THE
T H E M A G A Z I N E O F F R A N C H I S E B U S I N E S S S E R V I C E S | 2018 ISSUE 3
Basks in
Franchisee
Spotlight
Barbour
Top-Notch Talent:
Where to Find it and How to
Keep it Once You Do
page 22
Community Connections
and Staffing are Key to
Crushing the Competition
page 26
page 18
From all of us at McLane Foodservice, Inc,
to the BUFFALO WILD WINGS franchisees,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP!
©2018 McLane Company, Inc.
All rights reserved.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
FBS Board of Directors
Wray Hutchinson
Chairman
Mark Jones
Vice Chairman
Jenny Beaudoin
Director
James Bitzonis
Director
Brian Carmody
Director
Steve Grube
Director
Roz Mallet
Director
Larry Podlager
Director
Karim Webb
Director
Christy Williams
Executive Director
FBS Editorial Board
Kristi Keith-Hoffman
Editor-in-Chief
kristik@myfbsonline.org
Jessica Loeding
Managing Editor
jessical@myfbsonline.org
Christina Cannon
Associate Editor
christinac@myfbsonline.org
Rachel Jackson
Communications Coordinator
rachelj@myfbsonline.org
Advertising Sales
Jeff Reynolds
Director of Business Partner Relations
jeffr@myfbsonline.org
678-797-5161
Design and Layout
Kristen Thomas
KT Graphic Design
ktgraphicdesign@gmail.com
Headquarters
1701 Barrett Lakes Blvd. NW
Suite 180
Kennesaw, GA 30144
Phone: 678-797-5161
Fax: 678-797-5171
Franchise Business Services publishes The
SCORE. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, of
the contents of this publication is prohibited
without prior written consent of Franchise
Business Services. All Rights Reserved.
In keeping with our commitment to the
environment, this publication is printed
on certified, environmentally-friendly recycled
paper using eco-friendly inks.
Copyright© 2018
Printed in the U.S.A.
www.myfbsonline.org
ON THE COVER
Southern Wings One, LLC franchisee Sterling
Barbour talks about his journey as a Buffalo Wild
Wings® operator. For more, see the Franchisee
Spotlight on page 18.
COLUMNS
2
Chairman’s Column
by Wray Hutchinson, FBS Chairman
DEPARTMENTS
4
FBS Member News
12
Recognitions
13
Event Calendar
14
Team Up for Kids™
15
One Topic: 10 Facts
16
Look, Listen, Read
18
Franchisee Spotlight
FEATURES
13
Spotlight on the 115th Congress: Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA-46)
22
Top-Notch Talent: Where to Find It and How to Keep It Once You Do
by Christina Cannon, FBS communications manager
25
Net Neutrality Explained
by Christina Cannon
26
Community Connections and Staffing Are Key to Crushing the Competition
by Christina Cannon
30
2018 FBS Summit Charts the Course for the Future
32
How Communication and Connection Boost Employee Productivity
by Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro®
34
Get Serious About Parameters
by Dan Coughlin, The Coughlin Co.
36
Storytelling as a Leadership Tool
by Dennis Snow, Snow & Associates
38
Preparing Your Business for a Hurricane
contributed by McGriff Insurance Services
40
Programs to Encourage Hiring and Retention Can Have Unintended
Consequences
by Doug Duerr, Elarbee Thompson Sapp and Wilson, LLP
42
Year-End Tax Planning in the Wake of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
by Ken Hite, Mize Houser & Company P.A.
2018 Issue 3
DIRECTORIES
20
Associate Member Listing
44
Advertisers Guide and
Editorial Calendar
2018 Issue 3 | THESCORE
2 W
hether local, regional or national
brands, Bufalo Wild Wings®
faces competition from players of all sizes
wherever they are. And, while chicken
concepts are booming, B-Dubs® lines
up against rivals across the restaurant
sector. Although diners face more options
than ever, Bufalo Wild Wings ofers an
experience unlike any other. We are truly
an unbeatable brand.
