watching hockey, auto racing and professional bull riding. 

About PrimoHoagies

Founded in 1992, PrimoHoagies is a family-owned Italian specialty deli franchise committed to authentic hoagies, premium meats and fresh ingredients.

• Local franchise marketing helps bridge the gap between national brand campaigns and customer demand in individual territories.
• Redline Fractional Marketing develops customized local franchise marketing strategies for franchisees, multi-location businesses and franchisors.
• Its franchise marketing platform combines local advertising, paid search, CRM tools, Google Profile integration, lead response and reporting.
• With clearer data and repeatable local franchise marketing tools, owners can build visibility, generate leads and support growth.

You’ve found your niche, run the numbers and invested in a buzzy brand with strong national marketing. Success should swiftly follow.

But when you open the doors, one thing that might be missing? Customers. 

That’s because strong brands don’t always translate into strong local marketing, says Michael Ganda, founder and owner of Redline Fractional Marketing.

And that’s where a local franchise marketing strategy comes into play.

“Local owners need customers and too often they are left trying to bridge the gap between a sophisticated national marketing strategy and what actually needs to happen in their individual territories,” says Ganda.

To bridge the gap, Ganda founded Redline Fractional Marketing. 

It offers custom local franchise marketing strategies for single and multi-location businesses and for franchisors looking for an effective marketing system for their network. 

Redline FM’s expertise is in home services and related industries, including restoration, mold remediation and environmental services, but has expanded its reach. 

“We learned that the local marketing problem extends well beyond home services,” says Ganda, who previously spent a dozen-plus years at Service Master, most recently as VP of marketing.

“So, we work with businesses where local market visibility, reputation and lead generation directly affect revenue.” 

What is Fractional Marketing?

For owners, having an experienced local franchise marketing team is crucial to grow and scale, but businesses also need to stay lean. 

Fractional marketing provides the ideal balance: an external outsource agency that acts like an in-house marketing team. It’s flexible and cost-efficient.

Redline FM operates as a seamless extension of a client’s team, providing executive level expertise, paid search and local advertising experts, as well as website and conversion expertise — basically the capabilities of a full in-house team — at a fraction of the cost.  

No Cookie-Cutter Solutions

The approach is holistic so there are no pre-set packages or strategies. Instead, the customer leads the direction.

“If a client has a system already, we will work within their system,” Ganda says. “However, we are often asked for a better solution.”

What helps inform their strategy comes from experience. Redline FM’s Chief Account Officer David Burbidge, a former home services franchisee, brings an owner’s viewpoint to the equation.

When it comes to local marketing, the questions owners want answered include: 

• Will this generate opportunities in my territory?
• Can I understand where my marketing dollars are going?
• Will my team be able to execute it? 
• Will it help me grow my business?

Building a Better Platform

Redline FM has developed a fully comprehensive franchise marketing platform complete with a live dashboard, active CRM, full integration with Google Profiles, paid ads and paid social, inbound call routing and response, even outbound email and text campaigns.

The platform works for five locations or 500 locations without losing the local relevance that ultimately drives customers.

The company also embraces emerging technologies –  including AI – to help capture and convert more leads. 

All tie into a single dashboard for reporting.

“Putting this all under one roof for the clients that do not have a sufficient solution allows us to maximize their results and provide real-time insights based on data rather than speculation,” says Chief Operating Officer of Agency Operations at Redline Fractional Marketing, Joe Rizzo.

The metrics help franchisees understand if their local marketing strategy is producing the desired results and the data can help franchisors see which markets are performing and where individual locations may need additional support.

Once a strategy and plan are in play, Redline Fractional Marketing continues to offer support with hands-on implementation.

“Without a platform like ours, we find businesses are often left guessing,” Rizzo says. “Franchisees should understand their numbers and participate in the strategy, but their primary responsibility should be operating and growing their business.”

‘Success Happens One Local Market at a Time’ 

A recent survey of U.S. consumers from PYMNTS Intelligence found that across generations one in three shoppers looks to see whether a business is local when choosing a merchant or service.

To capture them, a successful franchise marketing strategy should: 

• Build trust and credibility with the community
• Foster a personal connection with consumers
• Add a competitive advantage

But as Ganda points out, sometimes even the best national campaigns fail to reach those customers for one simple reason: 

“A national brand needs consistency, but a franchisee also needs to feel local,” he says. “The message that resonates with a homeowner in Cleveland may not be the same message that works in Nashville or Jacksonville.” 

If franchisees don’t have the strategy, technology, tools and support necessary to create demand in their individual territories, there is a gap between the value of the brand and the performance of the network.

Ultimately, when a franchise strategy works for an individual market, Ganda says, it can have a cascade effect on an entire franchise network.  

“When a franchisor can give those owners a repeatable system for building local visibility, generating demand, responding to leads and converting those opportunities into customers, local marketing becomes more than franchisee support — it becomes a competitive advantage for the entire franchise system.”

For more information about local franchise marketing, visit Redline Fractional Marketing.

• Ideal Siding has surpassed 100 locations across the U.S. and Canada just seven years after launching in Vancouver.
• The siding renovation franchise plans to reach nearly 200 locations and 100 franchisees within three years.
• Its low-investment model provides crew recruitment, centralized leads, marketing and operational support.
• New commercial services and a growing support center are helping fuel the brand’s North American expansion.

Ideal Siding, North America’s largest siding renovation franchise, has achieved focused growth since its founding in Vancouver just seven years ago.

From opening multiple units in Canada to its expansion into the U.S. market, Ideal Siding has parlayed a unique business model, a dedication to customer service and unparalleled franchisee support into an impressive milestone: It just surpassed 100 locations. 

Not resting on the achievement, Founder and CEO Alex Filipuk has set his sights on the next milestone: a goal to reach nearly 200 locations and 100 franchisees in the next three years. 

The brand has already awarded 11 territories and opened nine this year alone.

