Issuu

You manage your business. We’ll manage your risk. From every angle. As a Qdoba® owner, you already have to think about service, food preparation, productivity, laws and regulations, time management and the everyday challenges of running a business.

THE MAGAZINE OF THE QDOBA FRANCHISEE ASSOCIATION | SPRING 2019

Insurance shouldn’t be one more concern. Especially given the wide range of protection you need in this day and age.

Tony Page

At McGriff Insurance Services, the exclusive property and casualty insurance provider for Qdoba Franchisee Association (QFA) members nationwide, we make sure owners like you have the very best in claims assistance, loss control services – and every line of coverage you need. That means we go beyond the basics.

steps out into the Franchisee Spotlight. Turn to page 6 to read more.

Your business will be supported by a dedicated team of franchise insurance specialists who are knowledgeable about your industry and will develop a plan that includes the following additional coverages you may not have considered: ■ Cyber/Data Breach Liability Protects your business from sensitive data compromise, including customer credit card information and private employee data ■ Employment Practices Liability Coverage for wrongful employment practices, such as harassment, discrimination and wrongful termination

■ Property Coverage Enhancements As a restaurant owner, additional coverages such as “Business Income for Off-Premises Utility Services,” “Outdoor Signs,” and “Food Contamination and Spoilage” are vital – be sure to review your limits ■ Coca-Cola Freestyle Coverage Additional coverage for your touch-screen soda fountain added to your property policy

flavor

00992_Rev. 3-26-19

Turn to page 16 to read more on topics discussed during the Measuring Hospitality panel at the

2019 QFA Franchisee Convention.

advertisers guide 2020 QFA Franchisee Convention

Ascentium Capital 281-902-1931

6 Ascentium.info/Qdoba

Avanti Restaurant Solutions 916-378-0099

INSURANCE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

GROWTH Offering our unique health benefits program attracts and retains top-talent, and our property and casualty program builds a solid foundation for your current structure and future expansion.

Barco Uniforms 888-624-2090

11 www.barcouniforms.com

Bluetree Casework 816-396-8344

27 www.gobluetree.com

Cargill Foodservice 949-412-1094

28 cargill.com

The Cholula Food Co. 424-275-5728

10 Cholulafoodservice.com

Dart Container 480-338-1937

27 www.dartcontainer.com

SSDC/Ecolab 214-533-9793

21 jack@ssdcsoap.com

FOCUS

Elevanta Health 678-540-6202

Our services are laser-focused on your insurance coverages and managing your risk through our tailored programs and dedicated customer service.

Trimark/Hockenbergs 512-983-8980

IF elevantahealth.com/qfa 5 michael.gentry@trimarkusa.com

Hughes 858-452-4650

25 www.hughes.com/enterprise

McGriff Insurance Services 888-399-2040

VISION Your vision…is ours too. Because of our franchise industry specialty, we provide you with the most comprehensive coverages available on the market so you are protected in any direction you look to drive your business success.

5 ssnyder@avanticorporate.com

BC servicenow@mcgriffinsurance.com

Selecto Inc. 800-635-4017

13 www.selectoinc.com

Zenput 678-528-2984

28 www.zenput.com

*IF=Inside Front, BC=Back Cover, CS=Cover Sheet

TRUST Utilizing the largest provider network in the country, Blue Cross Blue Shield, for our health benefits program and serving as co-broker with McGriff Insurance Services, the fifth largest broker in the nation, for property and casualty, Elevanta is an experienced insurance resource you can trust.

2019 editorial calendar Issue

Ad Reservation Deadline

Publication Date

Summer

May 27

July

Call for Franchisee News

elevantahealth.com/qfa Health: John Abbey I 678.540.6202 I johna@elevanta.com P&C: Stephanie Phillips I 678.540.6206 I stephaniep@elevanta.com

E L E V A N TA . C O M

We want to highlight any news or events associated with Qdoba franchisees. If you have ideas for potential stories, please email communications@qdobafa.org or call 678-797-5160. Our editorial staff can assist in writing the story for you.

table of contents

QFA Board of Directors Ron Stokes Chairman Michael Scott Vice Chairman Randy Key Secretary/Treasurer John Ghirardelli Director Tom Lewison Director Leo Stathakis Director Elizabeth Lowman Association Manager

Columns 2

Chairman’s Column by Ron Stokes, QFA chairman

Departments 3

QFA Member News

Franchisee Spotlight

One Topic: 10 Facts

Look, Listen, Read

Directories 5

Associate Member Listing

Christy Williams Elevanta CEO

Advertisers Guide and Editorial Calendar

QFA Editorial Board

Features

Jessica Loeding Editor-in-Chief jessical@qdobafa.org Christina Cannon Managing Editor christinac@qdobafa.org Rachel Jackson Communications Coordinator rachelj@qdobafa.org

Advertising Sales Jeff Reynolds Director of Business Partner Relations jeffr@qdobafa.org 678-797-5163

Meet the Newest Members of the QFA Board of Directors

QFA Holds Another Successful Convention in Tucson, Arizona

VOG and Hospitality: How Does It Affect Your Business? by Rachel Jackson, QFA Communications Coordinator

Franchisee with Bluegrass Fresh Mex, LLC Tony Page steps into the spotlight to talk about his journey with the QDOBA® brand and how important quality and freshness are to him and his stores. For more, see the Franchisee Spotlight on page 6.

Headquarters 1701 Barrett Lakes Blvd. NW, Suite 180 Kennesaw, GA 30144 Phone: 678-797-5160 Fax: 678-797-5170

Three Key Areas That Influence Profitability by Rachel Jackson

Thoughts on Excellence by Dan Coughlin, The Coughlin Co.

www.qdobafa.org

Employment Applications: Can They Really Be a Source of Liability? by Douglas H. Duerr, Elarbee Thompson Sapp and Wilson, LLP

Qdoba Franchisee Association publishes Flavor. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, of the contents of this publication is prohibited without prior written consent of Qdoba Franchisee Association. All Rights Reserved.

Procrastination? Can We Talk About This Tomorrow? by Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro®

Design and Layout Kristen Thomas KT Graphic Design ktgraphicdesign@gmail.com

On the Cover

chairman’s column

As franchisees, we understand the importance of staying involved in our businesses.

he industry is changing at a rapid pace, and we must be on our A game in order to successfully change with it. When it comes to being prepared, knowledge is power.

The only way we will be successful as a franchise association is if we have the full support of our membership, and there has never been a more important time to have an organization such as QFA in place. For those who attended the second annual QFA Convention, there was plenty of knowledge to be gained. Respected operators in our system came forward to share what their companies are doing to remain successful, and QDOBA Corporate 2

representatives shared important updates with the franchisee community. We had a record turnout of 215 attendees, 23 of whom were from QDOBA Corporate, and corporate’s robust presence at this year’s event showed their commitment to not only the brand, but also the franchise community. Now, it’s your turn. Those in attendance at the convention stepped up by taking time away from their businesses to learn how to get better and to help their peers get better as well. With dues renewal just around the corner, I’d like to ask you to step up again. The only way we will be successful as a franchise association is if we have the full support of our membership, and there has never been a more important time to have an organization such as QFA in place. Take a look at franchisee/franchisor relationships across the country. Franchisees are increasingly understanding the importance of one unified voice, and although we have a very good working relationship with QDOBA Corporate, things can change, and we need to be prepared. As dues renewal is upon us, I ask you to reflect on the benefits the QFA has brought its members over the last year. One of our most valuable benefits is perhaps the convention. Where else would you get such a unique opportunity to network with other franchisees and brand leadership? By remaining, or becoming if you aren’t already, a member of the QFA, you are also helping to usher in more flavor SPRING 2019

influence. There is strength in numbers, and we improve our negotiating clout on multiple levels with every added member. The QFA and BAC have also been influential in negotiating matters of the Franchise Agreement and has served as a governor on many other issues of importance to our current and future success. The QFA provides leadership for franchisees of the QDOBA brand and will spend time and energy advocating for things that really matter to your bottom line, but we need your support. With our busy season in full swing, it’s important that you stay focused on ways to execute and improve your business. I encourage you to get involved in the association and leverage the enormous talent pool and resources that the QFA provides. By endeavoring to always be learning and improving, you are contributing to the success of this great brand, and for that, I thank you. l

Ron Stokes Chairman

member news

Roaring Fork Restaurant Group Recognizes Employees During Annual Holiday Party “It’s a big deal. The calendar of events E very year in late January or early February, Roaring Fork Restaurant Group hosts an annual holiday party to recognize outstanding employees who go above and beyond their normal job tasks and acknowledge all the hard work the restaurants have accomplished. “It’s a wonderful occasion where we really recognize our top performers for the year,” said Ron Stokes, president of Roaring Fork. “It’s a big deal. The whole company does it together.” Each year, every one of Roaring Fork’s leadership team members, from assistant managers and above – a little over 230 people – are invited to the holiday party and are recognized in some way either with money, gifts, prizes or trips. “We recognize based on the results from the prior year,” said Stokes, “the store growth or profit growth, or the stores

whole company does it together.”

