More Local Than You Think: How Franchise Owners Show Up in the Community

On this episode of Chamber Amplified, we take a closer look at franchise businesses in the area and why they’re often more local than people realize.

Franchises sometimes get lumped into the “big box vs. buy local” debate, but the reality is more nuanced. Many franchise operators are deeply embedded in their communities, creating jobs, supporting local organizations, and investing time and resources right where they live and work.

Host Doug Jenkins is joined by Paul Hadde, the franchise operator of Chick-fil-A in Findlay, to talk about what it’s really like to operate a franchise at the local level. They discuss how franchisees engage with the community, how local ownership works within a national brand, Paul’s path to Findlay, and what’s ahead for Chick-fil-A in the area - including updates many listeners are curious about.

This conversation is a good reminder that a strong local economy includes a mix of independent businesses, franchises, and larger employers - and that community impact often depends less on the logo and more on the people behind it.

Chamber Amplified is a free podcast made possible by the investment of members of the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, highlighting the issues, ideas, and people shaping our local business community.

Music and sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Transcript

Welcome And Topic Setup

Doug Jenkins 0:04

Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of Chamber Amplified, brought to you by the Finlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce. I'm your host, Doug Jenkins. Each week on the podcast, we're talking about the things that matter the most to local businesses and organizations. That can be anything from workforce and leadership development to marketing, IT issues, just the everyday realities of running something that serves our community. On today's episode, we're talking about franchise businesses. The reason I wanted to do this episode is sometimes I think franchises get lumped into that big box category when people have the bi-local versus corporate conversation. And in a lot of ways, franchises act a lot more like local businesses than you might think. And I wanted to get into why that is and how it works. So my guest today is Paul Hattie, he's the franchise operator of Chick-fil-A here in Finley. We'll talk about how he's able to get involved in the community as a franchisee and a little bit about how he came to Finley, and if you're really curious, when the Chick-fil-A on the west side of Finlay is going to open up. I know a lot of you are curious about that. I am too. So if you enjoy the podcast, don't forget to leave us a rating and review on whatever podcast platform you listen to us on. By the way, we're also on YouTube now, so if you really want to share the message, that's a really easy way to do it. Just share the link to the YouTube video. Now let's get into it. Joined on Chamber Amplified now by Paul Hattie of Chick-fil-A here in Finley. Paul, thanks for joining us.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

My pleasure. You know, typically I'm going on shows like Rogan and stuff, but uh I decided to to you know level up this time. There you go.

Doug Jenkins 1:38

I'm a much more handsome bald guy than uh than Joe Rogan these days.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Absolutely. He loves listening to your show. That's what he told me.

Doug Jenkins 1:44

Yeah, although I think he can meet me in a powerlifting competition.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

So uh you can't be the best at everything.

Doug Jenkins 1:50

No, that's that's true. It's good to know your limitations. Uh Paul, I we were talking a little bit before we started recording, and uh as I was preparing for this, I kind of got to thinking. We uh just a few months ago we had Sherry Gardner Brumbaughan to talk about how local businesses can give back to the community and and how they go about it and everything. And one of the reasons I wanted to have you on to talk about it is I think sometimes there is a disconnect in the community. People see your national brand in Chick-fil-A, and sometimes maybe they don't equate it to what's happening locally. And that can happen not just for you, but for several area franchises that are quite involved in the community. Um, so before we get all into that though, let's just talk about how you came to be involved with Chick-fil-A. Certainly, uh you've been here in Finlay for a while now, but what was the journey like to that point?

