Franchise Interviews

THEY STARTED SIMPLY AS A FRESH IDEA First Watch was founded in 1983 in Pacific Grove, CA on the simple concept of putting customers first. In other words, we strive to provide unexpectedly extraordinary experiences everyday. It’s all part of our “YOU FIRST™” service philosophy—our commitment to doing whatever it takes to make our customers’ visits memorable. They begin each day at the crack of dawn, slicing fresh fruits and vegetables, baking muffins and whipping up our French toast batter from scratch. We’re committed to freshness—using some of the finest ingredients available—never compromising quality. Their unique Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch creations are freshly prepared to each order. When customers arrive, we welcome them with a pot of our coffee, complimentary newspapers and Wi-Fi Internet access. Today, First Watch Restaurants, Inc. is one of the largest privately owned, daytime-only restaurant companies in the country. Headquartered in Bradenton, FL, and operating more than 75 restaurants in 11 states, First Watch offers something for everyone, from traditional Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch favorites to our signature creations. Business or pleasure, we take pride in meeting the special needs of our customers.

Tony Lamb is the founder of Kona Ice, which provides a bright, welcoming and professional alternative to the typical ice cream truck. Kids line up to buy shaved ice and get to use a patented “Flavor Wave” where customers can pour their own flavors onto the ice—with literally thousands of combinations—making it a fun, interactive experience for kids. Kona Ice, a national franchise, now has 63 franchises in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Its crisp, clean trucks and revolutionary design certainly are changing the way America thinks about the stereotypical ice cream truck. The franchisor anticipates 500 Kona Ice franchises nationwide in the next five years alone. Tony can discuss how Kona Ice was formed and turned into a franchise. Some possible questions include: About Kona Ice Launched in 2007 by Tony Lamb, Kona Ice provides a bright, welcoming and professional alternative to the typical ice cream truck. Kona Ice is committed to the community and has donated more than $250,000 to local organizations since its inception. Kona Ice has quickly become a desirable franchising opportunity due to the low overhead, flexible hours, quick profit margins and low royalty fee, fixed at $3,000 per year.

Franchise Interviews is having their first senior care franchise symposium. Hear from some of the top franchise senior care franchises in the country for this special two-hour edition. Some of the franchises that can be heard in the symposium are Visiting Angels, Always Best Care, and AristoCare. You can hear the live and recorded shows by going to FranchiseInterviews.com or BlogTalkRadio.com/Franchise-Interviews. For the very first time, listeners can also hear the live show from their cell phones! Just call 347-838-8238. Franchise Interviews 's radio show is dedicated to educating & motivating aspiring entrepreneurs on franchising and features interviews with experts. Hosted by Marty McDermott & Don Johnson.

On Thursday, September 24 at 10AM EST, Franchise Interviews will meet with Nancy Weingartner, Executive Editor of Franchise Times Magazine & Dan Frey, the CEO of The Glass Guru Franchise Opportunity. If you are a frequent listener to our weekly radio show, than you know what fans Don and Marty are of Franchise Times Magazine. Marty recently stated it is the only magazine he reads from cover to cover. We are excited to have Nancy Weingartner, Executive Editor of Franchise Times Magazine on part one of the show. Nancy is going to discuss what is new in franchising and what stories she is working on for next month’s edition. On parts two and three, cutting-edge window restoration technologies combined with traditional glass shop services make The Glass Guru a one-of-a-kind franchise opportunity. Every home has windows, doors, screens, mirrors and shower enclosures. As these critical components age and require repair or replacement, every homeowner needs someone to call. Every year, hundreds of thousands of windows in the US lose their integrity due to seal failure. Pioneers in the emerging window restoration industry, The Glass Guru was the first company in the US to offer moisture removal for failed (foggy) thermal pane windows. Our process involves the installation of a patent-pending Micro-vent system that permanently eliminates moisture while restoring the window's clarity and insulation.

