A Deeper Dive How franchisees can find winning restaurant brands
Jan 14, 2026
Martha Olmos, COO of Damm Fine Restaurant Group, shares her deep expertise in the restaurant industry, highlighting her roles with Blaze Pizza and Dave’s Hot Chicken. She discusses the strategy behind choosing successful brands, the importance of company culture, and developing future leaders from within. Martha reflects on the contrasting performance of the two brands, navigates the complexities of operating in California, and emphasizes the critical nature of franchisor-franchisee relationships. A treasure trove of insights for aspiring franchisees!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Build Promotion Paths For Staff
- Develop employees from entry-level to leaders using clear promotion paths and in-store standards.
- Teach leadership skills and give people opportunities to move up to retain talent and drive consistent service.
Signing Dave's During COVID
- Damn Fine signed Daves Hot Chicken in July 2020 during COVID after team tastings and meetings with founders.
- They took a leap of faith because they believed in the product, the team, and their own operations capability.
Experience Equals Product Quality
- Customer experience matters as much as product; training must cover service, cleanliness, and speed.
- Technical skills are teachable, but leadership and guest-service mindset drive repeat visits and brand loyalty.