Like the goliaths of the gridiron or
bastions of basketball, BWW® is fnding
ways to take on the competition – and win
– each day. Our model is stronger than
any lineup ofered by other brands. By
staying true to the “Wings. Beer. Sports.”
idea, we gain a leg up on everyone else in
our space. Beyond carrying out the model,
franchisees also share in this issue of Te
SCORE how they keep service efcient
and their locations clean and modern to
tackle the competition. By pairing these
points with a strong marketing strategy,
Bufalo Wild Wings comes out on top
time and time again.
We cannot overlook the importance
of our biggest asset, however. Our people
make the diference in setting B-Dubs
apart. With a strong focus on bringing in
top talent and providing excellent service,
we can continue to win on the people
side as well. Franchisees from across the
system took time to share best practices on
locating and retaining the best employees
for this issue.
Whether it’s through word-of-mouth,
incentives or social media, there are
countless ways BWW operators are fnding
– and keeping – stellar staf. With a strong
team providing a top-notch customer
experience, we have the opportunity to
create a fan for life with each guest who
dines with us.
As you take on competition and
the tough labor market, don’t forget the
association is here to help. Each issue of
Te SCORE provides information on how
other franchisees are making a diference
in their communities; best practices on
issues related to our business; and helpful
articles on topics from employment law
to leadership. In addition, the monthly
News You Can Use email includes links
to updates on the brand, our competitors
and the restaurant industry, and each fall,
you receive our annual FBS Products &
Services Directory that ofers information
on system suppliers who support the
association and provide products and
services to help your business.
Members also receive updates on the
services ofered through Franchise Business
Services such as insurance programs and
cost-savings initiatives. I urge you to
explore how these benefts can keep you
competitive on all fronts.
Finally, don’t forget our annual FBS
Summit. Tis gathering brings together
franchisees, corporate representatives
and our vendor partners for two days of
networking and sharing best practices for
our businesses. For franchisees, the return
on your investment is immeasurable.
So, as football season descends, let’s suit
up for the challenge before us. I know that,
together, we have a winning system! S
Wray Hutchinson
ankees-Red Sox. Celtics-Lakers. Packers-
Bears. Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier. These
matchups present some of sports’ greatest
rivalries. From the smack talk to the lineups,
the competition was fierce and the outcomes hard-
fought on the field or court or in the ring.
Chairman’s Column
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2018 Issue 3 | THESCORE
MEMBER NEWS
arlier this year, 150 people gathered
at Bulldog BWW, LLC’s Bufalo
Wild Wings® in Oxford, Mississippi, to
watch the unveiling of the post-season
fate of the Ole Miss Rebels softball team
as the NCAA Tournament bracket was
selected.
Rebels fans, alongside players and
Rebels Coach Mike Smith, were in
attendance for the viewing. Although
there were no special promotions avail-
able during the viewing, showing the
NCAA bracket and having the Rebels
players and their coach visit BWW® was
reason enough for people to come in and
join the fun.
“Tere were at least 150 in
attendance, including the team,” said
Jef Ousley, director of operations with
Bulldog BWW, LLC, which is owned by
Roger Smith.
Rebels fans were full of spirit, and
the night brought in an increase in sales
and camaraderie. Te Rebels eventu-
ally lost to Arizona State in the Tempe
Regional without making it to the fnal
round of regional play.
“Tis was the Rebels third-straight
bid to the NCAA regionals in 19 years,”
said Ousley. “Te last three seasons,
Bufalo Wild Wings has been the
location for the selection show. Coach
Smith and his staf have always been big
supporters of Bufalo Wild Wings, and
it has been a growing tradition for the
team and its fans to gather at Bufalo
Wild Wings for the show. We are always
glad to host the selection show and show
our support for the program. Te fans
are great, and hosting this annual event
brings a lot of post-season excitement to
the community.” S
Bulldog BWW, LLC Hosts NCAA
Viewing Party for Ole Miss Fans
The Ole Miss Rebels softball team was in attendance to sign autographs and take pic-
tures with fans.
arlier this year, JK&T Wings’
Muskegon, Michigan, location was
contacted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation
about a 15-year-old boy named Adien who
is battling cancer. Te foundation told
BWW® that Adien was celebrating his 15th
birthday and wanted to eat at Bufalo Wild
Wings® on his special day.