QFA Franchisee Convention Feb. 27-29, 2020 Orlando, Florida

– Ron Stokes president of Roaring Fork

with the highest catering, best cleanliness or best food attributes, ratings from our customers.” This year, 25 awards were given to 62 employees. These employees were recognized with plaques, certificates, trips, bonuses pins, chef jackets and jerseys. “Recognition is part of our culture, and our annual holiday party provides a great platform to thank our leaders and top performers,” said Stokes. l

Managed Services Are Our Secret Ingredient Managing restaurants can be difficult. Managing IT shouldn’t be. With HughesON™ Managed Network Services, you can optimize your network, engage your employees, and elevate your customer experience, all without the hassle of managing IT yourself. To find a better recipe for your IT, visit hughes.com/qsr.

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Next Generation Network 4/18/2019 1:20:30 PM

member news

Roaring Fork Restaurant Group Goes Green and Gold for the Green Bay Packers F or years, Green Bay Packers fans all over Wisconsin have donned their green and gold attire to represent their team and gear up for the big gameday. This past football season, Roaring Fork Restaurant Group participated in “Green and Gold Fridays” and encouraged staff members and customers to come into a QDOBA® wearing their team colors, green and gold for the Green Bay Packers. “We partnered with the Green Bay Packers for this promotion where we offered free chips and queso, with the purchase of any entrée, to any guest who wore green and gold into any QDOBA in Wisconsin on Fridays during the 2018 regular season,” said Kimberly Prom, marketing and social media specialist for Roaring Fork Restaurant Group, owned by Michael Pranke. The free chips and queso offer was widely promoted on social media

Roaring Fork Restaurant Group drew in Green Bay Packers fans by offering them free chips and queso when they ate at QDOBA wearing green and gold. Roaring Fork Restaurant Group encouraged its staff to dress up in Green Bay Packers colors every Friday.

platforms, as well as through in-store signage and digital content on official Green Bay Packers social media platforms. Roaring Fork Restaurant Group also encouraged its restaurant teams to wear

their own green and gold gear during the promotion and on Packers gamedays. The promotion brought in thousands of participants and was a hit! “Both our restaurant teams and our guests had a lot of fun supporting their favorite team, and guests definitely enjoyed the free chips and queso,” said Prom. l

Convenient Financing for Qdoba Franchisees As a preferred lender, Ascentium offers flexible financing for remodel mandates and more! • Financing up to $1.5 million1 • Terms up to 72 months • Application-only up to $250,000 • Deferred payment options • Potential tax savings

Visit: Ascentium.Info/Qdoba

Request a no obligation quote today Len Baccaro, SVP - Sales Call: 281.902.1931 LenBaccaro@AscentiumCapital.com *Financing and instant decisions subject to credit parameters. Please contact your tax advisor regarding tax incentives. Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Financing Law license. 4

flavor SPRING 2019

Support the Vendors

THAT SUPPORT YOUR ASSOCIATION

COMPANY NAME

LEVEL

CONTACT NAME

PHONE

Hughes

Emerald

Neda Noorani

neda.noorani@hughes.com

858-452-4650

Barco Uniforms

Sapphire

Kimberly Scott

kimberly.scott@barcouniforms.com

310-719-2171

McIlhenny Co. – Tabasco Brands

Sapphire

John Occhipinti

john.occhipinti@tabasco.com

337-256-3366

SSDC/Ecolab

Sapphire

Jack Helton

jack@ssdcsoap.com

214-533-9793

The Cholula Food Co.

Sapphire

Doug West

dwest@cholula.com

424-275-5728

Avanti Restaurant Solutions

Pearl

Bolt Bolton

bolt@avanticorporate.com

916-378-0337

Cargill Foodservice

Pearl

Irena Hall

maria_rieger@cargill.com

949-412-1094

Dart Container

Pearl

Amanda Hamann

amanda.hamann@dart.biz

480-338-1937

Selecto Inc.

Pearl

Jessica Bridgeman

jessica@selectoinc.com

678-475-0799

The Coca-Cola Co.

Pearl

Kyle McCarthy

kmccarthy@coca-cola.com

949-241-9086

TriMark Hockenbergs

Pearl

Michael Gentry

michael.gentry@trimarkusa.com

512-983-8980

Zenput

Pearl

Nikki Perry

nikki@zenput.com

678-528-2984

AAP

Assoc. Mbr.

Roger Martinez

rmartinez@aaphcm.com

843-514-3298

Ascentium Capital

Assoc. Mbr.

Len Baccaro

lenbaccaro@ascentiumcapital.com

281-902-1931

Bluetree Casework

Assoc. Mbr.

Kraig Arthur

karthur@gobluetree.com

816-369-8344

CTI Foods

Assoc. Mbr.

Keith Dunning

kdunning@ctifoods.com

208-482-4233

Daisy Brand

Assoc. Mbr.

Jeff Stevens

jstevens@daisybrand.com

512-658-7784

Direct Advantage Magazine

Assoc. Mbr.

Andrew Ettinger

andrew.ettinger@gmail.com

203-243-5671

Global Media Group

Assoc. Mbr.

Mary Rosenberg

mary@globalmediagroup.com

619-540-4869

GP Pro | Georgia-Pacific, LLC

Assoc. Mbr.

Mike Carroll

michael.carroll2@gapac.com

949-981-1930

Heritage Parts

Assoc. Mbr.

Chuck Maddox

chuck.maddox@heritageparts.com

800-458-5593

Keurig Dr Pepper

Assoc. Mbr.

Chad Dohlman

chad.dohlman@dpsg.com

480-279-4396

Kidzpace Interactive Inc.

Assoc. Mbr.

Nancy Stockdale

nancy@kidzpace.com

800-668-0206

Lingle Design Group

Assoc. Mbr.

Carl Lingle

carllingle@lingledesign.com

815-369-9155

Live Oak Bank

Assoc. Mbr.

Sarah Carroll

sarah.carroll@liveoak.bank

910-550-2308

Mood Media

Assoc. Mbr.

Lisa Pendleton

lisa.pendleton@moodmedia.com

214-709-2693

Morton Salt Inc.

Assoc. Mbr.

Kristen Schultz

kschultz8828@gmail.com

312-415-8790

Pacific Cheese Co.

Assoc. Mbr.

Courtney Sloan

csloan@pacificcheese.com

510-780-8235

rapid! Disbursements

Assoc. Mbr.

Steve McDonald

smcdonald@rapidpaycard.com

503-720-1187

Smithfield

Assoc. Mbr.

Jeff Ames

james@smithfield.com

480-460-5481

SignResource

Assoc. Mbr.

Ramon Ortiz

rortiz@signresource.com

328-326-6463

The Middleby Corp.

Assoc. Mbr.

Sandy Tyler

styler@middleby.com

318-458-6630

The Payroll Co.

Assoc. Mbr.

Carrie Falk

carrief@payrollcompany.biz

608-440-2942

TraitSet HIRE

Assoc. Mbr.

Lenny Crouse

lenny@hrgems.com

563-580-2649

Tundra Restaurant Supply

Assoc. Mbr.

Joel White

jwhite@etundra.com

303-545-1328

Tyson Foods Inc.

Assoc. Mbr.

Ryan Hollman

ryan.hollman@tyson.com

925-330-5080

Valley Proteins

Assoc. Mbr.

Ron Rogers

rrogers@valleyproteins.com

540-877-3220

Villa Lighting

Assoc. Mbr.

Steve Barker

steve.barker@villalighting.com

800-325-0963

flavor SPRING 2019

franchisee spotlight

Tony Page Company name: Bluegrass Fresh Mex, LLC Number of restaurants: 2 States your restaurants operate in: Kentucky

How did you become a QDOBA® franchisee?

