(L-R) Lorna Hawthorne, Lloyd Hawthorne, Jacqueline Robinson, Lowell Hawthorne, Lauris Campbell, Milton Hawthorne and Velma Hawthorne
It was all, indeed, a tall order, but on May 23 1996, Golden Krust received its franchise license and since then there has been no looking back. The company now has 120 stores in nine states and produces nine different flavors of patties. tremendous dividends and propelled Golden Krust to a position of distinction as the most successful Caribbean enterprise in the United States. “After doing my preliminary research on franchising, I approached an attorney who told me that the first thing we had to do is to knock down all 30 stores we had at the time and remodel them to look alike. I was taken aback by the recommendation,” he recalled, adding, “But I was determined. Then we were confronted with the various manuals we had to produce. There was a franchise manual followed by others on compliance, construction and operations. Then we had to prepare financial statements and put cookie cutter type systems in place.” It was all, indeed, a tall order, but on May 23 1996, Golden Krust received its franchise license and since then there has been no looking back. The company now has 120 stores in nine states and produces nine different flavors of patties. In addition to franchising, the Golden Krust brand has two other channels of operations: the retail channel which services Costco, Sam’s Club, dollar stores and 7,000 supermarkets, and the institution channel serving New York City Public Schools and the penal system. Part of Hawthorne’s vision is to take Caribbean cuisine mainstream by 2020. “I believe we will be able to achieve this goal by focusing on our three main channels—retail,
www.thepositivecommunity.com
franchise and institutional,” he opined. In an America where this dream is realized, Hawthorne hopes to see the Jamaican beef patty take a place alongside a slice of pizza, a bagel and Chinese noodles. Hawthorne is as proud of his Christian upbringing and way of living as he is of his beef patties. “Faith without works is dead,” he believes. “I have the faith and I’ve done, and am doing the work.” It is this same faith and Christian values that give him both roots and wings. And it is also what he says brings him the most pleasure outside of the business. “I love leading people to praise God.” And as the worship leader at the Church of the Nazarene, he gets an opportunity to do so every Sunday morning. “This is my joy,” he said. “And so, too, is starting my day with prayer and devotion. My aim every morning when I wake up is to find something to keep me going for that day. Sometimes it is the 20-30 children who we were able to give scholarships to last year. Other days it is my wife, Lorna, and our four children. Other days it is my father’s legacy or the entrepreneurial spirit of my brothers and sisters. And some days it is our franchisees.” Whatever the inspiration that comes up that day, Hawthorne draws on it to strengthen his determination, maintain discipline and nurture the desire to live in the fullness of what it means to be, the baker’s son.
Summer 2012 The Positive Community
33