“From day one, our focus has been on giving franchise owners everything they need to build with confidence, from training and coaching to marketing, operations and hands-on business guidance,” says Filipuk.

“We are consistently strengthening that support as our network exceeds 100 locations, while attracting motivated, community-minded owners who raise the bar for everyone around them.”

New Owners, New Benchmark

Among Ideal Siding’s newest franchisees are James Ayo and Matthew Hammond. Ayo, who has 20-plus years leading construction projects, has opened a location in Knoxville, Tenn. Hammond brings a background in business development and operations in multiple fields to a franchise that serves Portland, Ore.

“Surpassing 100 locations comes down to partnering with the right people,” says Gareth Angell, senior director of franchise development at Ideal Siding. 

“Owners like James and Matthew bring real leadership and business experience along with a genuine commitment to their communities, and that is exactly the profile we look for.”

Flipping The Model

Filipuk launched Ideal Siding in Vancouver in 2019 to meet the growing demand for exterior renovation services.

Driven by a boom in residential construction and renovation, along with the demand for energy-efficient building materials, the siding market is expected to grow from $126 billion this year to $197 billion by 2034 according to Fortune Business Insights. 

Filipuk, who has a background in finance and computer science, set out to build a new kind of business model, one that would deliver professional project management with transparent pricing and provide better support for the people doing the work.

First proven in the Canadian market, the successful strategy quickly caught on and within three years, Ideal Siding expanded into the U.S. 

To date, Ideal Siding has completed more than 2,500 exterior renovation projects for both residential and commercial customers.

The brand now operates in six Canadian provinces and has signed agreements in 23 U.S. states, including recently completed registrations in South Dakota, Indiana and Rhode Island and pending registrations in California and Hawaii. 

That expansion along with the recently launched Commercial Support Program — which moves the brand into larger-scale projects, including multi-family developments, townhome communities and commercial buildings — is opening doors to more potential franchisees, including multi-unit franchise owners. 

“Our focus stays on finding franchise owners who share our values and are ready to build something of their own,” says Angell

Advantages of the Siding Renovation Franchise

Ideal Siding is a low starting investment model that does not require an office or warehouse, or experience in the trades.

To get up and running, leadership works with owners to help identify, recruit and manage professional siding crews in the area, providing a step-by-step strategy to build a reliable team. 

From there, an in-house design team provides custom house renderings and established marketing systems provide leads, so franchisees can start booking appointments quickly.

Ideal Siding uses a centralized call center which helps generate consistent leads and support for franchises.

Ideal Siding’s Franchise Support

One of the hallmarks of Ideal Siding’s franchise model is its unparalleled commitment to supporting its franchisees. 

As the brand continues to grow throughout North America, its support center team has grown, too, expanding more than 10 times over the last five years.

Key functions include:

• A marketing coach for local and digital marketing, campaign planning and best brand practices.
• A commercial project manager for commercial opportunities and project execution.
• A Head of Coaching to help owners grow and improve their operations. 

The efforts are succeeding: The company was awarded the 2025 James Hardie President’s Club Award for demonstrating exceptional sales volume and growth, as well as outstanding service, as rated by homeowners.

As Filipuk points out, that combination of local ownership and system-wide support is what continues to draw entrepreneurs to the brand. 

Learn more about the Ideal Siding franchise opportunity.

Jenn Johnston has been appointed chief marketing officer for The Siegel Group and Amazing Brands. Johnston, who has nearly 30 years of executive leadership experience, oversees enterprise-wide marketing strategy, brand development, customer acquisition and retention, digital engagement, customer experience, strategic partnerships and culinary innovation for both organizations. Her hiring comes amid a period of expansion that includes Amazing Brands’ acquisition of the Hot Dog on a Stick franchise from FAT Brands, where she previously served as CMO.

Johnston said she was impressed with the vision and passion for building brands shared by Stephen Siegel, founder and CEO of The Siegel Group and Amazing Brands, and Michael Crandall, the organizations’ chief business officer.

“I’m excited to join two organizations with strong entrepreneurial cultures and exceptional growth opportunities,” Johnston said. “The combination of an established national real estate platform and a rapidly expanding portfolio of restaurant brands creates a unique opportunity to build a world-class marketing organization that supports both businesses while allowing each brand to maintain its own distinct identity.”

Johnston’s experience includes leading brand transformation initiatives for restaurant concepts at FAT Brands, Global Franchise Group and NexCen Franchise Management. She has also negotiated enterprise marketing partnerships that generated value and delivered measurable improvements in profitability and franchisee success.

Crandall commended Johnston for her strategic marketing leadership, operational experience and brand-building expertise. “She understands how to build scalable marketing organizations while also developing distinctive brands. As we continue growing both companies, Jenn will play a critical role in strengthening our shared services marketing platform and supporting each organization’s long-term growth objectives,” Crandall said. 

About Amazing Brands

Amazing Brands scales restaurant and hospitality brands through strategic real estate and consumer-driven innovation. The company’s portfolio includes Pinkbox Doughnuts, Siegel’s Bagelmania, Piero’s Italian Cuisine and Hot Dog on a Stick.  

About The Siegel Group

The Siegel Group is a privately held real estate investment, development and management company that owns, acquires, develops, manages and repositions assets across multiple sectors, including multifamily, flexible-stay apartments, extended-stay hotels, boutique resorts and hotel-casinos.

Labor Day is a chance to recognize the people who keep local businesses moving.

They are the baristas who greet early customers. The technicians who restore a home after a flood. The caregivers who support older adults. The fitness coaches, restaurant managers, cleaners, receptionists and delivery drivers who show up every day. Behind many of those jobs is a local franchise owner.

Franchising is often associated with big national names. But every location is powered by people in a specific community. A franchise owner may have national training, systems and brand support behind them. Still, they hire locally, develop local talent and serve neighbors in their own backyard.

That makes Labor Day a fitting time to look at the people behind every local franchise business.