Adien was granted a $2,000 shop-
ping spree at Best Buy from the Make-
A-Wish Foundation and decided that he
wanted to end the day by eating at the
local BWW after his day of shopping was
done. “We rallied everyone to try to make
his visit as special for him as possible,”
said Kyle Papes, general manager of the
Muskegon location, owned by Kent
Ward’s JK&T Wings.
JK&T Wings greeted Adien with
a big Bufalo Wild Wings welcome
complete with a high-fve line from the
staf, backpacks for him and his siblings,
a welcome sign, a Grand Rapids hat and
a special visit from Blazin’ Bill himself.
“Tey had lunch at the VIP table we
set up for them, and we all sang happy
birthday to him as we brought out his
cake,” said Papes. “Ten it was all hugs
and smiles as Adien and his family said
their goodbyes to our team.”
To say the least, JK&T Wings went
above and beyond to make Adien’s day
extra special. With the help from JK&T
Wings’ Marketing Manager Alyssa Groth,
Beer Representative Jesse Tompson and
BWW’s team members and staf, Adien
was able to have a birthday that he is sure
to remember.
“What a wonderful experience it was
for everyone involved! We feel so fortunate
that Adien picked Bufalo Wild Wings
on his special day,” said Papes. “We also
feel very fortunate, working where we do,
to have opportunities like this to make
someone’s day even that much more special.
It was an awesome, touching day here at
Bufalo Wild Wings in Muskegon!” S
JK&T Wings Creates an Unforgettable Birthday for Local Teen
JK&T Wings made sure that Adien had an unforgettable 15th birthday.
THESCORE | 2018 Issue 3
MEMBER NEWS
n honor of Te Longest Day, a
fundraising event raising awareness
for Alzheimer’s, Strawberry Wings, LLC
held their own fundraising event to raise
awareness on the progressive disease by
bringing the wizarding world of Harry
Potter to its Troy, Ohio, Bufalo Wild
Wings® location.
Te Longest Day fundraiser is an
event focused on love, patience, strength
and endurance, and is designed to show
those aficted by Alzheimer’s disease
that they are not alone. Participants raise
funds by taking part in an activity that
they love or is loved by someone afected
by Alzheimer’s. Te Miami County
chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association
came to Strawberry Wings, LLC to create
an all-day event the whole community
could join in on.
On June 10, Strawberry Wings, LLC
came up with a Harry Potter-themed
event called Hogwarts & Horcruxes.
Over 400 guests attended the event
and partook in themed cocktails, food,
entertainment, costume contests,
rafes and countless activities, with 10
percent of the money raised going to the
Alzheimer’s Association. Te highlight
of the fundraiser was a four-hour team
competition where participants were
sorted by the sorting hat into their new
houses (Gryfndor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw
and Hufepuf) and competed in four
rounds of trivia and four rounds of
activities consisting of a scavenger hunt
to fnd the seven horcruxes, pin the
scar on Harry Potter and pin the nose
on Voldemort, and a Quidditch match
where teams searched for the Golden
Snitch. One person from the winning
house won the Triwizard Cup with Harry
Potter’s wand directly from Ollivanders
in Orlando, Florida, along with other
great Harry Potter prizes. Each winning
house team member also received Harry
Potter-themed prize packs.
“Everyone loved the event and asked
us to do it again,” said Darcy Bruns,
regional manager of Strawberry Wings,
LLC’s Troy, Ohio, location, owned by
Tom Mayl. “My bartender, Hannah
Masters, and Mindie Low with Elder-
Care were amazing partners in this event.
