How to keep good franchisees

Bill and John Fotiadis run Souvlaki Hut, a fast-food franchise currently turning over about $20 million.

“We like to scare them. We really push them in the interview process. We ask them: ‘What if you lose your money?’ and ‘What if you lose your house?’”

“We’ve knocked back about 28 candidates this year. For us it was the equivalent of $1 million worth of franchise fees, but we need the right people.”

“Our franchisees are our customers and partners, and can call us up at any time. There was one time where a franchisee called me up at 11pm and couldn’t figure out something on the computer. I drove over and fixed it in about thirty seconds, but it was worth it to keep that communication.”

“Over the phone you can hide the way you’re feeling. But when you’re face to face, your body language is a big deal and people can tell if you’re not being true to what you’re saying, so I had to be aware of that.”

“Last week, we helped out in a store when they were short-staffed. We went down and found ourselves in aprons in the kitchen. But that’s life.”

Read more about Bill and John Fotiadis and Souvlaki Hut.