On Thursday, September 17, the HomeTeam Inspection Service Franchise Opportunity Meets with Franchise Interviews. HomeTeam has carved a niche in pre-sale inspections prior to the home's listing. Home sale transactions can fall through as the result of problems discovered during a buyer's inspection but pre-sale inspections enable necessary repairs to be made ahead of time or adjust the home price accordingly to remain as attractive to buyers. The opportunities to succeed with HomeTeam home inspection franchise are better today then ever before. When buying a home, it has become standard practice to have a home inspection before the sale closes. In fact, the number of real estate home inspections performed each year is on the rise; almost 90 percent of all homes sold are inspected. Also, many mortgage companies now require a home inspection as a financing requirement.

On Thursday, September 10, the Express Oil Franchise Opportunity Meets with Franchise Interviews. Express Oil is a recognized leader in the quick-lube and automotive service industry and the largest independent quick-lube chain in the Southeast with both corporate and franchise-owned locations. This is another timely segment as many in the auto industry are looking for new business opportunities.

On Thursday, September 3, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas Franchise Opportunity Meets with Franchise Interviews. For over 10 years, The Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas has provided a unique combination of theatre and restaurant, showing first-run and independent films while offering in-theatre food and beverage service that includes an extensive menu of freshly prepared appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas and salads as well as a wide selection of hand-crafted beers and great wines. We are the only concept in the growing cinema-eatery category that is franchising. The typical Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has four to ten screens that resemble traditional movie theatres except rows of seats alternate with bench-style tables. Individual theatre seating ranges from 75 to 320 seats. First-come, first-serve seating begins approximately 45 minutes prior to show time. Customers are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the pre-show entertainment. Instead of a barrage of advertising, a variety of short films are shown that change on a regular basis, some with tie-ins to the feature film. “We're proud of the fact that we don't show any advertising,” President and CEO John Martin said. “People don't want to pay for a movie and then be bombarded with 15 minutes of dancing candy and fountain drinks.” Once seated, customers order from the menu and the friendly wait staff brings the food to their seats. Customers can continue to order throughout the movie by writing their requests using the paper and pencils on their table and placing it on the clips attached to the table. Waiters quietly collect and deliver those orders without distracting from the movie. All tabs are closed before the film ends.

In preparation for the Labor Day holiday, Franchise Interviews is having their first franchise sub symposium. In this two hour special, you will hear from some of the best sub franchises in the country, which include Jersey Mikes, Cousins Subs and Lenny’s Subs. Bring your appetites.

On Thursday, August 20, 2008 Franchise Interviews is having their first franchise attorney symposium. Hear from some of the top franchise attorneys in the country for this special two-hour edition. You can hear the live and recorded shows by going to FranchiseInterviews.com or BlogTalkRadio.com/Franchise-Interviews. For the very first time, listeners can also hear the live show from their cell phones! Just call 347-838-8238. Franchise Interviews 's radio show is dedicated to educating & motivating aspiring entrepreneurs on franchising and features interviews with experts. Hosted by Marty McDermott & Don Johnson. You can listen on BlogTalkRadio.com, Thursday's 10A.M EST.

Fez has an incredible story: He emigrated to the US from Ethiopia when he was just a kid. When he began college at the University of Cincinnati, he needed a way to earn a living that fit with his class schedule. He was working on a degree in finance and accounting, and felt that doing taxes would be a great fit. He could work on his skills, build a client base, and make a little money during the short tax season. So with the help of some credit cards and donations from friends and family, Fez opened his first tax business. Within five years, Fez had 26 locations in the Cincinnati, OH area. In 1999 - realizing he needed more startup capital to build the business he envisioned – he sold the business to Jackson Hewitt and used the money from the proceeds to found Instant Tax Service in Dayton, OH. Fez had to start all over again, but he’d learned a lot from his first business experience. This time, it took him just seven years to grow his business from a single storefront to the 4th largest tax company in the U.S. Today, Instant Tax Service has over 1,200 locations in 34 states. Entrepreneur Magazine ranked it the #1 new franchise in the country this year for the second year in a row. It’s consistently ranked among the National Minority Franchising Initiative’s Top 50 franchises for minorities and was recently included among the Franchise Times’ Fast 55. You can hear the live and recorded shows by going to FranchiseInterviews.com or BlogTalkRadio.com/Franchise-Interviews. For the very first time, listeners can also hear the live show from their cell phones! Just call 347-838-8238.