If you pop up on their phone, you’ll be top of mind and they’ll find you wherever you are.” He adds that millennials are always on their phones, which helps as a franchisee because “you might as well be where the customers are.”īecause millennial franchisees are savvy about technology and social media, Rowe says, they are able to generate their own buzz without paying to advertise. “But sometimes, with social media, people don’t even care where you are. “You need to have actual real estate that’s accessible and convenient,” Tran says. The 34-year-old says millennial franchisees like him view social media as “second real estate.” Paul Tran is senior director of development at Fransmart, and COO of Halal or Nothing, the Southern California franchisee of The Halal Guys, a fast-casual Middle Eastern concept. Millennials are looking for brands that are already functioning at a high level.” He adds that, very often, millennials find franchise opportunities the same way they find everything else: through social media.
“Just authentically do a great job, run a company that other people authentically talk about that wins awards and accolades, and they will come to you. In fact, Rowe says, franchisors don’t always need to recruit millennial franchisees. They want to work for the best of the best and will do their research to find authentic brands that fit their lifestyles. The prudent approach Rehman took to finding the right franchise opportunity is typical of the millennial generation, says Dan Rowe, founder and CEO of the franchise development company Fransmart. If franchisees have something we think we can improve on, they take that into consideration.” “Some franchises are not flexible, but with Wing Zone, it’s more of a partnership. Rehman says he took his time and looked at many different franchising opportunities, but Wing Zone attracted him because he liked its business model as a fast-casual restaurant with delivery and a broad menu made up of more than wings. Two more Chicago-area locations quickly followed, and a fourth is in the works. He opened his first Wing Zone in suburban Glendale Heights, Illinois, in 2015 at age 27. Eventually, he felt the pull of the family business and decided franchising was the best route to operating his own restaurant. He graduated from DePaul University in 2010 with a degree in human resources and worked for several years as a recruiter for corporate technology firms.
But as the generation ages and matures, some of its members are transitioning from their roles as demanding teen customers and misunderstood entry-level employees to innovative managers and business owners.Īnd franchisors should be ready to capitalize on their potential.Ĭhicago area native Sal Rehman is a millennial who grew up working in his family’s diner. Maligned by some, millennials have been called apathetic, lazy, and narcissistic. Millennials-those born roughly between 19 and comprising the biggest American generation, according to Pew Research Center-are coming of age as entrepreneurs and business owners. They grew up on more trendy fast-casual brands like Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panera Bread, and the dozens of fast casual 2.0 chains that came after them.Īnd they’re about to own a franchise near you. They’ve been credited with changing the restaurant landscape forever by seeking out brands that offer customized food choices, quality ingredients, freshness, authenticity, transparency, and environmental and social responsibility. They spend more money in restaurants per capita than any previous generation, according to Restaurant Marketing Labs. They’re the largest living generation in the U.S.
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