Tey both are massive Harry Potter fans
and helped to make sure we were true
with the books while keeping everything
family-friendly.”
As teams got sorted into their
houses, they each received a ticket to
put in the house cups. At the end of the
competition, the winning house had a
random ticket drawn to win. Dylan Onoz
won the Triwizard Cup by being a part of
the winning Slytherin house.
Attendees of the event were ofered six
Harry Potter-themed drinks and cocktails:
Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryfndor,
Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufepuf,
Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice, and could
enter a rafe to win 33 prizes ranging from
a 43-inch LED HDTV, Dumbledore’s
Wand and bracelets from Elizabeth
Diamond Co. to an ultimate Harry Potter
gift pack, KitchenAid mixer, $100 AMC
gift card, Dayton Dragon’s tickets and
more. In total, the event raised $2,980 for
the Alzheimer’s Association.
“We had an overwhelming posi-
tive response from this,” said Bruns.
“Troughout the event, we listened to
what the guests had to say and have
committed to another event next year
with Te Longest Day, Alzheimer’s
Association for May 4 and have it Star
Wars-themed.” S
Strawberry Wings, LLC Brings the
Magic of Hogwarts to Troy, Ohio
Strawberry Wings, LLC hosted a great Harry Potter event to raise awareness for the
Alzheimer’s Association.
2018 Issue 3 | THESCORE
MEMBER NEWS
rom July 22-29, Te Jones Group’s Portage, Indiana, Bufalo
Wild Wings® ofered up more than Wings. Beer. Sports. Te
location decided to capitalize on the Discovery Channel’s annual
Shark Week programming by creating themed cocktails.
“Te drinks were a few that we already serve; we just renamed
them to give them that connection with Shark Week. Te alcoholic
drinks ranged from $6-$9, and the non-alcoholic drinks ranged
from $3-$5,” said Regional Manager Mandy McCoy. “In past years,
we’ve shown Shark Week on our TVs, but we’ve never promoted
it like this until Assistant Manager John Karczewski had the idea
to really promote Shark Week and make it a weeklong event. Our
guests really enjoyed the theme, and we are already looking for new
ideas for next year.”
Cocktails included the Shark Cage Margarita, Shark Attack
Sangria, Hawaiian Beach, Hammerhead Shark, Electric Shark and
the Shark Bite Bloody Mary. For those not yet 21, the restaurant
ofered Bottom of the Ocean Lemonade, Shark Attack Lemonade
and Captain Crunch’s Voyage.
“Tis week was not only fun for us, it was special, too,” said
General Manager Darci Lopez. “Here in Portage, we really drive
community connection. We take pride in working as a team to
ensure our community knows we are here to serve them! Tis was
unique because we really tried to grab hold of a diferent crowd
that may not have planned on coming in otherwise.”
The Jones Group Makes Waves at Portage,
Indiana, BWW With Shark Week Event
Patrons were able to get up close and personal with a great white shark during The Jones Group’s Shark Week event.
THESCORE | 2018 Issue 3
“It was the collaboration of the whole team that really
brought this together, but our bartender, Brittany Long, and shift
manager, Allen Long, sat down and really worked out the details,”
agreed McCoy. “Tey also came up with drinks that we didn’t
have on our menu but drinks that we could make and ring in
such as the Hammerhead Shark and the Electric Shark.”
In addition to ofering fun, festive drinks, Te Jones Group,
owned by Mike and Mark Jones, also aired live Shark Week
programming on the big screens, and bartender Ricky Tompson
even sported a fun Shark Week outft and interacted with kids
throughout the restaurant.
“We enjoyed the opportunity to host such a fun event and
are thankful to be a part of a franchise group that encourages
creativity,” explained McCoy. “It took the whole team to really
bring it together, from the spark of an idea to team execution,
doing what we do best in everyday operations.”