In 2004, a friend made me aware of an opportunity with QDOBA. I was familiar with the name but not the product, so I drove three hours to Louisville and met my friend for lunch. I ordered a steak queso burrito and was sold. Months later, I was the newest QDOBA franchisee and owned two stores in Cincinnati. Our son was away at college, so when I had the opportunity to take on a bigger role with the company, my wife, Kayla, and I moved from Kentucky to Nebraska where we operated nine stores. And while that was a great experience and helped cement our loyalty to the brand, there’s truly no place like home. After six years in Omaha, we were able to move back to Kentucky. Currently, we have two stores with plans to expand to a total of five. How did you meet your business partners?

It was one of my oldest friends, a guy I met back in high school, that really saw this as an opportunity we couldn’t let pass us by. Tom has always had an incredible sense of recognizing a good investment in its early stages. His partner was equally excited about QDOBA, and so was I. In your opinion, what stands out about the QDOBA brand?

I’ve owned and operated multiple restaurant concepts over the years, and one of our biggest challenges is always the freshness of the ingredients. What makes the QDOBA brand exceptional is the company’s commitment to quality and freshness. What is the best piece of business advice you have ever received?

My father, who opened the family’s first restaurant franchise in 1949, always insisted we treat our customers and employees as family. My district manager, Fred Rodriquez, left Omaha and moved his family to Kentucky to stay with us. Over the past 12 years, Fred has truly become a part of our family. Looking ahead, what are your top three business goals for the company?

We have fantastic momentum and a loyal customer base, but I think there’s more to be done to grow our digital presence. Also, new products and LTOs have always done well in my stores, so I’d like to see QDOBA continue its menu innovation so that we continue to stay on top. 6

What do you feel is the biggest challenge currently facing franchisees?

Hiring and retaining good, quality people remains a challenge not just for us but the restaurant business as a whole, and in order to keep those valuable team members, we offer incentives, bonus programs and go out of our way to create a positive and fun environment for our people. What is the biggest industry change that you have seen since you started?

In just over a decade’s time, it’s been incredible to see the technological changes that have allowed us to better serve our customers. Years ago, our catering and delivering capabilities were limited. Now, thanks to online ordering and third-party delivery, we’re able to reach an entire new customer base outside the four walls of the restaurant. Tell us a little bit about your family.

Several years ago, we forced my 90-year-old mother into retirement, but to this day, she’ll stop in to check out our operations. She and my father worked side by side in their restaurants for decades, and my wife does the same, greeting customers, bussing tables and running food several times a week. Our son is also in the restaurant business, operating four restaurants with plans to expand. Jay and his wife Lauren, a television reporter, are parents to my beautiful granddaughter, Caroline Kate. If I weren’t a franchisee, I would be …

It’s hard to say because this is what I grew up doing. My parents had me taking orders and working as a car hop at their Dairy Queen when I was 7 years old. I have always loved the business – serving people, developing relationships with customers and the pure adrenaline rush that only a busy restaurant can provide during the lunch hour. But, I’ve always been a numbers guy, so I imagine a career as a stock broker would have been fun too. l

flavor SPRING 2019

One topic: 10 facts

Turnover and Training 1

Losing a back-of-house employee costs a restaurant an average of $2,809 after accounting for recruiting, training and other related expenses.

According to a report from research firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, 22 percent of millennial-aged employees prefer web-based training over other methods.

2 Losing front-of-house employees is also costly and runs businesses an average of $2,171.

3 When it comes to management, the average perperson turnover cost is $15,271.

4 According to a TDn2K Recruiting and Turnover Report, 71

percent of managers who left their jobs did so voluntarily. Of that group, 16 percent were top performers.

5 Approximately 73 percent of fast-casual restaurants rely on paper training manuals to facilitate onboard training. This statistic likely applies to the restaurant industry as a whole.

7 And, with 77 percent of mobile phone users owning a smartphone, mobile training applications may very well be the way of the future, according to the Pew Research Center.

8 According to POS provider Toast, 78 percent of operators analyze metrics daily, up from 46 percent two years prior.

9 On average, restaurant managers spend approximately four hours per week writing schedules.

10 Online scheduling reduced the time it takes a manager to create a schedule by 75 percent on average. Source: HotSchedules

flavor SPRING SPRING 2019 2019 flavor

Meet the Newest Members of the QFA Board of Directors I

n February, John Ghirardelli, Tom Lewison and Leo Stathakis were elected as new Qdoba Franchisee Association (QFA) Board of Directors members during the second annual QFA Franchisee Convention in Tucson, Arizona. Read on to learn more about your newest board members.

How did you become a QDOBA® Franchisee? I was asked by the present owners to help them re-engineer/restructure their company as it was losing money. In the process, I enjoyed the business, and we were more successful. I was a one-third owner at that time. In 2017, I purchased all but 20 percent of the business and am presently working to purchase the rest.

What attracted you to the brand?

I have always liked fast-casual dining, and when I was introduced to QDOBA, I found it offers the best food – flavorful, high quality, healthy and freshly made each day. I think the queso is the best! From a business perspective, I like scalable businesses, and QDOBA has a lot of room for expansion. I am excited to see the brand grow as well as our franchise.

What motivated you to become involved with the QFA at this level? I like to participate in the associations I am involved with. Additionally, there is so much I still have to learn from the business. Not only can I benefit from the talent around me, I also hope to make the association extremely successful.

John Ghirardelli Title: Managing Member Company: Burrito Concepts, LLC Number of Units: 17 Year Entered the System: 2015

What do you see as your role as a board member? As the newest member to join the board, I hope to learn from and support the more experienced members of the board. Hopefully, I will have a deeper understanding of how the whole system works. I hope to be able to help in any way possible, but understand that this will be better done after I get some good experience. I believe it is the responsibility of QFA to do what is best for all of its members. I will work hard to make sure each member is represented and to ensure that all pertinent information is shared with all members. I hope my analytical and process skills will be useful as we all work together to make QDOBA all it can be.

What would you most like to see accomplished during your term?

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I would like to see all franchisees as members, which would greatly strengthen the organization.

have both perspectives and feel that will work as part of my role as a QFA board member.

What would you most like to see accomplished during your term?

Tom Lewison Company: QCarolina Restaurants, LLC Number of Units: 14 Year Entered the System: 2008

My goals during this term will include learning more about how other franchisees manage their business and working to share those experiences. I would also like to build relationships with franchisees that I do not know and help to become a voice for their concerns and questions. Most importantly, I hope to help strike a strong balance with franchisees and the franchisor to make QDOBA the strongest fast-casual Mexican chain in the business.

How did you become a QDOBA franchisee?

At the time, the brand was still very new, and the available development areas left room for new restaurant growth. I was also very intrigued with the attractive unit economics and potential return on investment.

I have always been a fan of the food. I spoke to QDOBA about expanding into Canada, and the rest is history.

What attracted you to the brand? The fact that the food is prepared fresh. I was also impressed by the way management and the franchise community worked together and shared in decisionmaking. I believe this is a unique competitive advantage for our brand.

What motivated you to become involved with the QFA at this level? We all have a stake in the brand, and I hope I can add some valuable input to the board.

What do you see as your role as a board member?

I became a franchisee in 2008. I was a big fan of the product, service system and facility design … so much so that I sought out the owners of the QDOBA restaurants in the Carolinas. Ten months after our first meeting, I closed on the purchase of 18 QDOBA restaurants.

What attracted you to the brand?

How did you become a QDOBA franchisee?

Leo Stathakis Title: President Company: QNorth Development Corp. Number of Units: 5 Year Entered the System: 2006

I hope to bring the perspective of a newer, smaller franchisee to the board. QDOBA is in a unique position with large, successful multiunit franchisees and smaller franchisees who may have different needs in terms of support. I also have a strong desire to ensure the brand is forwardlooking and decisions are strategic to the long-term success of company.

What would you most like to see accomplished during your term? Growth, profitability and a focus on the needs of franchisees of all sizes. l

What motivated you to become involved with the QFA at this level? I wanted to become involved with the QFA for a number of reasons. Most importantly, I respect the QFA leadership and felt that my background as a leader of a few different franchisor companies could lend a different perspective to the team.