Meet Operator Paul Hattie

Paul’s Path To Chick-Fil-A

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Yeah, I'll give you the short story. Uh I was a super picky eater and got a job across from uh Chick-fil-A. My brother's like, you gotta check it out. First time I ever had a I had an eight-count nugget, cookies and cream shake, and waffle fry. And I was like, man, that's really good. And then uh I would always go in on my break uh from that other job. And what I loved about it is it felt like a vacation. I was like, these people treat you really nicely, but uh never really thought about working in food. Uh but as I learned more about the company and why they were so nice, uh, I think it was my freshman year in college. My mom read an article. It was only$5,000 to get your own franchise. I always wanted to own my own business, never had a great idea.$5,000 coming from a guy whose uh family wasn't wealthy. I wasn't, I was obviously a college student, I wasn't wealthy. That was uh pretty exciting. And then that next year, I had the opportunity to meet a franchisee who was 26 years old, owned his own restaurant in the Cleveland area, and uh he took the time to sit down and talk with me. And so that started my Chick-fil-A career. So that would have been December of 2009. Started out as a regular team member, you know, scrubbing the toilets, putting truck away, taking orders, definitely not in that order. Uh, and I was amazed that it was the same behind the scenes as it was in front. You know what I mean? The way we were treated by the owner. It was amazing. And so I kept that job all through college, uh, graduating three and a half years from Baldwin Wallace uh university, and then uh was trying to decide what I was gonna do when I graduated. So I asked Patrick, do you think I'd have a shot at being an owner operator? He said yes. So I was gonna be graduating in December, getting married in February, and so I decided to pursue it. So as you can imagine, my in-laws were really thrilled that I got a college degree and went to go pursue fast food. So fast forward a year, Patrick had left um to go change his franchise from the Cleveland area to Indianapolis. I worked for a different local operator. Uh, and then my wife worked for First Energy at the time, and they announced layoffs. So this would have been 2012. Uh, she got an opportunity at Marathon where her sister worked. And so we prayed about it. Everything felt right. Uh, we ended up making the jump, and I thought the Chick-fil-A dream was over. You know, I just wasn't on track for that. So actually, I worked at the Menards down the road from my restaurant right now before coming on with Speedway. Um, and so it was, I think, two years with Speedway. And then I got a call from that old operator worked for. He said, Hey, with everything you've been doing with that, I think that you should uh apply. And also that town that you said would be great for a Chick-fil-A, Finley, is on the map. Uh, and that was from my first application to the end was two and a half years, 11 different interviews before finally being selected to come back to Finla and open up that restaurant in 2018.

Doug Jenkins 5:27

I remember it well, uh, you guys brought some samples over to the radio stations when I was working them. That was a that was a good morning of radio, if I recall right.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

It was a good time. That was a wild, wild grand opening. Everybody was shocked, even at Chick-fil-A.

Doug Jenkins 5:42

I tell you what, we'll talk, we'll we'll delve into what we're gonna talk about here in a second. But obviously, the second Chick-fil-A is uh almost open here uh on the other side of town, on the west side of town as we record this. That's coming up what March 4th is the the grand opening for it. Uh March 5th. March 5th is the grand opening for it. See, that's why I I I should probably we're ribbon, we're ribbon cutting the day before.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

That's okay, that's what I have on my head. So there you go.

Doug Jenkins 6:08

So I get a sneak preview, everybody. What's up? Uh, but uh, so you've already opened one, uh, and now you're ready to open the second one. This is another thing we were talking a little bit about. What has been uh the processes that you've learned? What's been the more difficult one to open or more challenging?

Landing In Findlay And Selection

SPEAKER_00 6:26

Yeah, I mean, I think your first is always going to be the most challenging, uh, but Chick-fil-A provides a ton of support to operators. So that first one, they sent a whole team out to help us open that restaurant. So I had two grand opening supervisors who that's their whole job was was opening restaurants. And then that built up to four, and then we had over 30 trainers come in for the first week. Um, and so there was a lot of things they took care of that I didn't even realize. So big thanks to them. Actually, every single one of them has gotten their own Chick-fil-A restaurant from that program, which is a cool, cool little fact there. Um, and so they're all doing really well, but um yeah, so they take care of a lot. Now I don't have that benefit, but I have the benefit of experience. So there's you know, things I'm just learning along the way. I'm sure there's a couple things we'll miss, but we're gonna get this bad boy open and uh, you know, we're gonna uh go and get better from day one on, and we're really excited for it.

