QSR April 2023

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Jane Abell Grote Executive Chairwoman of the Board and Chief Purpose Officer DONATOS PIZZA

What was your first job? My first job was working along with my grandma and grandpa to make our pizza dough. I was 11 years old at the time, but since it’s a fam ily business I was allowed to work at that young age. What’s your favorite menu item at Donatos? I will always love our original pepperoni pizza topped with 100 pieces of crispy heritage pepperoni, aged smoked Provolone, and Romano on our famous thin crust cov ered Edge to Edge. What’s your favorite cuisine aside from pizza? Is there any other cuisine? Pizza has been at the center of my family and brought so many communities to gether. Who inspires you as a leader? Our restaurant associates and managers inspire me every day with their hard work and dedica tion to making each commu nity we serve a better place. Additionally, our teachers and healthcare providers. What’s the best piece of advice that other restaurant executives should hear? Find your pur pose first and never let your plans become bigger than your purpose. Plans change but your purpose is your real power. What are some of your in terests outside of work? It doesn’t feel like work when it’s a family business, so most of my interest is building our legacy by having our third generation join Donatos. When I’m not doing that or making pizzas, my interest is working with our non-profit, the Reeb Avenue Center.

D onatos was founded in 1963 when my father, Jim Grote, bought a small pizza shop in Columbus, Ohio, as a sophomore at Ohio State University for $1,300 from a young seminarian. Growing up, my dad was advised to be tough in business and nice at home. However, he knew that when he started a business of his own that he was determined to stray from that outdated idea and choose a new path: to treat others the way he wanted to be treated and to lead with love in every decision that was made. 60 years later, Donatos continues to live out Our Promise to serve the best pizza and make your day a little better, all from those humble begin nings on the south side of Columbus to now over more than half the U.S. with 429 locations serv ing Donatos pizza in traditional restaurants, sports and entertainment venues, one REEF Kitchen, and a partnership with Red Robin that continues to grow. Dad’s insistence on serving a consistent outstanding product and doing busi ness in a way that has become known as Agape

capitalism has propelled our brand to tremendous success and the ability to give back in the com munities that we serve in a very meaningful way. Since getting involved in the family business, I have served in many different roles at Dona tos. Currently, I am the Executive Chairwoman of the Board and Chief Purpose Officer for the brand. In addition, I am an ambassador for the brand and responsible for the overall strategic direction of our almost 60-year-old family-owned company. As an author and expert in the field of culture, I have frequent opportunities to speak at both industry conferences and universities. In 2015, I released my first book “THE MISS ING PIECE: Doing Business the Donatos Way,” the story of a classic American family business that includes an in-depth account of my lifelong education in leadership. Along with serving our high-quality food like our famous Edge to Edge pizza and providing top-tier customer service, community giveback is deeply rooted in the Donatos business model. q

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APRIL 2023 | QSR | www.qsrmagazine.com