Quality Foodservice Products

What do you see as your role as a board member? I feel that my role as a board member can evolve the QFA leadership in working with the franchisor side of our business. Many great intentioned franchisor leaders make changes because they feel that is the best thing for the business from their perspective. I’ve done that. In retrospect, I might have made different decisions working on the franchisor side if I had a better perspective as a franchisee. I now

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n Feb. 19-22, the Qdoba Franchisee Association hosted its second annual QFA Franchisee Convention at the breathtaking JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona. With promises to be even better than the last, it did not disappoint. Equipped with timely sessions, panels and topics; an elaborate exhibit hall; a tri-cultural-themed closing event; and special guests from QDOBA corporate, this year’s event helped strengthen the brand and relationships throughout the franchise community. The first day of the convention kicked off with an opening from Chairman Ron Stokes, a brand update from QDOBA® CEO Keith Guilbault, a series of speakers from QDOBA corporate who highlighted various growth initiatives and an insightful presentation from keynote speaker Tim Kirkland. The following day was full of educational panels with franchisees and corporate directors of operations and a Town Hall Q&A session where franchisees and board members could freely discuss updates and changes with the brand and the future of the association. On top of all of the informational sessions, the event also contained plenty of networking opportunities such as an opening reception, dedicated exhibit hall time and closing event. QFA would like to thank all of those who attended the convention and looks forward to next year’s event!

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Wednesday, Feb. 20 – Day 1

1 QFA Chairman Ron Stokes kicks off the first day of the convention with opening remarks. 2 QDOBA’s Chief Financial Officer Sue Daggett takes a moment to speak with Roaring Fork Restaurant Group’s Jim Anderson and Abby Hansen. 3 Sarah Laundry, Randy Beaver, Jim Anderson and Brent Bernard all pose for a photo before general session. 4 QDOBA CEO Keith Guilbault provides a brand update during the opening general session. 5 Meg Gannon, director of construction for QDOBA corporate, provides attendees with a look at the future of restaurant design. 6 Leo Stathakis, Scott Bocek, Randy Key and Bryan Shaffer mingle on the Ania Terrace. 7 Brent Bernard, Randy Key, Wade Gosnell and Abby Hansen lead a panel discussion on managing online and third-party delivery. 8 QDOBA’s Vice President of Marketing Jill Adams presents on menu architecture and media. 9 Keynote speaker Tim Kirkland captivates the audience during his presentation on hospitality in the restaurant industry. 10 CEO Keith Guilbault and Jeff Schroeder, vice president of company operations for QDOBA, converse on the Ania Terrace between sessions.

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Opening Reception and Exhibit Hall 1 Abby Hansen, Sarah Laundry, Christine Willis and Denise Stokes pose for a photo while visiting the exhibit hall. 2 Angela Ferguson poses for a photo with Tony Page inside the exhibit hall. 3 Brandon Yates introduces himself to Avanti’s Bolt Bolton and Shawna Snyder. 4 Chip Siegel III and Mark Hampton network with Morton Salt’s Kristen Schultz. 5 Bill Nelsen visits Danielle Andrade at the Uber Eats booth inside the exhibit hall. 6 Brett Turnwall and Keith Johnson III catch up inside the exhibit hall. 7 Kyle Bennehoff and Carl Lingle with Lingle Design discuss services with Michael Longstreth. 8 Tom Palmer visits Andrew Osborne and Roger Martinez at AAP’s booth inside the exhibit hall. 9 Jackie and Ken Ellsperman mingle with Mike Geilhausen from Villa Lighting.

8 7

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Thursday, Feb. 21 – Day 2 2 1 3

7 6

1 Stan Kramer, Scott Bocek and Bill Nelsen catch up with each other before the beginning of day two of the convention. 2 QDOBA’s Vice President of Technology Eric Rosenzweig connects with Hughes’ Neda Noorani during a break from general session. 3 Steve Honner, Bill Nelsen, Tom Lewison and Randy Beaver lead a panel on managing profitability. 4 QDOBA’s Vice President of Company Operations Jeff Schroeder provides an operations update during general session. 5 Representatives with Tundra Restaurant Supply Joel White and Scott Sloat demonstrate Tundra’s products during the trade show. 6 Tony Page, Ahmad Almasri, Michael Scott and Robert Charbonnet provide educational insights during their measuring hospitality panel. 7 Susan and Tom Middleton smile for a photo with Kathie Degen. 8 Ken and Jackie Ellsperman pose for a picture with Will Charbonnet. 9 Matt Herridge, Scott Bocek, Keith Johnson III and Will Charbonnet lead a panel on retaining talented teams. 10 Ron Stokes presents his Chairman’s Address during the closing general session. 11 Ron Stokes presents awards to outgoing board members Stan Kramer and Will Charbonnet. 12 Stan Kramer, Michael Scott, Randy Key and Ron Stokes lead the franchiseeonly Town Hall Q&A.

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Closing Event

1 Coca-Cola’s Kyle McCarthy tries to lasso the bull at the closing event. 2 Brent Daniels, Richard Davidson and Mary Richardson take a time out for a photo during the closing event. 3 Attendees Vanessa Herridge and Melissa and Ord Delaney enjoy a meal together during the closing event. 4 Adrienne Sharp and Brent Bernard smile for the camera. 5 Jim Anderson, along with Joshua Wesley, Sarah Bowling and Austin Barbee of Eagle Eye Networks, stops for a photo. 6 Tom Lewison and Christine Willis pose with Stan Kramer and his wife, Jeanie, for a picture. 7 Ashley Odeh shares a moment with Bassam Odeh. 8 Ron Stokes, Sarah Laundry, Abby Hansen and Bob Kuron watch attendees try their luck at lassoing during the closing event. 9 Mark and Lee Miller pose for a photo with Nikki and Evan Porttiin. 10 Denise Stokes, Carrie Falk, Angela Pickel, Ron Stokes and Ashley Odeh show off their moves on the dance floor.

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Thank You to Our Sponsors

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VOG and Hospitality: t Affect Your Busin I s e o D ess? w o H

uring the 2019 QFA Franchisee Convention in Tucson, Arizona, many QDOBA® franchisees gathered to build stronger connections with one another and build off each other’s best practices. On Feb. 21, franchisees Tony Page, Michael Scott, Stan Kramer, Robert Charbonnet and Director of Operations for Mid-America Ahmad Almasri discussed the importance of voice of the guest (VOG) scores and hospitality in your business during the Measuring Hospitality panel. It’s no secret that the key to any business’ success is customer satisfaction, and there are numerous ways to fulfill each and every one of your guests’ demands. People continue to return to establishments that left them feeling content and like their needs were met in an appropriate fashion, and that continuation of foot traffic into your business is what drives sales. “VOG scores are simply the metric that measures the effectiveness of our hospitality program. A hospitality strategy is still required,” said Stan Kramer with North-by-Northwest Ventures, LLC, the moderator of the panel. During the panel, attendees learned several different ways to utilize the VOG program to achieve their hospitality goals. “Some franchisees use VOG scores as part of managers’ comp plans; some utilize the

by Rachel Jackson

Qudos component of the VOG program to drive staff behavior. Still others use external metrics/programs to supplement the VOG program. The common denominator is that there is a hospitality strategy, and the VOG program is the metric for that strategy,” Kramer continued. Each of the franchisees on the panel reported sales growth correlated to increases in their VOG scores. Many key aspects come into play when generating happy customers. Were their requests and orders completed correctly and in a timely manner? Did the staff seem attentive and happy to help the customers? A major part of measuring hospitality in restaurants is measuring the quality of the restaurant’s staff. So where do you start when looking for employees who go the extra mile to satisfy every guest that comes in? Hiring and training the right people is exactly where Flavors West, LLC starts. During the panel, Michael Scott with Flavors West noted that one of the many ways the company trains its employees to go above and beyond expectations is to follow the Qudos Program. “When we moved from focusing on blame and criticism for something that went wrong and started focusing on praise and honor, we saw a significant increase in employee flavor SPRING 2019

performance and customer satisfaction,” said Scott. After implementing the Qudos Program, Flavor West saw increases in its overall satisfaction with the company (OSAT), friendliness scores, tastiness, freshness and almost a 9 percent increase in its store value. “Now obviously, Qudos is not the one and only factor that contributed to our sales increase,” said Scott, “but it certainly played a very big role in that achievement.” For the past 12 years, Tony Page, franchisee with Bluegrass Fresh Mex, LLC, has been using VOG scores as part of a bonus plan in his locations. In each one of Bluegrass Fresh Mex’s stores, bonuses for general managers, assistant managers and shift supervisors are rewarded based on the corporate profit and loss statement, controllable expenses, budget and VOG reporting. Each restaurant starts with a $1,600 pool per four-week accounting period. If certain criteria, such as achieving a controllable profit objective and maintaining a VOG score of 75 and above are met, general managers receive 65 percent of the pool, assistant general managers receive 25 percent of the pool and shift supervisors receive 10 percent.