Te Portage team celebrated the event as a huge success and
is already looking forward to next year when it plans to host a
kids’ night with more themed activities.
“Tis is truly a great example of a grassroots promotion that
was put together by our team members,” said Te Jones Group
COO Kirk Hartman. “At this year’s conference, COO John
Bowie committed to putting the ‘wild’ back into Bufalo Wild
Wings. Tis is something that Te Jones Group has taken to
heart, and we are challenging our team members to do just that
every day. I believe that this promotion is a terrifc example of
bringing a little ‘wild’ into our restaurants.” S
MEMBER NEWS
Tyco is now Johnson Controls.
If I’m not there, who knows
what time we’re opening?
Now you can remotely manage your security system
at any time on your smartphone, tablet or laptop –
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To learn more, visit TycoIS.com/mobile or call 1.800.289.2647.
© 2017 Johnson Controls. All rights reserved. Tyco and the product names listed
are marks and/or registered marks of Johnson Controls. Unauthorized use is strictly
prohibited worldwide. All other marks are property of their respective owners.
Shark Attack
Lemonade
Shark Cage
Margarita
Electric Shark
“It took the whole team to
really bring it together, from
the spark of an idea to team
execution, doing what we do
best in everyday operations.”
– Mandy McCoy
regional manager
fsvps.com | 800.881.1945
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2018 Issue 3 | THESCORE
MEMBER NEWS
n June 13, after seeing the success of ofering bottles of wing
sauce as giveaways to March Madness fans during the games,
Four M Franchising, LLC’s Brooklyn Atlantic Terminal BWW®
location decided to spread the wing-sauce giveaways to recent
graduates from New York University.
“We saw so many fans happy with the sauce bottles, we
thought what better way to congratulate the graduates of New
York University than with a sauce bottle of their preference,”
said Jean-Paul Parnizari, director of operations with Four M
Franchising.
Anyone in their cap and gown was ofered a free bottle of
wing sauce of their choice and the VIP treatment while dining
in. “Tey tell us stories of the memorable day and how happy
they were to see Bufalo Wild Wings® give something back,” said
Parnizari.
Te event, spearheaded by Regional Manager Juan Feliciano,
was not advertised in any way due to Four M Franchising
wanting to surprise graduates on their big day. “We wanted to
thank them for choosing Bufalo Wild Wings as their place to
celebrate the ending of a chapter in their lives,” said Parnizari.
Tis was the frst time Four M Franchising ofered giveaways
to New York University students but plans on hosting the event
again next year and also expanding the surprise ofer to other
universities in the area, such as Medgar Evans, Baruch and Long
Island University.
“Watching these young folks come in to celebrate their
achievement was a great experience for the team. On this day,
we realized we are not just serving food to hungry diners but
creating a memorable experience for people,” said Parnizari.
“Giving away a sauce bottle to our fans seemed like a little cost to
bring great memories. It is important to remember to recognize
those fans that have made Bufalo Wild Wings a part of their
lives.”
In addition to the wing sauce giveaway, Four M Franchising
has started a program called “Get Saucy” where team members
ask guests what their favorite sauce is and give them a bottle.
“Te idea was to create genuine connections with our guests and
just say thank you,” said Joseph Lichwick, chief operating ofcer
of Four M Franchising, LLC. “Many of the guests were skeptical
at frst as they thought there was a catch, but there’s no catch. It’s
a feel-good program that shows the guests we care about them
and appreciate them choosing Bufalo Wild Wings.” S
Four M Franchising, LLC Offers
Recent Graduates Free Wing Sauce
Local New York University graduates were given a free wing
sauce of their choice from Four M Franchising, LLC’s BWW.
“It’s a feel-good program that shows
the guests we care about them and
appreciate them choosing Buffalo
Wild Wings.”
– Joseph Lichwick
chief operating officer of Four M Franchising, LLC