Franchising Creates Jobs

Franchise businesses are a meaningful part of the U.S. job market. The International Franchise Association’s 2026 Franchising Economic Outlook projects that franchising will support nearly 8.9 million jobs this year. It also expects franchise employment to grow by more than 150,000 jobs, or 1.8%.

That growth is happening across familiar parts of daily life:

• Restaurants and coffee shops
• Home services and restoration
• Child care and education
• Health, fitness and wellness
• Senior care
• Automotive services
• Cleaning and other business services

These are opportunities for people looking for a first paycheck, a flexible role, a management position or a long-term career. The franchise sector is also projected to reach 845,000 establishments in 2026, according to the IFA report. Each new location has the potential to create work, add services and put more dollars back into the local economy.

Local Franchse Owners Make a Local Difference

A franchisee may operate under a recognizable brand, but the business is local. That owner is hiring the high school student looking for a first job. They are promoting the employee who has shown leadership. They are sponsoring a local team, supporting a fundraiser or donating services after a storm. They also understand what their community needs.

A home-services franchisee knows which neighborhoods are growing. A restaurant owner knows which local events bring in families. A senior-care operator understands the need for compassionate, dependable caregivers close to home.

Local knowledge helps franchise owners make smarter decisions about staffing, customer service and community involvement.

Good Jobs Need Room to Grow

Many franchise systems offer structured training that can help employees build skills in customer service, sales, operations, technology and team leadership. A person who starts at the front counter, in the kitchen or on a service truck may later become a supervisor, general manager or even a business owner.

The need for strong workplaces remains clear. In August, U.S. employers added 162,000 nonfarm jobs, while the unemployment rate held at 4.1%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Food services and drinking places were among the industries that added jobs.

For franchise owners, that makes employee retention and development especially important. People have choices. The businesses that listen, train well and recognize good work have a better chance of attracting and keeping talented team members.

What Strong Franchise Employers Do

According to the International Franchise Association’s Value of Franchising report, compared to non-franchised businesses, franchise employees experience faster wage growth, greater access to benefits, and stronger job stability. Part-time franchise employees are 20 percent more likely to transition into full-time roles, and employees are 3–7 percent more likely to receive benefits than those working for non-franchised businesses.

The best local franchise operators prioritize culture. They make work feel more meaningful by:

• Giving new employees clear training and support.
• Recognizing good work often, not just once a year.
• Creating realistic paths to leadership.
• Offering flexible scheduling when possible.
• Listening to employees’ ideas and concerns.
• Building a team culture based on respect.
• Connecting employees to the community they serve.

None of these steps is complicated. But together, they can make a job feel like more than a shift.

The Ripple Effect 

When a franchise location hires locally, the impact reaches beyond the business itself.

Employees spend their paychecks at nearby stores and restaurants. Franchisees work with local vendors, landlords and service providers. Customers benefit from convenient services close to home. Communities gain business owners who have a reason to invest in the places where they live and work.

The IFA projects franchise economic output will rise 1.6% to $921.4 billion in 2026. That is a major national number. But its real meaning is local: millions of individual jobs, thousands of business owners and communities strengthened one location at a time.

Corporate teams launch polished national campaigns. Meanwhile, a franchisee in Tulsa is running a Facebook ad that opens with “Stop by after you grab coffee at Sue’s down the street.” Different worlds, same brand. 

About 94% of high-performing multi-location brands have a dedicated local marketing strategy — compared to just 60% of brands whose marketing met or fell short of expectations. Local strategy isn’t a side project for the brands that grow fastest. It’s part of how they grow.

But corporate has its own problem to solve: keeping the brand consistent across hundreds of locations. Franchisees have theirs: connecting with the people in their actual neighborhood. When those two needs aren’t designed to work together, brands get mixed signals to customers, weaker brand equity, and franchisees who quietly stop using corporate materials. 

The fix is building a system where both can win.

Start with Flexible Brand Guidelines

Rigid templates are one of the fastest ways to discourage franchisee adoption of corporate marketing materials. They’ll open the file, scan it for thirty seconds, decide it won’t fly in their market and go back to whatever they were doing before.

Creating guidelines that protect what matters while giving room to adapt works better. Logos, colors, and core taglines stay consistent. But the messaging around local events, community partnerships and regional promotions should flex.

Lock down the elements that protect the brand legally and visually:

• Logo and color palette
• Core brand voice and tone
• Product or service descriptions
• Any legal disclaimers and compliance language

The following elements should remain flexible enough to reflect local communities: 

• Local events and sponsorships
• Stories about community involvement
• Highlights of services that perform well in that region
• Offers tied to the neighborhood (back-to-school, holiday parades, county fairs)

Handing franchisees a PDF of rules isn’t enough. Providing clear examples of effective local adaptation tends to produce stronger adoption.  A side-by-side of three real Facebook posts — one that nails the brand-plus-local balance, one that reads as corporate dropped it in, one that drifted too far off-brand — teaches more in 30 seconds than a 12-page guide ever will.

Build A Central Content Library

Franchisees don’t have time to create marketing materials from scratch. Most don’t have the skills either. They need ready-to-use assets they can customize quickly.

Build templates for the channels franchisees actually use:

• Social media — Pre-written posts with fill-in fields for location-specific details, plus a few alternate captions so every post in the system doesn’t look identical.
• Email — A monthly newsletter shell with national updates baked in and a section franchisees filled with local news, photos, or upcoming events.
• Paid ads — Google and Meta ad templates with swappable headlines, images, and geo-targeted copy so franchisees aren’t writing ad copy from a blank page.
• Print — Flyers, postcards and door hangers that hold up in a local promotion. A franchisee should be able to update the address, swap the offer and send it to print without calling corporate.

Where brands store this matters as much as what’s in it. A Dropbox folder labeled “Marketing Assets – FINAL v3” that nobody opens isn’t a content library — it’s a graveyard. Franchise marketing platforms, Canva team accounts or even well-organized shared drives that franchisees can actually navigate without a tutorial work better. 