“The bottom line is that with all the competition out there, we have to stand out with our hospitality. We want our guests to feel invited and welcomed in our restaurants,” said Page. Robert Charbonnet, CEO of Urban Eats, measures the quality of his staff by four defining points: 1. Are they happy and engaged on a regular basis? 2. How do they treat their fellow employees? 3. Are they courteous and friendly? 4. Are they quality driven? From these key points, Urban Eats grades its crew and sets goals on how to improve those grades. Urban Eats then follows up on its progress with weekly manager meetings and highlights the top three and bottom three employees of the week. Once you have your staff properly trained and goal-oriented, you can start focusing on tracking VOG scores. “You should use VOG as a way to follow up with problems,” said Charbonnet. One of the ways Urban Eats follows up on its VOG scores and customer satisfaction is by checking third-party review websites such as Google Reviews, Google Maps, Yelp, Apple Maps, OpenTable and Facebook Reviews. QDOBA Corporate manages all Google Reviews accounts, so Charbonnet advises reaching out to corporate to gain access to your stores’ accounts. “In doing so, this gives you an option to reply to your stores reviews and gain more information and insight on how to fix any problems,” said Charbonnet. Even though the brand has seen an uptick in overall VOG and OSAT scores, the system still has room for improvement. When Almasri joined the QDOBA brand, he wanted to make it a personal mission to increase hospitality scores throughout the brand. Shortly after, Almasri implemented a hospitality culture initiative to be tested and rolled out nationwide. “I come from full service, so when I got to QDOBA, I did not see that feeling of hospitality, friendliness and smiles. When I go to a place to eat and I’m going to spend my money, I want someone to make my day better,” said Almasri. “So, I started thinking about ways to improve hospitality. We created an elementary hospitality initiative to talk about how people don’t know exactly what ‘friendly’

is. People think they are being friendly when they greet guests, but it can come off as robotic. We want people to say ‘Hey, great to see you at QDOBA! It’s cold outside, but warm in here. Come in!’” Almasri, along with Vice President of Operations for QDOBA Jeff Schroeder and CEO of QDOBA Keith Guilbault, devised a hospitality culture initiative to help bring a certain level of friendliness and hospitality to the QDOBA stores. In the initiative, corporate trains district and restaurant managers and role plays their day-to-day activities. Once those managers are trained, they go back to their stores to do the same form of training with everyone on their team. Once every team member is properly trained, for three months corporate measures the store’s hospitality through VOG and InMoment scores and then moves on to implementing secret shoppers. “Using secret shoppers to measure the store is more accurate. They will tell you if they were greeted, if the cashier asked them about the rewards program and if the cashier carried on a conversation,” said Almasri. But being friendly and hospitable to your customers can only go so far. What happens if the service line is backed up and you have an influx in customers for the day? What if the food takes too long? Whenever this happens, Almasri advises offering samples to your customers. “We need to keep our service plan organized; that way the speed of service is satisfactory. You can have great service, but if the speed

of service is poor, it counteracts the great service and that’s a part of hospitality,” said Almasri. “Can we get them through the line faster and with a smile on their face?” Almasri advises that samples make a huge difference in the speed of service. “People feel like they aren’t waiting as long when they are getting samples, and when they get samples of mango salsa or steak, it’s amazing how many people actually change their order to the higher marked item,” said Almasri. When your guests are in a hurry, what you think of as “friendly and hospitable” may not come off that way to certain guests. Learning how to read your guests’ body language and facial expressions are key to understanding what to offer them and how long to talk to them about menu items. If guests are in a hurry, they may find it a nuisance to be asked a lot of questions or suggested a lot of items from the menu. In the end, serving your guests with positivity and passion is a great way to boost hospitality scores and, in turn, the foot traffic in your restaurant. People come to restaurants for an array of occasions and build a lot of their connections over meals, so being able to add that extra splash of friendliness, hospitality and a genuine smile can really go far for your business. l RACHEL JACKSON is the QFA communications coordinator. You can reach Jackson at 678-540-6209 or rachelj@qdobafa.org.

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anaging profitability is a crucial aspect of any industry but especially in the restaurant. When trying to run a business, it is invaluable to use the simplistic, yet workable, approaches to maximize revenue and minimize costs. This year at the 2019 QFA Franchisee Convention in Tucson, Arizona, Tom Lewison, Randy Beaver, Bill Nelsen and Steve Honner hosted a panel on managing hospitality, and highlighted three key ways they’ve kept costs low in their restaurants. Planning the business side of the business. For Tom Lewison, owner of 14 QDOBA® Mexican Eats restaurants, the key to managing profitability in his QDOBA locations

Key Areas That Influence Profitability

by Rachel Jackson

starts at the front end of the deal: planning the business side of the business. The front side deal includes site selection, development costs and the way you structure your staff and administration, including partnerships. Being knowledgeable about what is in the franchise agreement is key. Knowing your responsibilities and your rights gives you the upper ground and the chance to figure out how much you want to put in the business. “We take the risk of ownership for one reason … to make money. The entrepreneurial spirit drives us in a different way than other people; it is that spirit that allows us to take risks others avoid,” said Lewison. “Celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit and achieving operational excellence is a path that is well worth taking. It is the basis for success on all levels, including financial success.” After you are acquainted with the specifics of your franchise agreement, next comes the site selection process. “Site selection can and will make or break your business,” warned Lewison. “There are many factors to consider, including the basics such as competitive set, traffic generators, population density – daytime as well as nighttime and weekends, income levels and traffic counts.” Knowing the demographic of the location you have chosen gives you an idea of what your business will look like. “Of course, knowing the trade area of the site first hand helps take a lot of guess work out of making the right decision,” said Lewison. Lewison also advises seeking help from QDOBA flavor SPRING 2019

corporate when looking for demographic information. With any and all site selection decisions comes development costs. “Knowing what the development costs are before beginning a project helps keep you on budget,” said Lewison. “Always add a contingency expense of 10 percent to any project you work on to be sure you have enough working capital to complete the project.” He also advises thoroughly vetting your architect, which could end up saving you money and time. Without detailed, accurate drawings you can face numerous change orders that add up quickly. Lewison also advises finding a project manager to help keep you on track with the building process if you have never managed general contractors. Project managers are not expensive and will keep you on track to meet your timeline and budget goals. Next comes the people. “People make the difference! I know this isn’t new or revolutionary, but people are the key driver in managing profitability,” said Lewison. Lewison suggests looking into what administrative support you need, what those costs look like and what target you have for general and administrative expenses. “We use 4-5 percent of sales as a target depending on our growth plans,” said Lewison. Staffing your stores with hardworking, dependable team members is invaluable to store sales and growth. Building relationships with the community around your location and the people you hire will help you build a better relationship with the guests who frequent your store. But the people you hire aren’t the

only crucial decisions you’ll make in your business. “Partnership decisions are extremely important,” advised Lewison. “When partners’ objectives are not aligned, troubles are not far behind.” Being sure that you and your business partner have the same goals for the store and brand in mind can make or break your business. Structuring a slogan or mission statement for your company can help to further ensure that you have created a certain company culture within your business. For Lewison’s restaurants, three goals are kept top of mind to create the company’s desired culture: • The No. 1 goal is to make as much money possible in each restaurant. • Exceed the guests’ expectations and manage costs. • Hire, train, lead and inspire great people. Driving sales. For Vice President of Operations for Roaring Fork Restaurant Group Randy Beaver, managing profitability is all about driving sales, reviewing results and ensuring the company receives a proper flow through on increased sales. “When it comes to running great restaurants and maximizing profit, it’s about managing both the top line (sales) and the middle lines on the P&L. We must ensure we are growing our sales and properly managing the lines on the P&L so that we are flowing the right amount of profit to the bottom line,” said Beaver. “Great, sustainable profit comes from managing the pennies through to the bottom line, just don’t forget the dollars that come from growing sales.” Keeping track of how costs rise with sales is a great way to manage proper flow through in your stores. Roaring Fork has found that when sales increase, food, paper and franchise expenses increase with it. Labor, controllable costs and manager bonuses go up as well but only slightly, and contracted services such as marketing costs, operations and training expenses, interests expense and G&A expenses should not increase at all. When it comes time to review your financials, Beaver suggests asking yourself four important questions: 1. Do you have a review process set up? 2. How long after your period ends do you get your financials? 3. Do you have scheduled time set aside to review your financials?