Doug Jenkins 7:20

I cannot wait. Uh and it's uh gonna be huge for you. So let's get into the the meat of what we were talking about today, or I guess the chicken uh uh of today. The poultry. Poultry, the protein of today's meal is what we're we'll get into. Uh so uh like we said, sometimes when people see the national brand, they don't equate it to what it is locally. So for people who may not understand the difference, let's talk a little bit about how a franchise operates and then what that frees you up to do locally in the community.

Opening Store One: Support Systems

SPEAKER_00 7:53

Yeah, so we're, I mean, I I wouldn't say unique, but we're pretty close to a unique franchise. So most Chick-fil-A operators only have one restaurant. Obviously, I'm fortunate to have gotten a second location. So Truett Cathy's vision was local ownership. So he wasn't looking for investment partners. So for instance, if you want to own a McDonald's, I think you have to have a net worth of a million dollars, you know, find the land, build the building. It's a lot more expensive to get into. And so ultimately what happens is most people end up building that up over time, and they have a whole suite of at least one franchise. Sometimes they branch out into other ones. Uh, but you do have people who also are operators too, and they're in their restaurants. So I can think of a few, you know what I mean? Uh, not only myself, but you have Danielle Doxie who does a great job at Culver's and is engaged in the community. Brian Edler, he continues to grow his dominoes business, and he does a great job in the community. Uh, I think Heavenly Pizza is now franchising. Everybody knows Josh and the great things he's doing. And then Scott Ball, even next door, you know, he's operating a few McDonald's locally, and they all work to have an impact. Um, and so, yeah, so you get the benefit in a franchise of a known commodity. Like I said, I always wanted to own a business, never had a great idea for it, right? Uh, because Chick-fil-A has a great name and a great brand. It helps me do what I can do well, which is run restaurant operations, be able to market in a community without having to build up that brand equity, right? If it was Paul's Chicken Shack, we wouldn't nearly be able to have the impact that we have now, right? Because I'd have to refine a lot of things. We wouldn't have the purchasing power that a franchise gives you. So it gives you a lot of different opportunities. Now, that said, that all comes at a cost. Uh, but I would say definitely for me, I would not be where I am and able to have the level of impact that I have without Chick-fil-A and the Kathy family, who I'm very grateful for.

Doug Jenkins 9:47

Obviously, that's something that goes all the way up the chain, like you said, to uh to true Cathy in that local community involvement. But that's something that I think spoke to you uh when you first got it in Chick-fil-A. How have you been able to put that in action here in Finlay since you got started?

Store Two On The West Side

How Franchises Operate Locally

SPEAKER_00 10:03

Yeah, you know it's funny. I tell people I was really excited when I thought overall about the experience of running the business. I thought a lot about primarily about team members and growing and developing them. And then obviously, I love hospitality and serving customers. It was the community impact that I really didn't have a sense of because I grew up in a very middle class family in Cleveland in a large city. And so, like, there was no expectation from a charity aspect or anything like that. We just had busy lives. You know, you you wouldn't necessarily know your neighbor out there. And so coming here, I've had the opportunity to very quickly see the impact that you can have. And so it's actually become my favorite thing that I get to do. So, for instance, very early on, we got uh hooked up with the big shake. So, Janine Baker, when she was at Finlay City Schools, uh Pam Hamlin had heard my story. She said, Hey, I think this would be a great opportunity to sponsor a scholarship for some of these students uh who go through the big shake. And so, you know, getting to go see how that program was run where we're teaching, you know, third through fifth graders soft skills and the remarkable uh way that these kids uh, you know, can communicate effectively, uh it was kind of a natural partnership with our brand and the hospitality that we bring. Uh and so being able to get involved with that, um, you know, starting in 2019 all the way through now, and all the schools, it seems like in the county are doing it, all the city schools are doing it, so that's really cool. Um, another uh thing that, you know, again, I grew up in the city. The first year I got here, I started getting letters from kids, and they're like, Hey, will you buy my rabbits? Okay, and I'm just I don't know what the heck this is, and so I would get them periodically, and then then I think it was 2020 or 2021, uh the Lynch family moved in from California. They've been a great ad to the community, and they're really involved in 4-H. And so they I got a letter from them and I said, Hey, I've been getting these, what are these? And they explained the whole county fair process, how the how the students in 4-H raise animals, and then they sell them kind of at like a charity auction. So I was able to be educated with that um and be able to participate, which has been a lot of fun for me, you know. Uh, and then now I have to explain to people at like Chick-fil-A Inc. when they're like, I don't understand, you spent X you know, thousands of dollars on some cows, a pig, some chickens and stuff. Well, what is this? And I'm like, no, no, no, no, it's not real. This is like a charity like advertising thing, which has been a lot of fun, but there's just so many great opportunities, and you can see your influence um, you know, locally, and so that's been that's been a real treat for me.