Update the library regularly. Seasonal campaigns, product launches and trending topics should get added monthly. If franchisees see fresh content, they’ll keep using it.

Make Communication Go Both Ways

Most franchise messaging problems come from one-way communication. Corporate pushes materials down. Franchisees ignore them and do their own thing.

Building feedback loops that go both directions helps. When corporate launches a campaign, collecting input from franchisees about what’s working locally matters. Some markets might respond better to certain offers. Some messaging might fall flat in specific regions. 

Monthly check-ins work well for this:

1. Corporate shares upcoming campaigns and messaging priorities
2. Franchisees report what’s resonating in their markets
3. Top-performing local tactics get shared system-wide
4. Underperforming campaigns get adjusted or scrapped

Outside of the monthly call, giving franchisees a place to talk to each other in real time helps. A Slack channel, a Teams group or even a private Facebook group works — whatever tool they already use. When a franchisee in Albuquerque figures out how to fill a slow Tuesday with a parent-and-kid promo, the other ten franchisees in similar markets shouldn’t have to figure it out from scratch. 

Track And Measure Both Levels

Brands can’t improve what they don’t measure. Tracking performance at both the national and local levels shows where alignment breaks down. 

National metrics

• Brand awareness across all markets
• Consistent messaging reach
• Campaign performance averages
• Customer sentiment about the brand

Local metrics

• Individual location engagement rates
• Local SEO rankings per market
• Community event participation
• Location-specific conversion rates

Watch for the franchisees who consistently outperform the system average and figure out why. Sometimes it’s because they’ve adapted corporate campaigns in clever ways. Sometimes it’s because they’ve quietly thrown corporate materials in the trash and built their own. Either case is worth knowing about — the first one means templates are flexible enough to win, and the second means templates aren’t doing what they need to. 

If corporate campaigns bomb in specific regions, finding out why matters. Maybe the messaging doesn’t translate culturally. Maybe local competitors dominate that space. Adjusting instead of forcing it makes sense.

• Fast-growing 7 Brew, a drive-thru-only coffee shop, has submitted the top bid for 73 sites of the defunct Salad and Go chain.
• The locations are in Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas.
• The deal isn’t final. Until Sept. 17, landlords and other parties may file objections with the bankruptcy court that is liquidating Salad and Go assets.

The drive-thru coffee franchise 7 Brew has submitted the highest offer for 73 Salad and Go sites: about $143.2 million. The 73-site portfolio is made up of 41 locations in Arizona, 20 in Texas, and six each in Nevada and Oklahoma, according to court documents. The drive-thru salad chain filed for bankruptcy in early August.

A lawyer involved in the bankruptcy process said 7 Brew’s bid will cover payments to creditors of defunct Salad and Go. 

The deal isn’t final yet, QSR Magazine reported. There will be a Sept. 21 court hearing to consider the transfer of leases and contracts to 7 Brew. Landlords and other parties can object through Sept. 17, the magazine said. A lawyer for multiple landlords said objections would be filed.

Other Bidder: Dutch Bros

In a Monday auction, 7 Brew and Dutch Bros were to compete for the real estate. Dutch Bros chose not to bid over 7 Brew’s opening bid, bankruptcy court documents indicated. That leaves Dutch Bros as the backup bidder. 

7 Brew’s bid is split between two groups of Salad and Go restaurants, according to a report posted on RestaurantDive.com. Under the bid, 7 Brew will pay about $125 million for 49 of the Salad and Go locations and more than $18 million for 24 additional sites.

Fast-growing 7 Brew already has about 800 locations in 38 states, QSR Magazine said. The company opened a net of 562 shops across 2023, 2024 and 2025. It earned $1.2 billion in sales last year and posted a $2.6 million average unit volume, according to the magazine.

Dutch Bros Bid Early

In reporting about the auction this week, QSR Magazine noted that Dutch Bros early on had offered $105 million for 51 drive-thru restaurants in Arizona and Nevada, plus 14 leases in Texas and Oklahoma. The bankruptcy proceedings allowed for a higher offer to be made, however, giving 7 Brew a chance to swoop in as it did.

Dutch Bros is entitled to a $3.8 million termination fee, plus reasonable and documented expenses, if the 7 Brew transaction closes, the magazine stated, and the final portfolio could still change if leases preclude 7 Brew from operating on a certain site or sites. 

About 7 Brew

7 Brew Coffee may be the fastest-growing coffee chain in the United States, according to Placer.ai, a cloud-based analytics and intelligence platform. That source noted that the chain exploded from 14 locations in 2022 to around 500 locations by October 2025. 7 Brew’s growth has been boosted tremendously by Blackstone’s equity investment in 2024 and a 160-store franchise agreement with the multi-unit, multi-brand franchisee Flynn Group, Placer.ai said. 

Arkansas-based 7 Brew was founded in 2017.

Koala Insulation, an insulation franchise under the Empower Brands umbrella, has appointed Joel Worthington president. Worthington’s background includes more than two decades of franchise leadership experience at DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen and Neighborly. He also owned a Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids franchise and founded Joel Worthington Leadership, a consulting firm offering keynotes and workshops.

“The more I learned about Koala Insulation, Empower Brands and the opportunity in front of the brand, the more excited I became,” he said. “I saw a tremendous amount of potential — a strong concept, a growing category and a brand with significant room to expand the system and help our existing franchise owners grow profitable businesses.”

Worthington said Koala’s continued expansion hinges on combining technical execution with stronger systems, better training, smarter marketing and a focus on franchisee success. “Insulation may be the physical product we provide, but building a successful Koala business involves much more than insulation. Marketing, lead generation, sales, customer service, dispatching, recruiting, financial management, operational discipline and leadership are all critical. Those fundamentals translate across home services, and I’ve spent much of my career helping businesses improve in those areas.”