4. Do you have a benchmark process and a follow-up system in place? By keeping track of which costs are rising, how much they have increased and reviewing your finances, keeping control of your profitability becomes easier. Cost controls and good unit economics. For Bill Nelsen, director of operations for North-By-Northwest Ventures, LLC, and Steve Honner, QDOBA director of operations for the upper Midwest, managing profitability is done through controlling cost and using good unit economics on a daily basis. “Every shift, every day, there are hundreds of decisions that are being made by many people at different levels that will have an impact on the profitability of your restaurant,” said Nelsen. One of the ways profitability can be impacted is through maintenance and repairs. With all equipment, ensuring that your employees are properly trained to take care of the equipment is a good place to start. Having a good HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing and general repairs vendor and keeping up with a maintenance repair log are also beneficial to keeping repair costs down. “Have repair companies sign in as they arrive, write down an explanation of the actual repairs that took place and leave the old parts,” advised Nelsen. “Have the vendor sign out the time they completed the repairs and compare the maintenance log to the invoice.” Laundry and uniforms are another costly subject. Nelsen advises not getting stuck in the automatic rollover contracts CFC-1258 QDOBA AD_1.pdf

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your laundry provider presents you with, and keep inventory of aprons, towels and rugs needed for each restaurant. Having uniform agreements with employees and making them return their uniforms upon termination is another way to keep costs down. For Steve Honner, using budget tools and systems to consistently control costs is a significant way to manage profitability. Honner utilizes a declining budget tool that assists in controlling expenses in R&M, restaurant supply, uniforms, tablemate, office, smallwares, paid outs and linen. “Budget tools and systems allow the team to make informed business decisions that affect profitability,” urged Honner. “They also help teach fiscal planning and responsibility.” These systems are also beneficial when it comes to keeping up with budgets based upon sales that can be tracked weekly or periodically and include running totals and interchangeable categories based upon focus. As you can see, there are many ways to control costs and manage profitability in your day-to-day operations and throughout your organization. By staying mindful of where your money is going, you can begin to cut down on costs one percentage point at a time. These efforts will add up and help boost your bottom line ensuring future success for your business. l RACHEL JACKSON is the QFA communications coordinator. You can reach Jackson at 678-540-6209 or rachelj@qdobafa.org.

12:15 PM

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THOUGHTS ON

l e l n e c c x e E “L

by Dan Coughlin

ife is difficult.” Those are the three opening words in the book, “The Road Less Traveled” by Scott Peck, which is one of the bestselling books of all time. I read this book back in the 1990s, and I still remember this opening line because it’s so direct and honest. Peck then wrote this paragraph. “This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see the truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult – once we truly understand and accept it – then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.” I feel the same way about leadership. Leadership truly is difficult. In this article, I want to touch on three of the great challenges faced in trying to provide leadership, which I define as influencing how other people think so they make decisions that improve results in a sustainable way. Once we accept that leadership is difficult, then it no longer matters that it’s difficult. We can see what we are dealing with, and we can carry on.

LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE #1: You have to have wisdom to provide to others. Leadership is not your label or title or level of authority. Having the biggest title in the room might allow you to make the final decision, but that doesn’t mean you have effectively influenced how other people think. Knowledge does not make you a leader. Every person with an internet connection today has more knowledge right now than any great leader in history before the advent of Google. Know-how is important. Knowing how to do a type of task or function is very important, but it doesn’t make you a leader. Know-how might make you a great performer or a great teacher, but it doesn’t make you a leader. Wisdom is different. Knowledge is knowing something. Wisdom is understanding something. That understanding is the source of your perspective. Your perspective is what you have to offer to other people. Invest time in really working to understand

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people and situations, and then you will have something extraordinarily valuable to offer to them: your wisdom, which is the perspective you have earned over your lifetime. Oftentimes, wisdom can only be gained by making mistakes. The more they hurt, the more you will learn. Don’t be ashamed of your mistakes. Learn from them. You will have more wisdom to offer to others. Of course, don’t think that making the same mistakes over and over again is going to help you have more wisdom. That just means you are not learning anything. LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE #2: You have to deliver your wisdom effectively. It’s not enough to understand people and situations. You have to be able to deliver that wisdom in ways that other people can take it in and do something with it. There are many ways to deliver wisdom, and they are all difficult skills to master. You can deliver wisdom by being an extraordinary listener, conversationalist, teacher, doer, writer, parent, child, sibling, relative, friend, boss, colleague, employee, customer or supplier. There is no secret formula. What matters is your ability to convey your perspective to others in ways that they can take it in and consider it and be influenced to improve results in a sustainable way. I encourage you to really think about how you can convey the wisdom, the perspective, you have earned over your lifetime. This takes time and intentional effort on your part to become really good at imparting your wisdom. LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE #3: People have to trust you. Trust means that people are willing to listen to your perspective and consider it.

It takes a very long time to develop genuine trust from other people, and it can be ruined in just a few minutes. You develop trust from others by doing what you said you would do. You develop it by being there for other people in ways that they feel they gained value from being with you. You develop trust by doing those two things consistently over and over and over again. You ruin trust when you do something that is contrary or seems contrary to what other people expect from you, or from what they expect is the right thing for you to do or say. This might only happen once or twice, but now you are no longer trusted by those people. Sad, but true. The only way they can trust you again is if they forgive you for what you’ve said or done, and give you another opportunity to be trusted. Then it’s up to you to earn their trust again. Leadership requires extraordinary ongoing discipline to act in a way that people can trust you over the long term. When you make a mistake in hurting trust, learn from the mistake, pick yourself back up and move forward again. You now have more wisdom to offer to those people that you will eventually build trust with in the future. l As an executive coach, seminar leader, keynote teacher and strategic guide, DAN COUGHLIN focuses on strengthening excellence. He defines excellence as doing whatever you do as well as you can do it right now while simultaneously learning how to do it better the next time. He has provided more than 4,000 executive coaching sessions and more than 500 seminars on excellence since 1998. He is the co-author of the new book, “The Any Person Mindset: Be Accountable to the Difference You Can Make.” Visit www.theanypersonmindset.com to learn more or visit his Free Business Leadership Idea Center at www.thecoughlincompany.com. Zenput Operations Execution

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Employment Applications: Can They Really Be a Source of Liability? by Douglas H. Duerr

f you have employees, then you should have, among many other things, an employment application. Employment applications are a good, initial tool for screening job applicants for suitability for employment in an open position; the application should collect just enough information to enable you and your managers to find someone with the necessary skills, qualifications, experience and licensing to do the job. Thus, while an application may seem anachronistic in today’s fast-paced, app-based world, it can be a valuable, initial screening tool in finding the right applicant. However, like all tools, a poor application will not only fail to help you find the right workers, it can land you in legal hot water. So, when was the last time you really looked at the job application used by your business? If you are like many, you probably have not really looked at it in a while – or since you first used it – to make sure it complies with the law and best practices. Also, you may not even remember where you got it from, or perhaps it is something you “borrowed” from some company on the internet when you were getting ready to start your business and realized you needed one. 22

Regardless of how old or new your application is, take a few moments now to pull it out and take a close look to see if your application has any of these common pitfalls:

Does your application ask for criminal background information? Long a

standard question on employment applications, state and local governments have been outlawing questions on applications and (at least) initial interviews over the last few years. The purpose of these bans and a related challenge by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to employers refusing employment based on criminal history is to reduce the possibility of unlawful discrimination based on race, color and national origin. Even if your business is not now in a jurisdiction with such a ban, you should still tread carefully in acting upon criminal history information and should almost always refrain from refusing employment based on an arrest history.

Are there questions that might reveal gender or LGBTQ status? If your

application asks the applicant to disclose flavor SPRING 2019

their sex/gender/ LGBTQ status, then you need to take a closer look. These questions are generally not permitted or could create some real liability as most jobs cannot be awarded on the basis of such factors. Even if your application does not have such a direct question, you need to avoid indirect questions such as asking for the identity and relationship with any emergency contact, questions about child care, pregnancy plans and so forth.

