Craveworthy Brands' Wing It On! franchise partner Bill Anderson spoke with Senior Editor Joanna Fantozzi and was featured on Nation's Restaurant News.
In this week's installment of Franchisee Spotlight, we spoke with Bill Anderson, who is building a franchising legacy for his grandchildren so they can become Wing It On franchisees after he retires.
We spoke about how he got into the restaurant business. and how he is going about building a legacy business to leave his grandchildren.
Store count: Building three stores in Omaha, Neb., with plans to open in November.
Career Background
I was born in New Orleans, raised in Baton Rouge, La., and graduated from Southern University in Baton Rouge with a degree in business management. My first job out of college was with Ford Motor Co. in Iowa, and I worked there for about 10 years. Then I decided to be an entrepreneur. I owned the Lincoln Mercury Chrysler dealership in Rochester, Minn., in the early ‘80s. I left that business in the late ‘80s, moved to Omaha, Neb., and worked for an automobile dealer there. I have a real entrepreneurial spirit. I bought my first UPS Store in 2004 while still working with cars, and then I opened up my second store in 2007, right before the economy collapsed, and my third store in 2016. … Franchising was just something I fell into. I was tired of traveling. … I always said, ‘If I'm going to work for an idiot, I want to work for myself.’ It’s worked out well for me, you just gotta take the plunge.
Getting into The Restaurant Business
I had never been in the restaurant business before. My grandkids didn't want to get into what I'm doing now. I would be forcing them to do it, and that’s bad. So I did some research online, and Wing It On! came up, maybe about a year and a half ago. I called some current franchisees and started asking questions. Then I officially inquired about the franchise, and I realized my family had never met a wing they didn’t like.
So, keep in mind, my family knew nothing about this. I'm trying to put something together for them, because if I'm going to leave a legacy, I don't want to leave them money, so I wanted to do something in business. I've got six grandkids, and three will be active in franchising. Now, I've never been in a restaurant business, other than eating in one. But I looked at Wing It On! and knew it was a fit for Omaha. It's a strong market.
So, after about a year, I called a meeting with my family and I told them what I was going to do for them. I told them, “You guys are going have an opportunity that you probably never have in your life. This is what grandpa's going to do for you.” I told them “Well, if you’re going to eat wings, why not sell them?” and they got excited about it. Three of my six grandkids took a trip to Chicago, met Matt [Ensero, CEO of Wing It On!] and I was already sold, but now my grandkids were too.
Different Types of Franchising
Business is business, whether you’re selling food or shipping packages. Once you understand the basics of what goes into every business — like good people, cleanliness and customer service — it’s all similar. You have to be passionate about it, and I know my grandkids will be because they love food. When I first got into the UPS business, I didn't know anything about that, but I own three now, and I've been doing it for over 20 years. If you have hard work and dedication and take care of the customers, you’ll be okay no matter what business you’re in. … You teach me how to do it, and I’m passing it on to my grandkids.
Family Business
I want them to work at all the Wing It On locations. If we make this thing work, then that'll be more than enough for them. They'll be able to take care of their families. I know the company has other franchises you can get into, but I don't want to get too involved with too many other things right now. I’m concentrating on [building a business in] Omaha right now. I’m feeling optimistic.
Why Wing It On!
Everybody likes chicken and this brand has a good product. Once people see the quality of product we have, I have no doubt that this thing is going to be successful. Everybody sells wings, but I've tasted other wings, and my grandkids told me they didn’t have anything negative to say about these wings. We could use a new wing product around here too. I have no doubt we’ll do well here in Omaha.