Doug Jenkins 12:48

When it comes down to it, and this is something we talked to with Cherry as well, is there, you know, I think maybe there's a different set of expectations people see who are like, oh, Chick-fil-A, that's a huge national brand, they should be able to give to everything. And I think you probably want to give to everything, but there's obviously a budget line item and things like that that you have to be mindful of. If you were giving advice to other businesses who are maybe looking to get started in this aspect, how do you help them narrow down their field of focus when it comes to their involvement in the community?

SPEAKER_00 13:20

Yeah, that I that was honestly a big shocker to me when we first started out was like the volume of requests and they come from everywhere. And you want to help everybody out, but ultimately what we arrived on is we need to dial in our focus, right? So we primarily have a focus on children, students, uh, and and organizations that are adjacent to that. Not to say we would never do anything else, uh, but we like to we like to pick something and then go deep with it. So we're really involved in the school systems, uh, we're really involved with Women's Resource Center, so helping, you know what I mean, mothers uh in a vulnerable situation. Uh we we love to partner with them, uh, but we really want to go deep with specific organizations rather than just try and piecemeal everything out and then people know we're committed for support here or maybe not there. Uh I have like a blanket, like, I don't do golf outings uh because everybody has a golf outing. Uh and so it's like it can get really tough about which one will I do this year or that year. And so you really have to pick a focus area, and that'll give you clarity because you feel bad when you can't help everyone. Um, but if you if you have a clear understanding of where you're headed, I think that makes it easier, not only for you, but for organizations when you tell them no.

Community Impact In Action

Doug Jenkins 14:36

Yeah, absolutely. Having those guidelines and and the guardrails up before you even start in that process probably makes it uh probably not only a little bit less of a headache, but you're gonna have a more clear impact when you drill down on the things that you're truly passionate about and things that you feel like you can have an impact on in the community. So I think that's that's very strong advice. You also talked about uh it's an opportunity for you to help develop workforce, help develop a kid their first job. Like you said, Chick-fil-A is a lot of people first jobs. You mentioned Scott Ball with McDonald's. That's a lot. I mean, I I forget what the stat is, uh, how many people's first job was at a McDonald's, but it's it's way up there uh in the nation. How big of a responsibility do you see that as uh one just as a person, but as a franchisee, uh, and knowing that you have this national brand and some of these development programs that come along with that, uh, how big of a thing is that on your plate?

SPEAKER_00 15:32

Yeah, I think it's one of the most important things for me, specifically with the Chick-fil-A brand, because uh we do have a strong brand amongst parents. Parents will say, I want my kid to work at Chick-fil-A because of the values uh that they have and the ability they have to teach kids hospitality and to be able to engage with people. And so if we don't live up to those standards and we create an environment uh that is not appropriate for 14, 15, 16-year-old kids, uh, we're gonna lose that. And so I obviously take that seriously. We're by no means a perfect workplace, right? But I do want to create an environment uh where everyone feels comfortable and everyone can grow in the best way that they can. Um, but I think the service industry in particular, uh, it's just so crucial to get one, get jobs early, but I like service jobs because we're you're always gonna have to interact with people in service jobs. And so if you have experience on the other side of that, it really frames a lot of future interactions in your life. Uh, and also too, that like kindness that you kind of have to show to everybody is applicable in every business you could be in. I mean, maybe there's one not, maybe if you're just, you know, doing some drop shipping business on the internet, I don't know. Maybe you don't need that. But most of the time you're gonna have to interact with people and it's gonna help you out dramatically the earlier you get out. I tell people all the time, I say, I, you know, I get up and I talk in front of groups all the time now. But when I I I didn't really, I couldn't talk to people, or I'm sorry, I couldn't even order my own food until I was 15 years old. Eventually, once you want to start dating girls, you got to order your own food, right? So I had to like step out then. But uh my second job, so the the job where I ended up liking Chick-fil-A was at a pet store. I got that job in sales because I struggled to talk to people. I get all red in the face, I just was very uncomfortable. And so I think your early jobs you should use to enhance skills that you'll use over the course of your life. And then if you have any fatal flaws, like I did, being able to talk to people, you know, you need to take this time that you have in your life and go out there and have some experiences that are going to allow you to be successful in the future.