Any questions about disabilities or medical history? Although I did

recently come across an application (still in use) asking if an applicant had a disability. Hopefully, your application does not have such a direct question as that has long been unlawful; however, even indirect questions can violate laws against disability discrimination. Make sure your application and interview questions do not include questions about needed accommodations, workers’ compensation history, absences

from work or the like. If anything, it should only ask whether the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without an accommodation, and, of course, this question is only useful if the applicant has been provided information regarding a job’s essential functions.

Anything that might suggest the applicant's age? Asking for an applicant’s

date of birth has long been prohibited, and nothing has changed there. That said, make sure that the application does not ask for date of high school graduation, GED or something similar that is a good indicator of age.

Request for Social Security number?

While federal law and most states do not prohibit asking for a Social Security number (SSN) on an employment application, there is an increasing interest in data privacy and lawsuits when sensitive data is lost or stolen (e.g., cybersecurity breaches). While there are certainly reasons to capture the SSN, e.g. for background checks, collection and payment of taxes and withholdings, I-9 completion and so forth, you do not need to collect an SSN.

Compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). If you use a

third party to perform background or credit checks, then you need to comply with the requirements of the FCRA (which takes its own article to cover). Sometimes, employers like to incorporate collection of the background check into the employment application; however, while this is possible, the FCRA has strict requirements regarding the form of the notice and the consent documentation, including that they need to be in a separate document. While this can be done, it is generally best for the background check documentation (notices, consent, etc.) to be completely separate from the application itself. Note: This is separate from the language your application may have at the end about consent to conduct a background check; this only applies to inquiries made directly by your company and not a third-party service.

Do you have questions about citizenship, immigration status or ancestry?

discrimination based on national origin. Instead, wait until commencement of employment and use the Form I-9 to determine work eligibility. If your application has passed the foregoing, then it is time to make sure it also complies with some best practices:

Make sure the application asks for all employment going back five or 10 years, not just the last three or so jobs. Such a complete job history can help you uncover potential problems with an applicant’s job history.

The application should have a statement to the effect that if the applicant makes a false statement or omits material information, the application can be denied or, if employment has already commenced, be terminated. This can be very useful if you learn that an applicant, for example, left out a prior job in his/her job history … a job from which the applicant had been terminated for some serious misconduct.

A statement of consent for you to conduct reference checks and other background investigations. While this will not comply with FCRA, it does provide protection for when you (or your HR department) contact prior employers to verify employment and work to obtain other information relevant to the application process.

Make sure the application contains an instruction that the applicant complete all blanks/boxes of the application (and

have the reviewer make sure every question has an answer or a “not applicable”). Applicants may, rather than making a false statement, sometimes avoid answering a question on an application if there is something they would like to hide.

Make everyone fill out an application prior to hire, no matter the position. Otherwise, you will likely miss important information and, perhaps more importantly, will not have the applicant on notice that they are obligated to provide truthful information (See 2).

Keep applications on file (or “active”) for no more than 30 or 60 days, with applicants required to update the prior application or submit a new one. This is important to make sure information remains current and updated. Also, if an applicant is not hired and brings a legal claim, you will only be called upon to defend against hiring decisions made during that limited period. While avoiding all of these common pitfalls and following these best practices won’t insulate you from all liability or result in hiring only the best individuals, it will certainly help! l

DOUGLAS H. DUERR is partner at Elarbee Thompson, a national labor and employment law firm with an industry practice area focused on franchises. Learn more at www.elarbeethompson.com.

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While you can ask whether an applicant is eligible to work for any employer in the United States, you should not ask about citizenship, immigration status or ancestry as that can be used as evidence of

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LOOK LISTEN READ L

ook, Listen, Read is a quarterly compilation of some of the most highly rated and reviewed apps, podcasts, books, websites and other resources. QFA does not support or endorse the use of these tools, which merely serve as a guide to exploring a new level of knowledge and productivity for your business.

Alignable is a social network for smallbusiness owners. A place for entrepreneurs and small-business owners to network with their industry peers online, Alignable serves as a platform for members to share tips, generate referrals and build partnerships that can further manifest on Main Street. Alignable has helped smallbusiness owners make more than a million meaningful relationships, with activity in more than 8,000 communities.

Business Insanity Talk Radio is hosted by

business expert Barry Moltz. Moltz has founded and ran various small businesses for the past 20 years. On the podcast, he interviews numerous entrepreneurs about the craziness of running a small business. He typically interviews five guests per episode and releases one episode a week. 24

Boxer is one of the best iPhone email client apps for people who want to take charge of their email. Its push notifications are fast, and it’s easy to set up. Boxer also integrates with your calendar and lets you customize swipe-based gestures. What sets Boxer apart from other email client apps is how much control it gives you and how you interact with it. Swipe gestures let you process each piece of mail you receive. Even better, those gestures are customizable, so if you delete more often than you archive, you can make sure that delete is one of the actions always at your fingertips. Boxer is best for people who’ll actually do that kind of fine-tuning. Another way Boxer is different from other email apps is that it gives you quick access to your calendar and list of contacts. The Outlook app for iPhone also has a tab for your calendar at the bottom of the screen.

Government regulations, tax codes and technology can be difficult to keep up with.

The Small Business Administration’s Learning Center offers online courses on a wide range of

important small-business topics, including financing options for small businesses and preparing government forms. The tutorials vary in length, but most are 30 minutes or less.

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The ability to seamlessly transfer calls from mobile to desktop and vice versa was an early differentiator for Viber, which lets you exchange stickeremblazoned texts, as well as make calls and engage in video chats and calls to standard phones for free. And though it requires your phone number, it does encrypt communications.

A one-stop-shop for small business reading material, SmallBizDaily covers topics from creating the right office space to protecting consumer data. Entrepreneurs and small-business owners can find helpful articles on marketing, sales, technology, trends and more. Read what interests you at www.smallbizdaily.com or subscribe to the TrendCast newsletter to have headlines delivered to your inbox.

App in the Air is a blessing for those who live out of a suitcase. It keeps track of your itineraries, boarding passes and frequent-flier programs. Plug in any number of flights and you can track boarding and landing times, along with current waits for check-in, security and customs. Search tips from other travelers for which airport coffee shop is open at 5 a.m. and little-known places to charge your phone. Connect the app to your email account and let it suck in reservations from your calendar and mail. Your phone then displays information on upcoming flights: how long until you need to check in, the weather at your destination and so on.

In “Delivering Happiness,” Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh shares the different lessons he has learned in business and life, from starting a worm farm to running a pizza business, through LinkExchange, Zappos and more. Fast-paced and down-to-earth, “Delivering Happiness” shows how a very different kind of corporate culture is a powerful model for achieving success and how, by concentrating on the happiness of those around you, you can dramatically increase your own.

One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” has captivated readers for 25 years. It has transformed the lives of presidents and CEOs, educators and parents – in short, millions of people of all ages and occupations. Written by Stephen Covey, the book drives home the notion that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness. Covey’s anecdotes are frequently from family situations and from business challenges. Before you can adopt the seven habits, you’ll need to accomplish what Covey calls a “paradigm shift” – a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works. Covey takes you through this change, which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your “proactive muscles” (acting with initiative rather than reacting), and much more. l

The “A” Program SSDC offers high quality products designed with ® Qdoba Mexican Eats in mind. Our A Program features specially selected chemicals that will help tackle every cleaning task in your restaurant. SSDC Delivers • Commercial quality, highly-effectivecleaners • Innovative packaging & dispensing solutions • Unparalleled support & service • Incredible value

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PROCRAS T I N AT I O N ? Can We Talk About This Tomorrow?