He said Empower Brands’ resources, expertise and shared services are also important to Koala’s growth. “The brain trust created by having experienced leaders from multiple brands working alongside one another is a great advantage. I can walk down the hall, pick up the phone or sit around a table with executives who have faced many of the same challenges we’re working through. We can challenge one another’s thinking, share ideas and learn from successes — and mistakes — across the portfolio. That collective knowledge allows us to move faster and make better decisions while still maintaining what makes Koala unique.”

Worthington, a former senior pastor at Waco First Assembly of God, finds that leading a franchise organization is similar to leading a congregation. “In both cases, you’re responsible for the welfare of a group of people you don’t simply command — you have to earn their trust, influence them and help them move toward a shared destination. But influence has to be earned. People first have to trust my character — that I’m ethical, disciplined, consistent, fair and that I genuinely care about them. They also have to trust my competence — that I understand how to lead, that I’m willing to learn the business deeply and that I can help create an environment where people can win.”

Scott Zide, CEO of Empower Brands, praised Worthington as a franchise leader. “His experience growing nationally recognized brands, combined with his passion for developing people and creating strong organizational cultures, makes him the ideal leader to guide Koala Insulation into its next phase of growth,” Zide said.

Beyond speaking in front of franchise organizations and leadership classes, Worthington utilizes his storytelling skills by writing songs and poetry.

About Koala Insulation

Koala Insulation provides insulation installation to residential and commercial properties. The emerging brand specializes in a full-range of insulation options, including spray foam, blown-in and blanket insulation.

When people hear the word “franchise,” they often think first of a national brand name. But behind every local franchise location is a business owner who lives in the community, hires locally, serves neighbors, supports families and builds relationships one customer at a time. That is especially true in essential service categories, where customers are looking for someone they can trust inside their homes and businesses.

At BELFOR Franchise Group, our family of brands sees this every day. We bring trusted services into communities through local entrepreneurs who understand the neighborhoods they serve. Whether responding after water damage, helping a family clear space during a major life transition or restoring the beauty of a home without the disruption of a full replacement, our franchise owners are part of the local fabric.

Local Ownership

The power of franchising lies in the balance between local ownership and national support. Franchise owners bring the personal accountability, community knowledge and entrepreneurial drive that only a local business owner can provide. At the same time, they are backed by brand systems, training, marketing support, operational resources and a broader network committed to helping them grow.

Across BELFOR Franchise Group, our franchise owners deliver services with a local touch. Essential services are personal. When customers call our brands, they are often inviting us into their homes or businesses during important moments. That is why local ownership matters so much. Trust is earned community by community.

Franchising becomes local through owners serving their neighbors every day. For 1-800 WATER DAMAGE, that means responding quickly after burst pipes, storm damage, leaks, sewage backups or flooding. Customers need reassurance and a trusted local team to help protect their property. With JUNKCO+, local impact may mean helping a family reclaim space, supporting a business cleanout or assisting during a major life transition. For N-Hance, owners help homeowners refresh cabinets and wood surfaces with less disruption than replacement. Each brand serves a different need, but all build local trust through service, relationships and care.

Entrepreneurial Community

Our franchise brands represent a wide range of services, but they all serve local needs with the support of a proven franchise system. Franchise owners create jobs. They train teams. They support local vendors. They build referral networks. They sponsor local events. They contribute to the tax base. They help customers through stressful moments and meaningful projects. Their businesses may be connected to national brands, but their impact is felt locally every day.

For many entrepreneurs, franchising also provides a pathway to business ownership they may not have pursued alone. It offers the ability to step into entrepreneurship with brand recognition, training, systems and support, while still building something of their own in their own community.

At BELFOR Franchise Group, we are proud to support franchise owners who bring essential services to communities across the country. Their work is visible in restored homes, cleaner properties, refreshed spaces, employed team members, satisfied customers and stronger local economies.

Learn more about BELFOR Franchise Group.

• Red Robin has fully closed the refranchising deals for 108 restaurants from coast to coast. The total price tag came to $89.4 million.
• Three multi-unit franchisees will operate the locations, which will retain the Red Robin branding.
• The sale of eight additional Red Robin restaurants is pending. Those restaurants will sell for $6.6 million.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. on Tuesday announced it had completed $89.4 million in refranchising deals for 108 corporate-owned restaurants. The sale of eight more Red Robin casual dining restaurants is expected to close within months for an additional $6.6 million, Yahoo reported. 

The brand has been selling corporate-owned locations to pay down its debt. In a news release, Red Robin leadership stated that the new owners will keep the franchised restaurants open under the Red Robin brand. 

Red Robin resides in the competitive U.S. burger market, which is valued at more than $200 billion, according to the market research company Ibis World. While many restaurants are struggling amid rising costs because of tariffs and inflation, Red Robin has recently posted an upswing in revenue, according to FSR Magazine, a trade publication for restaurants. Although Red Robin’s traffic declined 0.2%, FSR Magazine reported that the chain’s same-store sales climbed 1.3% in the second quarter of this year.

Red Robin’s New Franchisees

All of the new franchisees have strong experience in multi-unit restaurant operations. 

Op Burgers LLC acquired 69 restaurants in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia for $62.5 million. The sale of 61 of these restaurants, for $55.9 million, is fully complete. The sale of the eight remaining restaurants is scheduled to close by the end of the fiscal year, pending the transfer of liquor licenses; the price tag for those is $6.6 million.

The other 47 Red Robin restaurants are located in the Pacific Northwest. Evergreen Dining LLC acquired 30 restaurants based in Washington State and western Idaho for $23.5 million. Kuber Oregon LLC and Kuber Washington LLC acquired 17 restaurants based in Oregon and Washington for $10 million. 

Red Robin CEO’s Statement

Red Robin President and CEO Dave Pace said in the news release that the completion of the refranchising agreements will strengthen Red Robin’s balance sheet and set up the company “for sustainable, long-term growth.” 

Pace also praised the franchisees, saying, “Each of these seasoned operators shares our hospitality-first mindset and brings the resources needed to accelerate growth across these markets, while continuing to deliver an exceptional guest experience. Importantly, these transactions will advance our efforts to refinance our existing debt and increase our financial flexibility. We are confident these operators will be strong partners who can help each location unlock its full potential for the benefit of our guests, team members and investors.”

