QSR February 2023

DEPARTMENT FRANCHISE FORWARD

Tasteof Growth How one burgeoning franchise group laid a blueprint for 1,000 locations. B Y B E N C O L E Y

Where else are you given that opportunity in life?” In pursuit of this dream, Rodriguez part nered with private equity firm Triton Pacific Capital to form franchising company, Tasty Restaurant Group. From the start, the goal was to enter agreements in quick service because of its recession-proof nature and ability to withstand different pressures, like a global pan demic. Rodriguez sought the best of fast food so he could worry less about brand management and leadership and more about developing people and fine-tuning operations. The f irst acquisition was Burger King in June 2018. Tasty Restaurant Group also con sidered Wendy’s, but Rodriguez previously worked at Burger King and served as a fran chisee; he also grew up in Miami, where the chain is headquartered. A year and a half later, Rodriguez leveraged his years of experience with PepsiCo—the parent of Yum! Brands— to buy into Pizza Hut. Then, after serving as Dunkin’ president from 2006–2008, the industry veteran became a franchisee for the doughnut chain and sister concept Baskin-Rob bins. Rodriguez rounded out Tasty Restaurant

Tasty Restaurant Group runs about 400 restaurants in the Midwest, including 20 Dunkin’ stores.

R obert Rodriguez came to the U.S. without knowing English, and like many other immigrants, found his voice through restaurants. His resume now features 50 years’ worth of industry experi ence—on the franchising and corporate side—including notable executive stops at McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Denny’s. As he aged, Rodriguez became increasingly interested in running an organi zation that gives back to the community and creates a clear-cut career ladder for employees. “How do I lead and how do I show people that this is an industry and this is a profession and it’s not a job and how do I give back?” Rodriguez says. “So I can give you example after example of going into restaurants and we see people who are struggling, don’t know what they want to do with their careers and businesses.” “This is a great career,” he adds. “It’s really a great career, and it’s not just because you make money. It’s because I’m going teach you about a profit and loss statement, I’m going to teach you how to manage people, I’m going to teach you how to lead individuals, I’m going to teach you how to run a multimillion-dollar business.

Group with KFC and Taco Bell in December 2021. The franchise company now operates roughly 400 restaurants in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. Tasty Restaurant Group is most heavily invested in Pizza Hut (221 stores ), followed by KFC (90), Burger King (68 ), Dunkin’ (20), and Baskin-Robbins ( six ). “Our mission continues to be the same,” Rodriguez says. “We’ve got to take care of our people first and foremost. We want to be a leading brand running great restaurants. But more importantly for me, it’s taking care of the people who will do that. Because I keep reminding everyone that at the end of the day, there are only cash registers in the restaurants. They’re not anywhere else. So the rest of us are just G&A and support staff.” Of these brands, Dunkin’ is heading toward the biggest growth spurt. Tasty Restaurant Group recently signed a 45-unit deal to bring new locations to New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and surround ing markets over the next several years. There are only 15 Dunkin’ stores in Louisiana, but Rodriguez says those select few are “per forming extremely well.” As an executive that spent years trying to build out the fast-food chain west of the Missis DUNKIN’ [CONTINUED ON PAGE 54]

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FEBRUARY 2023 | QSR | www.qsrmagazine.com