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by Laura Stack

ell, I guess we’ve put it off long enough! Time to talk about a tough issue. A newsletter subscriber wrote me, asking,

“Laura, I work hard all day. I’m organized, and I control time-wasters. So why can’t I seem to get on top of things?” Hmmm … could it be that you’re busy working hard on the wrong things? Do you have a little nagging voice in your head saying, “I’ve got to get started on this?” A possible explanation for lessthan-stellar productivity could be a lack of discipline in doing what you know you should be doing. Quick quiz: Let’s say you have a to-do list with only 10 items on it for the entire day. You get a bit of time and have an option to check something off. What do you do first? If you were like the majority of folks, you’d pick something easy. Something fun. Something trivial. Something you can check off. It feels good to check things off! It gives you a real sense of satisfaction. Another block of time, another item checked off! Wow, look at that. You’re already one-fifth of the way through the list. It’s now the end of the day. Let’s say you have nine out of 10 items checked off. What’s the one that’s left? The most important item! The hardest. The yuckiest. The most valuable. The one you’ve been putting off for a week. Isn’t it easy to put off the things that you know you should be doing? Procrastination is actually quite understandable. Human nature is to avoid pain. When you put off a task, it rewards you twice: once when you get to do something else that is more fun, and second when you don’t have to do the undesirable chore. When the task comes back to haunt you, it only punishes you once. So, it’s easy to see why procrastination wins out! Unfortunately, in the end, the cost of putting things off outweighs the reward. The pain is ultimately worse than the pleasure you derived from procrastinating. You end up operating in perpetual crisis mode, acting out a consistent state of drama and becoming a big, nasty stress-monster. “But look how productive I was!” you argue. “Nine out of 10 things checked off my list!” News flash: Productivity does NOT equal check marks. You must detach your sense of accomplishment from the quantity of items completed on your list, and instead, use the quality of the items completed as your gauge. If you only have four items of 10 completed, but one was the most important of all, that was a far more productive day than completing nine lowpriority items. Your value as an employee will consistently outpace your co-workers if you spend your time focusing on the critical few tasks that lead to the highest performance, value and output as an employee.

Convinced? So how do you stop procrastinating? Here are a few tricks. Is the task: Overwhelming? Perhaps the task is too large. Instead of viewing it as one huge project, break it down into manageable chunks you can schedule over a period of a week or two. Twenty-hour project? No! Look at it as 10 two-hour tasks. Getting it down on paper can help you see how to best approach the project. The key is to do something to move toward completion. If you must write a long, detailed report on some research findings, don’t sit in front of your computer and stare at a blank screen. Writing a few sentences or the section headings may give you some momentum. Unappealing? Perhaps the task is boring or tedious. Post written reminders to yourself where you will be sure to see them: your bathroom mirror, car dashboard or refrigerator. The rule is: If the sticky note falls off, you’re still procrastinating. Or you can schedule a five-minute appointment with yourself to begin the chore. When the designated time arrives, start working on the task. If you feel like stopping at the end of five minutes, you can stop. The only rule is you must schedule an additional five minutes for tomorrow. When you begin to see some progress, five minutes soon becomes 10, 15, 20. Continued on page 28

Celebrating Years aVANTI IS YOUR ALL THINGS QDOBA expert FOR: nro REMODEL

SHAWNA SNYDER

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REIMAGE REPLACEMENT

916-378-0099

SSNYDER@AVANTICORPORATE.COM 27

Procrastination Continued from page 27

Complete these unpleasant tasks first thing in the morning so they aren’t hanging over your head all day.

Unpleasant? Perhaps the task is making you anxious, such as returning a complaint call from a customer. Select a simple, loweffort part of the task to get you started. For example, you could pull the customer’s file. Then perform another leading task, such as reviewing the file. Then pull the phone closer. In other words, complete everything up to the part of the activity you dread. Then the ONLY thing left to do is pick up that phone. It might help to write down your thoughts before you call to help discharge some negative emotion and figure out what you’re going to say. Complete these unpleasant tasks first thing in the morning so they aren’t hanging over your head all day.

Trivial? If you are you rewriting an item on your to-do list for the third day in a row – STOP! Before you transfer that task, ask yourself why you haven’t completed it. Perhaps other tasks with higher priorities have justifiably pushed it forward. If the task seems unimportant, quickly do an analysis to determine if you can justify your procrastination. Draw two columns and list your reasons for procrastinating on one side and your reasons for getting started on the other. If your reasons to start are longer and more convincing, perhaps it will persuade you to get going. On the other hand, perhaps the reasons for procrastinating outweigh the reasons to start. This objective analysis may prove the task is indeed trivial and deserving of your procrastination. If so, completely remove it from your daily to-do list and add it to your master to-do list. Review your master to-do list each month to see which items have changed priority. If you don’t have to look at the item every day, you will stop feeling guilty and stressing out over not getting it done. No accountability? To solve procrastination for good, find yourself a “ruthless friend” (a person who likes you, but not too much). This could be a colleague, friend, coach or your mother. Tell them what you’re going to do, by when. Ask that person to remind you at set intervals and bug you about your progress. Sometimes going public creates self-imposed pressure to perform. Action Item. Right now, grab a piece of paper. Draw four columns and label them “Item,” “Cause,” “Action” and “Due.” Jot down at least three things you’ve been procrastinating on, why you’ve been putting it off, one idea about how you can get started, and by when you will have the task completed. Writing an action plan may be just what you needed (or a good kick in the pants)! Ask me if you need the latter. l LAURA STACK, MBA, CSP, CPAE, aka The Productivity Pro®, gives speeches and seminars on sales and leadership productivity. For over 25 years, she’s worked with Fortune 1000 clients to reduce inefficiencies, execute more quickly, improve output and increase profitability. Laura is the author of seven books, including “Doing the Right Things Right: How the Effective Executive Spends Time.” To invite Laura to speak at your next event, visit www.TheProductivityPro.com.

Michael Gentry AUSTIN, TEXAS 512-983-8980 Tonya Moody DENVER, COLORADO 303-905-4067 Lacinda Kasparek AUSTIN, TEXAS 512-740-3983

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advertisers guide 2020 QFA Franchisee Convention

Ascentium Capital 281-902-1931

4 Ascentium.Info/Qdoba

Avanti Restaurant Solutions 916-378-0099

INSURANCE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

GROWTH Offering our unique health benefits program attracts and retains top-talent, and our property and casualty program builds a solid foundation for your current structure and future expansion.

Barco Uniforms 888-624-2090

8 www.barcouniforms.com

Bluetree Casework 816-396-8344

25 www.gobluetree.com

Cargill Foodservice 949-412-1094

23 cargill.com

Dart Container 480-338-1937

9 www.dartcontainer.com

Elevanta Health 678-540-6202

IF elevantahealth.com/qfa

Hughes 858-452-4650

3 www.hughes.com/qsr

FOCUS

McGriff Insurance Services 888-399-2040

Our services are laser-focused on your insurance coverages and managing your risk through our tailored programs and dedicated customer service.

McIlhenny Co., TABASCO Brand 337-256-3366

VISION

27 ssnyder@avanticorporate.com

BC servicenow@mcgriffinsurance.com 17 www.tabascofoodservice.com

Selecto Inc. 800-635-4017

21 www.selectoinc.com

SSDC/Ecolab 214-533-9793

25 jack@ssdcsoap.com

Your vision…is ours too. Because of our franchise industry specialty, we provide you with the most comprehensive coverages available on the market so you are protected in any direction you look to drive your business success.

The Cholula Food Co. 424-275-5728

19 CholulaFoodservice.com

Trimark/Hockenbergs 512-983-8980

28 michael.gentry@trimarkusa.com

TRUST

*IF=Inside Front, BC=Back Cover, CS=Cover Sheet

Utilizing the largest provider network in the country, Blue Cross Blue Shield, for our health benefits program and serving as co-broker with McGriff Insurance Services, the fifth largest broker in the nation, for property and casualty, Elevanta is an experienced insurance resource you can trust.

Zenput 678-528-2984

21 www.zenput.com

2019 editorial calendar Issue

Ad Reservation Deadline

Publication Date

Summer

May 27

July

Call for Franchisee News

elevantahealth.com/qfa Health: John Abbey I 678.540.6202 I johna@elevanta.com P&C: Stephanie Phillips I 678.540.6206 I stephaniep@elevanta.com

E L E V A N TA . C O M

We want to highlight any news or events associated with QDOBA franchisees. If you have ideas for potential stories, please email communications@qdobafa.org or call 678-797-5160. Our editorial staff can assist in writing the story for you.

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THE MAGAZINE OF THE QDOBA FRANCHISEE ASSOCIATION | SPRING 2019

Insurance shouldn’t be one more concern. Especially given the wide range of protection you need in this day and age. At McGriff Insurance Services, the exclusive property and casualty insurance provider for Qdoba Franchisee Association (QFA) members nationwide, we make sure owners like you have the very best in claims assistance, loss control services – and every line of coverage you need. That means we go beyond the basics.

Tony Page steps out into the Franchisee Spotlight. Turn to page 5 to read more.

00992_Rev. 3-26-19

Turn to page 16 to read on topics discussed during the Measuring Hospitality panel at the

2019 QFA Franchisee Convention.