Founded in 1969, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. has 500-plus locations in the United States and Canada. Its headquarters are in the Denver area. 

About the New Franchise Operators

Based on information in the news release, here’s an overview of the new franchisees:

• Op Burgers is part of the portfolio of Alexandrite Management, a private investment firm focused on assisting the growth of enduring, profitable companies. Op Burgers’ management is experienced in operating franchised restaurants. 
• Evergreen Dining was created for the purpose of acquiring and running the 30 Red Robin restaurants in Washington and western Idaho. During a period approaching 30 years, its principals have operated more than 100 restaurants across multiple national brands.
• Aman Sharma, a veteran franchise operator in hospitality and food services, leads the Kuber team. Sharma has experience in multi-unit, multi-brand operations and scaling. 

• Project LeanNation uses nutrition accountability coaching to help members stay focused on long-term health and wellness goals.
• The nutrition franchise opportunity combines chef-crafted meals with coaching, education, support and community.
• Franchisees benefit from a small-footprint model with recurring memberships, grab-and-go sales and no on-site kitchen.
• Project LeanNation’s nutrition accountability coaching model gives franchise owners a purpose-driven way to support healthier communities.

For Tim Dougherty, founder and CEO of the Project LeanNation franchise, helping people get healthier is more than a business — it’s a sacred mission. “Seventy-five percent of American adults and one in five of our children are classified as overweight or obese,” he says. “This is a fight worth fighting. There has never been more information, more tools, more strategies. And yet we keep losing ground.”  

Dougherty launched the meal prep service in 2012 to empower people to improve their health, but the company offers much more than nutritious food. Expert coaching, human connection, and a sense of community are also integral to providing the support needed for long-term success. 

“Yes, we have amazing chef-crafted, dietitian-approved, nutrient-dense, high-protein, whole-food meals that are healthy and actually taste good,” he says. “But that’s not the product. The product is support. Education. Accountability. Coaching.” 

Nutrition Accountability Coaching

Why is accountability important for weight loss? A crucial part of a wellness program is an honest, accountable coaching relationship that turns information into transformation, Dougherty says.

“Direct-to-consumer companies deliver boxes. Project LeanNation delivers results because we’re everything beyond the meal,” he says. “It’s easy to put food on someone’s doorstep. It’s more important to put them in a position where it’s harder to quit on themselves — because it’s harder to quit on a person who’s invested in your success.” 

When customers stop at a Project LeanNation store to pick up their meals, they meet one-on-one with educators for nutrition accountability coaching and practical guidance. These face-to-face interactions help clients stay focused on their goals.

“Our teams are trained on a foundational framework: meet everyone with empathy and compassion. For many people, it took real courage just to walk through that front door. We deeply respect that first step,” he says. “We’ve invested in the lean consultation and consistent member follow-ups. We’ve cultivated honest relationships — our team is willing to talk openly about their own challenges with nutrition, and our members get vulnerable with us.”

Dougherty knows that there are no shortcuts to forging meaningful relationships with customers. “We show up for people. We come from a place of service. We’re consistent. We’re accountable. We’re honest,” he says. “We do the little things other people don’t do — the follow-up phone calls, the check-in before they’ve drifted, never letting a member leave without their next appointment scheduled.”  

Research supports the role of accountability in weight-loss success. A 2024 JAMA Network Open study found that participants who received coaching were more likely to lose at least 5% of their body weight than those who received no coaching, highlighting the value of human support and accountability in helping people stay on track.  

Team members celebrate clients’ wins, no matter how small, he says. “And when they fall short, we help them see past it — we teach them the next best step,” he says, “and we teach them how to manage this relationship for life,” demonstrating that tracking progress and accountability are important for weight loss.

Project LeanNation integrates technology into its processes but not at the expense of personal nutrition accountability coaching. “Data is great,” he says. “But data on its own, without the context of the long-term goal, is very hard to make meaning of. It’s the relationship — the coach, the person — that adds meaning and context to the numbers. In our view, it’s not choosing between technology or human connection. It’s technology amplified through human connection.” 

A Winning Model

The company’s business model provides multiple revenue streams for franchise partners, with recurring memberships plus grab-and-go retail sales. Because the stores have no kitchen, each location has a small footprint, reducing the real estate costs of the nutrition franchise opportunity. Franchisees can also count on structured onboarding, proactive support, and operational guidance.

The Project LeanNation system is also flexible enough to allow different styles of ownership, whether the franchisee wants to take a hands-on role or manage from a distance. 

“We’ve built and optimized a system that allows someone to create an incredible business without it taking over their life,” Dougherty says. “Here’s the thread that connects everything: the same framework we use to support our members is the same framework we use to support our franchise partners. They share the same goal — a system they can place their faith in that delivers results. Support. Education. Accountability. Technology. Coaching. We apply it to a member’s physical health, and we apply it to a partner’s financial health. We value the relationship above all, because at the end of the day, we’re not a food company. We’re a company that architects systems to help people win.”

Dougherty encourages franchise partners to focus on people and on building a healthy business and healthier communities. “At the end of the day, our product is not food. It’s the intentionality we build around the product — so that those four walls become a place people want to come for community, connection, and support. A place where they elevate their nutrition, their relationship with nutrition, their relationship with themselves— and ultimately the relationships they have with their families and communities. And what happens inside those four walls creates a purpose and meaning in our franchise partners that elevates their lives in ways they never thought possible.”

Lean more about the Project LeanNation franchise opportunity.

Ziebart, a global leader in vehicle appearance and protection services, has promoted Michelle Wells from director to vice president of marketing. Wells began her tenure at Ziebart as an intern in 2011 and rose steadily along the marketing track, covering field marketing, advertising, strategy and execution. 

