Empires
The stories behind the best brick & mortar businesses, and operators: Empires is a show that interviews founders, operators, and investors in the top brick & mortar businesses, many of which are franchises. 1 episode per month is told in narrative format, to uncover why certain brands win, while others lose. empirespod.substack.com
Episodes
Brandon Hurst went from - in his own words - “a broke college student” working overnight shifts, to becoming one of the top-performing Chick-fil-A operators in the country, now running multiple locations that generate tens of millions in revenue.
In this conversation, Brandon breaks down the real Chick-fil-A business model, why the $10K buy-in is misunderstood, and how profit-sharing actually works behind the scenes. He explain...
Orhan Veli’s story sounds like a movie.
At age 6, he watched the Soviet Union collapse overnight: chaos, violence, and uncertainty took over.
His family fled with nothing.
Within months, his father built a small business…until the mafia burned it down and demanded payment.
They eventually escaped to the United States with just $25,000.
From there:
- Roofing jobs in Florida...
Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise
Are you a multi-unit owner considering selling your business? https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/
📝 Episode Description
Wingstop started as a tiny wing shop in Dallas in 1994.
Today, it’s a $5+ billion global franchise empire with over 3,000 locations, and one of the most profitable unit economic models in the ...
Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise
Are you a multi-unit owner considering selling your business? https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/
Get in touch with Darren:
📝 Episode Description
Darren Spicer started as a barista at Dutch Bros.
Years later, after the company shut down its fra...
Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise
Considering selling your franchise locations? https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/
Description
In 2016, Jon left a secure family business to invest in a then-emerging boutique fitness concept: Club Pilates.
Less than a decade later, he owns 48 studios across three states and recently partnered with private equ...
For multi-unit owners looking to sell their business: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/
Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise
Description
Today, Indian Americans own over 60% of hotels and motels in the United States.
Most of them trace back to one region in India: Gujarat.
But this didn’t happen by accident.
It began in the 1930s with Kanji De...
Interested in buying a franchise?
https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise
Are you a multi-unit franchise owner considering selling your business? https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/
Partnership Opportunities
https://www.empirespod.com/about#about-footer
🧠 Episode Description
Frozen yogurt was written off as a dead category.
Neil Hershman didn’t buy that.
Af...
In this episode, Cliff Kennedy, CEO of Frios Gourmet Pops, shares how he went from being a franchisee to acquiring the entire brand, rebuilding the company from the ground up, and transforming it into a mobile-first dessert empire
Interested in
We unpack:
- Why Frios’ product was great, but the company was broken
- How COVID forced a shift from...
For multi-unit owners looking to sell their business: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/
Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise
Get in touch with the host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-buckley-%F0%9F%8C%AD-89539499/
Get in touch with Jack and Jake:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-foster-098030a8/
Raj Patel is one of the most prolific franchise operators in the country.
His family started with one Dunkin’ in the late 1980s — today, Raj oversees a 100+ unit portfolio across Dunkin’, Dave’s Hot Chicken, and several other brands.
In this episode, we go deep into:
- How Raj decides which brands to bet on
- Why leadership matters more than fo...
Most people think private equity “kills” franchise brands. But in this episode, Adam Lewin — CEO of Wonder, a holding company for franchisors and multi-site operators — explains why the truth is far more nuanced.
Adam breaks down:
- How Wonder evaluates franchise acquisitions
- Why they refuse the typical “platform” roll-up model
Are you a multi-unit franchisee looking to sell your locations? https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/
Are you interested in buying a top new restaurant franchise? https://eatagape.com/franchise/
Keni’s story begins in 1982, when his family immigrated to the U.S. with nothing but visas and a network of distant relatives. Like many Patels from Gujarat, his family moved directly into a relative’s motel—18 people living on-si...
- Agapé Restaurants: eatagape.com
- Franchise Info: eatagape.com/franchise
Matt started as a Subway employee at 13 — and by his twenties, he owned 12 locations.
From there, he expanded into Cinnabon, Dunkin’, and Wingstop, learning hard lessons about unit economics, scaling challenges, and why some brands hit ceilings while others explod...
- Agape franchise opportunity: https://eatagape.com/franchise/
- Buy a franchise: https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise
- Sell your franchise: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/
- YouTube: FranDawgs Podcast
Chris Hatch, founder of Dirt Dogs and Forza Commercial, breaks down the business of owning the land beneath America’s top franchises. From Dutch Bros and Raising Cane’s to the dirty soda craze, Chris explains how site selection, drive-thru culture, and brand “soul” shape billion-dollar outcomes. A masterclass on franchising, real estate, and what makes a location truly win.
Interested in Agape? https://eatagape.com/franch...
Austin Smith started his career helping build Savory Fund into a powerhouse that scaled concepts like Swig, Mo’Bettahs, and R&R Barbecue. After years of investing in food & beverage, he made the leap from investor to operator — taking a massive bet on Big Blue Swim School.
Considering buying a franchise? Reach out: https://www.frandawgs.com/
If you’re a multi-unit owner considering selling your locations, get in to...
Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise
For multi-unit franchisees looking to sell their locations: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/
Kal walked away from a Wall Street career to chase his dream of entrepreneurship — and went 5-for-5 picking winning brands. From butcher shops and pizzerias to Orangetheory, European Wax Center, Marco’s Pizza, Dave’s Hot Chicken, and Popup Bagels, he’s...
For help evaluating franchises, reach out: https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise
For multi-unit owners considering selling their locations: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/
Jon Benson’s journey into franchising wasn’t traditional. After scaling a Utah startup from $20M to $450M in sales, and later launching a COVID testing lab that served thousands of people a day, Jon stumbled across GameDay Men’s Health o...
If you’re a multi-unit franchisee considering selling your locations, get in touch https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/
Interested in buying a franchise? Reach out here: https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise
Episode Summary:
In this episode of FranDawgs, Patrick sits down with Margarette and her husband Richard - franchise operators who turned their passion for resale into a thriving multi-unit Uptown Cheapskate busine...
🎙️ Guest:
Jacob Horton, Multi-Unit Franchisee at Scenthound and Co-Founder of SBA Source
📍 Location:
Birmingham, AL & Nashville, TN
If you’re a multi-unit franchisee considering selling your locations, get in touch https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/
Interested in buying a franchise? Reach out here: https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise
🔥 Episode Summary:
Jacob Horton went from PowerPoin...
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