Three Fast Food Favorites from Franchises
It’s no secret that flexibility and freedom to experiment foster creativity. Franchising, a business model that likely provided you a caffeine fix this morning or offered you a first job, is a common business relationship that promotes flexibility and allows creativity to flourish. This creates products and services we enjoy, produces jobs, and offers opportunities for aspiring small business owners.
The arrangement allows entrepreneurs to start a business of their own by buying key components for a successful business from a franchisor. This relationship also provides a flexible framework that allows franchisees to experiment and create products that we enjoy. In fact, several fast food favorites were started in the kitchens of a local franchise and were such a hit that franchisors began marketing them as well. Here are just three of these franchise creations:
Are you Lovin’ It?
The McDonald’s Big Mac may be one of the most famous of these franchise creations, as millions of these triple-decker burgers are sold each year. But did you know the recipe for this sandwich superstar was cooked up in a franchisee’s kitchen? In 1967 Jim Delligatti, a McDonald’s franchise owner in Pennsylvania, introduced this Mickey D’s menu staple. While some use the product to symbolize American capitalism, it’s a perfect illustration of a franchisee’s freedom to experiment and innovate.
“Moe” Food For Less
Restaurants tend to have a serious case of the Mondays when it comes to sales. To beat this slump, one Florida franchise owner came up with a creative promotional idea. Guy Campbell, owner of eight Moe’s Southwest Grill franchises in Tampa, decided to offer “Moe Monday.” Every Monday, his locations offered a burrito, drink, and chips for $5. It became a local phenomenon and Mondays went from the slow to his biggest day of the week. In fact, it was such a good idea that over 70 percent of Moe’s franchises went on to adopt the promotion. This creation benefited not only his own store, but the franchisor as well.
A Legendary Pizza
Right before Super Bowl XLIII, Domino’s Pizza released a line-up of six specialty pizzas they named Domino’s American Legends. Each pizza featured a taste unique to different regions of the nation. One of the most popular of the line, the Memphis BBQ Chicken pizza, was created by Tennessee franchise owner Jason Shifflet. This pizza creation born in a franchise kitchen made it to Domino’s line up for one of the biggest pizza holidays of the year! It’s not the only franchisee hit to come from this pizza giant, the bread bowl pastas were another creation that were developed and tested by a Los Angeles franchisee.
Unfortunately, franchise business arrangements that foster innovation are under attack by regulators. Learn more about franchises and how regulators are threatening this beneficial business model here: Punching the Clock on a Smartphone App? The Changing Nature of Work in America and Regulatory Barriers to Success.