“I am proud to be a part of a company that has modernized and stayed innovative over the years. As part of those efforts, we’ve grown our branding with new logos, taglines and a brand mascot. It has been amazing to see how we can adapt while still maintaining the heritage of our legacy,” Wells said. “I am excited to continue to play a part in the long-term success of the brand. I am so proud to be involved in building strategies that will keep the Ziebart name relevant for many more years to come. I look forward to continuing to serve our franchisees and work with them to grow the brand nationally and locally.”

Her background in field marketing gave her a firsthand understanding of what happens locally at the store level to grow a business. “This allows me to tailor campaigns, programs and initiatives to what works best for the operator. It is this kind of work that attracted me to marketing because I get to see the ending results of my work in how the franchisees succeed.”

She said franchisors should work toward harmony between local and national messaging to improve their marketing initiatives. “A consistent message and strong brand presence on all levels is what brings in brand loyalty.”

Beyond her work at Ziebart, Wells serves on the International Franchise Association’s Marketing and Innovation Committee, where she regularly collaborates with leaders to advance the future of franchising.

The Detroit native grew up in a family of automotive lovers and her husband also is a car enthusiast who works in the automotive industry.

Quotes from Leadership

In addition to Wells, Ziebart has also promoted Jason Theisen to senior vice president of U.S. franchise operations and Tom Bowler to vice president of U.S. retail operations. 

Thomas A. Wolfe, president and CEO of Ziebart, said these promotions reward hard work and dedication. “Jason alone has spent more than half his life with Ziebart after starting as a technician at a local store, and Tom and Michelle have each continued to learn and grow throughout their years with us. With over four decades of combined experience, the three of them show what happens when people are genuinely invested in a brand and its owners,” Wolfe said.  

Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Officer Larisa Walega said Wells, Bowler and Theisen have the franchise expertise to drive Ziebart forward. “Michelle and Jason have each chosen to master franchising. Michelle sits at the table where the future of franchising gets debated, while Jason has dedicated the last 20 years to learning what owners want and need from a corporate office,” Walega said.

About Ziebart

Founded in 1959, Ziebart International Corporation is a leader in premium automotive appearance and protection services, including rustproofing, auto detailing, paint correction and protection, window tinting and undercoating. The automotive franchise operates 400-plus locations, with more than 1,000 car dealer partners in 32 countries.

In Billings, Mont., Tom Schwab’s Fish Window Cleaning franchise is part of the local fabric. It helps local businesses look their best, supports local nonprofits, gives employees a place to grow and shows up when neighbors need help. “We try to be out there and available for the people that need our services,” Schwab says.

Schwab’s business serves a wide range of local customers, from small storefronts to car dealerships, retirement centers, hospitals and clinics. About 70% of his clients are commercial. For Schwab, clean windows are part of helping other local businesses put their best foot forward. “Our clients take pride in having clean storefronts when people walk through,” he says. “That’s the first impression.”

Schwab also believes in meeting customers where they are. If business owners are watching their budgets, he works with them to find a cleaning schedule that makes sense. “They still want their windows clean, but maybe they can’t go every week or every two weeks. So, we try to work with them.”

His neighborly spirit extends to the causes he supports. Schwab belongs to local chambers and networking groups and gives back to children’s programs, mental health nonprofits, veterans organizations, churches, breast cancer awareness efforts and other community events. “If somebody says, ‘Hey, I have this fundraiser party next week. Can you guys get my windows clean?’ We’ll figure out a way to get it done,” he says.

A Family-Family Business

Schwab invested in the Fish Window Cleaning franchise after years of wanting to own a business. His former career was in sales for a printing franchise. The hours were wearing on him, and he had two young children at home. “I was kind of hitting that burnout stage,” Schwab says.

After exploring several franchise opportunities, he found Fish Window Cleaning and connected with the brand’s culture and values. “I loved the family atmosphere,” Schwab says. “That’s what I was really looking for — how the business can be built around your family and time.”

In Sept 2010, he opened for business in a 400-square-foot office. Today, he operates from a 2,500-square-foot facility and has 14 company vehicles and 18 employees. “It’s been a fun adventure,” he says.

His son and daughter now work full time in the company and his wife, who retired after 30 years with her company, helps part time with accounting and reconciliation. “Flexibility has been one of the biggest rewards. I was able to coach my kids in travel sports and didn’t miss another Christmas concert because I had to be at work,” he says. “I like the flexibility that it gives me and my staff.”

Today, Schwab sees his role as a mentor. His team ranges in age from 18 to about 40. He knows not every employee will stay forever, but many have stayed for 5 or 10 years. “I like to offer an opportunity to get started and develop a work ethic.”

Franchisee Community

Schwab knew he could count on support from the Fish Window Cleaning franchise team, but he was pleasantly surprised by the strength of the franchisee network. When he started, neighboring franchise owners welcomed him into their meetings and openly shared advice. “I pick up many nuggets by going to the local franchisee meetings,” he says. “I really owe a lot of thanks to them.”

Now Schwab pays that support forward by helping newer franchise owners when they call with questions. “That’s the cool part,” he says. “We are all here for each other.”

Learn more about the Fish Window Cleaning franchise opportunity.

• Papa Johns is refranchising 28 corporate units in Orlando. The new owner is an existing franchise owner, Wade Oney.
• Oney formerly was chief operating officer of Papa Johns during a high-growth period for the brand.
• Like many U.S. pizzerias, Papa Johns has been struggling financially.
• Refranchising North America units is a part of Papa Johns’ turnaround plan. Last December Papa Johns refranchised 85 units in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.; it has a new partner in Mexico that took over 44 existing south-of-the-border franchises. 

Papa Johns has sold 28 corporate-owned Orlando-area restaurants to two of its franchisees, PZZA Group and Magic City Pizzerias, both of which are owned by Wade Oney. That increases Oney’s Papa Johns holdings to 120 restaurants; he had opened 10 of those units in Central and South Florida just last year, according to reports posted by RestaurantDive.com, Yahoo Finance, Nation’s Restaurant News and BusinessWire.com.

