Everybody in franchising says it’s all about franchisee profitability – but not many brands live up to those words. For restaurant franchise concepts, strong unit-level economics is the most fundamental way to help ensure your brand succeeds. We’ve invested in a philosophy that’s driven by EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which […]
In the franchising world, food still reigns supreme. Almost a quarter of the 1,023 companies that applied for this year’s Franchise 500 were food-based franchises, and half of the companies that ranked in the top 10 were quick-service restaurants. Some of the oldest and largest franchises in the world are food-based, and new ones arrive […]
East Coast Wings + Grill founder and CEO Sam Ballas is a man of many talents. Before becoming CEO of the successful concept, he worked in everything from investment banking to estate planning, with various careers in real estate. Although he worked for many years in these different verticals, he’s also spent his entire life […]
Mike Burkhart spent 10 years as a vacuum cleaner salesman in North Carolina, where he went door-to-door and worked off referrals. As the economic landscape began to slump before the 2008 recession, Mike questioned his commission-based job and started to think about a new line of work. “I thought if I could work in a […]
When it comes to restaurant franchise investments, expansion is at the forefront of many owners’ minds. Franchising is, in many ways, a business model built for multi-unit ownership. You identify a concept that aligns with your investment objectives, values and passions – and you work with the brand to develop new markets and grow. But […]
Keeping it Hot without Compromising Flavor All too often, spicing up a dish usually means toning down its flavor. This presents a unique challenge for restaurants specializing in piquant foods. More often than not, these restaurants take the easy way out and make concessions with their flavor in favor of heat intensity. Guests unwilling to […]
We are passionate about helping our franchisees succeed for a simple, symbiotic reason: If their first East Coast Wings + Grill restaurant succeeds, they will be more likely to open more. Their success means greater profitability for them and greater brand presence and awareness for all of us. Among the many efforts we make to […]
Every franchisor wants to see each franchisee succeed, but set this vague objective without having a clear strategy to make it reality. Supplementing each franchise owner’s passion and hard work, East Coast Wings + Grill takes a data-driven approach to each franchisee’s success and growth. Specifically, two of the attributes we keep a close eye […]
The reason we skipped holding the East Coast Wings + Grill conference, which would have featured presentations, guest speakers and camaraderie, is simple: We are passionate about seeing our franchisees succeed. In lieu of the conference in 2017, we chose to focus on improving the way each franchisee operates his or her restaurant to make […]
