At the beginning of 2023, it seemed unlikely that we would have over 100 franchises in development by the end of the year. Yet, as of July 1, 2024, we have 12 franchises open and 131 in development.

As one of the fastest-growing franchises, catching lightning in a bottle is the hope and dream of every franchisor when they begin franchising. This was certainly our aim, though we are well aware that very few achieve it. We have been told time and again, by many franchise experts, that even fewer new franchises are prepared to support it. Despite this, we are determined to be among those who do. 

Rising To the Responsibility of Success

When that dream became a reality, it was clear, pretty early on, that we were going to have to rise to the responsibility of success. We would need to measure the trajectory and momentum of our growth and build the infrastructure necessary to support every corner of our franchise system as one of the fastest-growing franchises.

To start, we focused on 3 key areas: 

• The Addition of Leadership Roles to Specialize in Key Areas of Growth 

• Adding elements that support Franchisee Preparation, Training, and On-Going Support 

• Key Technology Advancements to Support Our Franchise System to Promote Growth and Innovation throughout every facet of our franchise ecosystem. 

Effective growth management has always been the hallmark of our brand. Cooper Wilson, a Franchise Sales consultant responsible for managing franchise sales for our company said: 

“Slice House has experienced the growth that it has because of the experience of its leadership team and the ability to demonstrate they can open franchises and support them. Lots of brands I have worked with have made that same claim and fallen short. It is one thing to say it. It is another to demonstrate it. They have met every challenge and have shown they are willing to invest in their success. Placing a higher value on people above profit in the short term has given them the bandwidth to focus on the aspects of the business that will foster long-term profitability throughout the entire franchise ecosystem. This is why they are considered one of the fastest growing franchises.”

Maintaining consistent quality service and brand integrity is the goal of every franchisor. No big news there. For franchises, these elements are crucial in preserving the trust and loyalty of customers across various locations. 

Perhaps even more important to us than the trust we have built with our customers is the trust we have built with our existing franchisees. It is nearly impossible to have one without the other. As one of the fastest growing franchises, by focusing on new roles, advanced systems and technology, and enhanced support for franchisees. We believe exemplifying how a franchise can grow sustainably and efficiently is part of the responsibility we have to honor the good fortune of our success.

Teamwork Makes The Dreamwork

One of the most difficult challenges for new franchises is to be sure that your pizza tastes the same in Chicago as it does in Vegas. That is as equally useful as a metaphor, as it is a factual statement about the challenge of product consistency. The point being, to maintain consistency at any level you need to have the back-of-house talent that can support the front-of-house talent. 

As such, we have recently introduced several new positions at the corporate level. These roles are designed to ensure that each franchise location operates smoothly and maintains the high standards that customers expect. Our standards for success demand that each of our franchisees be supported by a corporate cast of talent who are eager to lend and be accountable for their expertise. This dedication is a key reason we are one of the fastest-growing franchises.

In December of 2023, we announced the appointment of Renae Scott as Fractional Chief Marketing Officer. Scott helmed several fast-casual concepts as Chief Marketing Officer including Ike’s Love & Sandwiches, Pizza Rev, Togo’s Eateries, and Roundtable Pizza, and was formerly the Vice President of Media & Marketing for Carl’s Jr. With over 20 years of marketing experience. (Source: QSRMagazine.com) 

February 2024 was a busy month for the leadership team adding Megan Oppelt as VP of Brand Marketing to support Ms. Scott. 

Also in February, we announced David Denton as the Fractional Chief Technology Officer. 

“We are thrilled to welcome David to the Slice House team as our first-ever Chief Technology Officer,” said Slice House Founder Tony Gemignani. “David has a well-earned reputation as a master at building digital solutions to support scalable growth for restaurants. As we look forward to another record year for Slice House, his expertise will be key to improving operations along with the customer experience to propel the brand to the next level, solidifying our status among the fastest-growing franchises.” (Source: qsrmagazine.com)

Most recently the team has added Director of Construction – Steve Carter to support the overwhelming task of franchise build-outs. 

Summarizing The Value of Leadership 

The introduction of these new roles, in addition to current and future implementation of a variety of advanced systems and technology upgrades, are all part of a broader strategy aimed at ensuring we provide comprehensive support to our franchisees that foster sustained long-term growth and success for every member of the Slice House family. From the boardroom to the dining room, we continue to establish ourselves as one of the fastest-growing franchises. 

Effective growth management isn’t just something we say we do. It is something we strive for and use to set the benchmarks for how we define success. Being an industry leader is more than our goal, we see it as our responsibility to our franchisees. This dedication is what makes us one of the fastest-growing franchises.