Oney has worked at pizza restaurants since 1981 and has held leadership positions at major pizza companies, including serving as chief operations officer for Papa Johns from 1995 to 2000. During the period when Oney was COO, Papa Johns grew to 2,000-plus restaurants. 

“Over my 35 years as part of the Papa Johns family, I’ve learned how the brand offers a great place to work, equips franchisees to grow and overall presents a solid investment opportunity depending on economic times and how well you operate and take care of the customer,” Oney said in a news release. “We’re excited to expand our portfolio of Papa Johns restaurants and look forward to serving even more customers in Central Florida.”

Reaction from Papa Johns Executives

John Matter, the franchise’s global chief development officer and assistant corporate secretary at Papa Johns, said Oney and his team are “a leading example to other franchise partners of operational excellence, customer service, team culture and community support.” Oney’s team has been named Papa Johns Franchisee of the Year multiple times, and he has been inducted into the Papa Johns Hall of Fame. 

Christopher Collins, Papa Johns’ interim chief financial officer and senior vice president of corporate finance, said that the Orlando units’ sale makes up part of Papa Johns’ plan to reduce corporate ownership to a mid-single-digit percentage of its North American stores, RestaurantDive.com reported Wednesday. The publication also quoted Collins as saying that “we expect these [refranchising] actions will support incremental growth opportunities and strengthen our franchise network by transitioning select restaurants to high-performing franchise partners.”

The refranchising began big-time last December when Pie Investments acquired 85 locations in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore markets. The terms of that sale also specified that Pie Investments would open 52 more locations in those markets and in Philadelphia by 2030. 

Impact on Revenue

Collins said the Orlando transaction will reduce Papa Johns’ consolidated revenue by $4 million. During the second quarter, company-owned restaurant revenue decreased by $37 million because of the 85-unit refranchising deal as well as lower overall comparable sales among its restaurants.

The brand has suffered sales declines in eight of the nine previous quarters. During the second quarter of this year, the decrease was 8.3%, RestaurantDive.com said.

Papa Johns is far from the only pizza brand on the ropes financially. Bloomberg has noted that many U.S. pizzerias are suffering because of tariffs and sluggish consumer traffic resulting from inflation. Case in point: Pizza Hut sales declines had dragged down the overall performance of umbrella restaurant franchisor Yum! Brands, which sold the brand in June. (Yum! still owns KFC, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill.)

More Turnaround Moves Expected

Papa Johns leaders have said they aim to further increase ownership by experienced franchise operators in order to shed more corporate units in North America. More than 3,000 units are located in the United States.

CEO Todd Penegor said earlier this month that “we believe that refranchising, with strategy-forward, well-capitalized, growing franchisees, strengthens the long-term health of the Papa Johns system and unlocks future growth opportunities,” according to NRN. 

In addition to refranchising, the franchise has rolled out several other initiatives as part of its turnaround plan. Those include publicizing value meals via personalized offers, enhancing customer experience, expanding marketing outreach and controlling costs.

About Papa Johns

Papa Johns has headquarters in both Louisville, Ky., and Atlanta, and it has roughly 6,000 restaurants in about 50 countries and territories. This month the brand announced it had a new franchise partner in Mexico, KM Capital, which would take over the operation of 44 existing franchised restaurants there.

Papa Johns International Inc. was founded in 1984. The brand is known for its slogan Better Ingredients, Better Pizza. Its marketing emphasizes that it uses fresh, never frozen, dough and that its meat contains no fillers. 

EverSmith Brands, a business-to-business franchise platform focused on commercial services, has appointed John Dobelbower senior vice president of growth and development. Dobelbower has extensive experience leading expansion and national account strategy at brands including PIRTEK USA and Dwyer Group (now Neighborly). He now spearheads franchise development across EverSmith’s entire portfolio, which includes Clintar, Kitchen Guard, 1-Tom-Plumber, The SEALS, Prism Specialties Restoration, MilliCare and U.S. Lawns.

“EverSmith is a portfolio of strong brands with real potential for both unit growth and enterprise-level value creation,” Dobelbower said. “Equally important is the leadership team and the vision behind the business. There’s a clear focus on building something durable and scalable.

“That means continuing to scale franchise development while also unlocking new revenue streams. There’s a real opportunity to connect the dots between brands, create synergies and give franchise owners access to opportunities they wouldn’t be able to generate on their own. That’s where a multi-brand platform can really separate itself.”

Second-Generation Franchise Leader

Dobelbower is a second-generation franchise leader who grew up immersed in franchising from an early age. He recalled listening to his father’s calls, watching deals come together and seeing how franchising creates opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Before entering franchising, Dobelbower built and scaled his own scrap metal recycling business, which gave him an appreciation for how difficult entrepreneurship can be without systems and support. “That perspective shapes how I approach this role. Everything we build has to work in the real world for the franchisee,” he said.

Justin Ghadery, EverSmith Brands CEO, praised Dobelbower’s strategic discipline and operational insight. “He understands not just how to grow, but how to grow the right way by aligning strong operators with the right opportunities and setting them up for long-term success. That mindset is critical as we continue to scale our platform,” Ghadery said. 

Dobelbower emphasized the importance of scaling with intention. “Growth for the sake of growth doesn’t create long-term value. It’s about awarding the right owners, building strong unit economics, and maintaining brand standards,” he said.

“At the same time, the best platforms are finding ways to create additional value for their franchisees, whether that’s through strategic accounts, centralized sales support or shared services that drive revenue at the unit level.”

In addition to franchising, the father of three is passionate about cars and enjoys watching college football.  

About EverSmith Brands

A portfolio company of The Riverside Company, EverSmith Brands is the owner of Clintar, Kitchen Guard, 1-Tom-Plumber, The SEALS, Prism Specialties Restoration, MilliCare and U.S. Lawns. These B2B brands have expanded with more 330 owners and 750 territories across the country.