Explore every episode of the podcast FranDawgs

In this episode, Patrick sits down with Michael Horowitz to unpack his journey from venture capital and real estate to owning and operating 20 Wingstop franchises in Ohio. Michael shares the full story of how he sourced his initial 7-unit acquisition, competed for the deal, and navigated the franchise transfer process without prior restaurant experience.

They dive deep into the realities of QSR ownership: the challenges of managing frontline labor, the difficulty of being the sole operator, and how rapid same-store sales growth at Wingstop created a flywheel that fueled expansion. Michael also breaks down his deal structuring, debt strategy, and decision to eventually sell the business to sizzling platter — one of the largest multi-brand operators in the country.

They close with a frank discussion about the ETA boom, franchising as an asset class, and whether Michael would ever get back in the trenches of low-wage labor again.

In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Feghali, also known on X as the famous QSRguy, a powerhouse multi-unit franchisee who:

• Owns 33 Little Caesars across California, Oregon, and Arizona
• Operates a Jersey Mike’s
• Founded his own viral cookie-and-coffee concept, Coco Playa, which did $1.3M+ in its first year

We cover: 🍕 Ryan’s roots folding boxes in his dad’s Little Caesars and why he initially swore off franchising 🚀 How he went from buying two underperforming stores to scaling a 33-unit pizza empire 📈 The systems, tech, and hospitality strategy that help his stores outperform the average AUV 💰 What he looks for in acquisition deals—and why he’d rather overpay for a great location 🥤 How his new concept Coco Playa exploded with Gen Z fans and dirty soda diehards 🤝 Why franchising too early is a trap—and what he’s doing differently as a founder 📚 Plus, a teaser on the book he’s working on

If you're into QSRs, franchising, or just love a good operator story, this one’s packed.

Links: 

Buy or sell your franchise: https://www.frandawgs.com/ 

Ryan on X: https://x.com/QSRguy

Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfeghali/ 

Check out Ryan’s coffee/cookie brand, Coco Playa:

https://trycocoplaya.com/

https://www.instagram.com/trycocoplaya 

Jacob Jaber helped turn his dad’s corner store in San Francisco into one of the most beloved coffee brands in the country. In this episode, we break down how Philz became a Silicon Valley icon — without ever serving espresso.

We cover:

• How Jacob scaled from 1 store to 80+
• The real reason they refused to add espresso machines
• Why hospitality was always the product (not coffee)
• Their $100M raise — and the Naval Ravikant story behind it
• What Jacob looks for now as an investor in brick-and-mortar startups

This isn’t just a story about coffee. It’s about obsession, word-of-mouth, and building a brand so good, people tell their friends. If you’re building anything consumer-facing, this one’s a must-listen.

Links: 

Buy or sell your franchise: https://www.frandawgs.com/ 

Jacob’s investment firm: https://www.humblelion.co/ 

Follow Jacob! https://x.com/JacobJaber  

Bret Borock co-owned 5 Orangetheory studios—including one of the top 10 locations in the country. At the peak, they were printing cash. But when COVID hit, he nearly lost it all.

The deal fell through. And Bret had to wait until 2024 to finally exit.

So what did he do next?

He went from boutique fitness… to garbage. He bought into Smash My Trash—and then doubled down with a Heavyweight Waste franchise.

In this episode of FranDawgs Uncut, Bret unpacks: – How he scaled top-performing Orangetheory studios – What it’s like trying to sell a business during a crisis – Why he bet on the unsexy world of commercial waste – The surprising playbook that works across both fitness and trash

Enjoy!

Taylor Byington owns 12 Crumbl Cookies franchises doing over $13 million a year in revenue — but it didn’t start that way.

In this episode, Taylor shares the insane story of how he and his partner signed a franchise agreement with no capital, got ripped off by a contractor for $400,000, and still clawed their way into becoming top operators across four states.

You’ll learn:

• Why they chose Crumbl over other cookie brands
• What makes Crumbl’s systems and tech so powerful
• How they financed their first three locations with zero money
• What they look for when buying new franchises
• The biggest mistake franchisees make after signing the FDD

Plus, Taylor reveals how their software startup, CoverPanda, is helping other franchise owners avoid the painful lessons they learned the hard way.

Links: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorbyington/

https://coverpanda.co/ 

In 2009, James Temple had just lost his father to a heart attack.

He was 30 years old, getting his MBA at UVA, and facing a choice: take a stable consulting job… or buy a $40K franchise that barely made money.

He chose the latter.

James partnered with his mother—a retired teacher—and bought a struggling Mathnasium tutoring center in Richmond, VA. It had done just $70K in revenue the previous year.

They each put in $10K. His mom lent the business another $20K. The seller carried the rest through financing.

And then they went to work.

James worked Monday through Thursday at the center, commuting an hour each way. Friday through Sunday, he pulled 14-hour shifts at another job just to pay his bills.

In year one, he opened a second location. By year five, he was still making less than his MBA peers—and asking himself if he’d made a huge mistake.

But he kept going.

Instead of relying on SBA loans, James reinvested profits. He didn’t take on real debt until location #7.

Today, that tiny $40K investment has grown into a 24-unit, $10M education empire across 5 states—earning 15–20% EBITDA margins.

And that original store?

It went from $70K in revenue to over $1 million… and was once the top-performing Mathnasium in the country.

A bet on brand, discipline, and a little bit of family grit.