Doug Jenkins 17:42

I've always said that people should have to work either food service or retail uh for a little bit, and the world would be a better place. It sounds like you're on board with that.

SPEAKER_00 17:51

Absolutely. Come work at Chick-fil-A, it's a great place.

Doug Jenkins 17:54

I've done both, and there's a reason why I'm not arbitrarily mean to people because you know you get that back at you uh sometimes when you work that. But it's like you said, it's a great way to learn how to talk to people and handle those types of situations. Uh, it really goes a long way, especially in your formative years, too. Um, you know, it's oh yeah, you know, I mean, I we're not old guys by any means, Paul, but uh but when you're I'm getting there, man.

SPEAKER_00 18:19

Yeah, I just I'm surprised, you know, it comes fast.

From 4-H Letters To County Fair

Doug Jenkins 18:22

Yeah, I'm as soon as we get done recording this, I'm going to have physical therapy on my elbow because apparently I golfed too much over the summer, and that's uh still impacting me here in February. So yay to aging.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

Yeah, that's good though. Hey, it's a it's a good way to get the get the entry though. You have to rehab it too with some golf, though, I'm sure.

Doug Jenkins 18:43

Yeah, absolutely. I mean you have to make sure everything's working right. So exactly. Paul, as we wrap things up, if there's one thing that uh you wish the general public knew a little bit more when it comes to a franchise and and how it operates within the local business environment, what would that be?

SPEAKER_00 19:01

Yeah, I think that it is that uh many of us, in fact, most of us within uh, you know, the franchise business or even like the big chains are local business owners. Our our kids go to school with you. We support organizations within your community, um, and we want to see Finley grow and thrive, right? So, you know, I I absolutely am all about shop local, but we are certainly a local business. Uh, and uh we appreciate all the support we've had. Obviously, we're we're fortunate to be able to bring a second location here. Uh, and I look forward to uh impacting Finley, helping Finley grow uh for many years to come.

Doug Jenkins 19:41

There you go. Paul, thanks for joining us. March 5th is the grand opening for the West Side Chick-fil-A in Finlay. Looking forward to that. Have a great day.

SPEAKER_00 19:51

My pleasure. Have a great one.

Choosing A Giving Focus

Doug Jenkins 19:53

Thanks again to Paul for joining us on the podcast. I'm always interested in learning more about how franchise operate. I think there's just a huge difference towards what maybe we perceive and what they actually are able to do in the community. As Paul mentioned, we have a lot of great and community-minded franchisees in the area who really do give back. And also as an aside, I wanted to be clear: this isn't really meant to ostracize those quote-unquote corporate-owned businesses. We need those in the community too. It's really a good barometer of the local economy. If large corporations see business opportunities in the area, that means that there are probably business opportunities in the area, which is something we support as a Chamber of Commerce. That'll do it again for this episode of Chamber Amplified. It's a free podcast available to the community, made possible by the investment of our members here at the Finlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce. If you're looking at ways to get your business involved in the community, oftentimes the chamber is a great place to start. And if you'd like to learn more, just send me an email, Djenkins at Finlay Hancock Chamber.com. We can talk about how an investment in the chamber not only helps your business, but the business community as a whole. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you next time on Chamber Amplified from the Finlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.