Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise

Are you a multi-unit franchise owner considering selling your business? https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/

Partnership Opportunities

https://www.empirespod.com/about#about-footer

Frozen yogurt was written off as a dead category.

Neil Hershman didn’t buy that.

After leaving finance, Neil became a franchisee of 16 Handles, fixed broken operations at the store level, doubled profits, and eventually acquired the entire brand. Today, 16 Handles has ~40 locations open, dozens more in development, and multiple million-dollar frozen yogurt stores - while competitors stagnate.

In this episode, we break down:

• Why frozen yogurt was never actually dead
• The unit economics behind 20%+ margins
• How Neil turned underperforming corporate stores into cash-flowing assets
• Why owning stores as a franchisor keeps incentives aligned
• How COVID created the best real-estate opportunities of his career
• And what most franchise brands get wrong about growth, PE, and operators

This is a masterclass in operator-led brand revival, smart franchising, and building community-driven businesses that actually work.

• From finance job → franchisee → franchisor
• Turning legacy brands into growth machines
• Frozen yogurt unit economics (rent, labor, margins)
• Why self-serve = automation before AI
• Urban vs suburban store performance
• Scaling without private equity
• Million-dollar dessert stores
• Buying brands when founders are “checked out”

In this episode, Cliff Kennedy, CEO of Frios Gourmet Pops, shares how he went from being a franchisee to acquiring the entire brand, rebuilding the company from the ground up, and transforming it into a mobile-first dessert empire

Interested in

We unpack:

• Why Frios’ product was great, but the company was broken
• How COVID forced a shift from brick-and-mortar to mobile trucks
• The economics of a mobile dessert franchise (events, wholesale, and B2B)
• Why Cliff walked away from a massive CPG opportunity after taking a big swing
• How Frios scaled with limited capital, grit, and relentless focus on franchisee success

This is a raw, honest look at entrepreneurship: the wins, the near-misses, and the decisions that define long-term success.

If you’re interested in franchising, consumer brands, or building a business around real-world experiences, this episode is for you.

GET IN TOUCH:

Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise

Are you a multi-unit franchise owner considering selling your business? https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/

Partnership Opportunities

https://www.empirespod.com/about#about-footer

• Franchisee → Franchisor transitions
• Mobile vs brick-and-mortar business models
• Franchise economics without item 19 hype
• Manufacturing + franchising under one roof
• Why focus beats chasing every growth opportunity

Building a business that prioritizes lifestyle + happiness

For multi-unit owners looking to sell their business: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/

Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise

Get in touch with the host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-buckley-%F0%9F%8C%AD-89539499/

Get in touch with Jack and Jake:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-foster-098030a8/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-mclaughlin-8a67a4126/

Jack Foster and Jake McLaughlin left careers in investment banking and private equity to build one of the fastest-growing Meineke platforms in the country.

In this episode, we break down:

• Why they chose Meineke and auto repair over flashier franchises
• The real unit economics and margins of a Meineke location
• How they scaled from 3 stores to 25 through small, disciplined acquisitions
• Why people, culture, and operator excellence mattered more than financial engineering
• What they’re building next beyond Meineke

This is a rare, transparent look at what it actually takes to scale a blue-collar, brick-and-mortar business.

00:00 – Leaving investment banking & private equity for entrepreneurship 02:40 – How prepared were they really to own franchise locations 05:00 – Why they chose partnership instead of going solo 08:10 – Why franchising (and why auto services specifically) 10:20 – Why Meineke stood out vs other auto concepts 11:05 – Meineke unit economics & margins breakdown 13:45 – Why these margins surprised most people 15:00 – How they sourced their very first Meineke acquisition 17:40 – Paying cash vs SBA financing for early deals 18:55 – What makes a Meineke location a “deal killer” 21:00 – The importance of car count & rent discipline 23:10 – Hiring a COO who changed everything 26:00 – Why they moved into their markets after acquisitions 29:30 – Scaling from 5 to 25 locations without breaking operations 32:00 – Buying single stores vs large portfolios 35:10 – How relationships drive their acquisition pipeline 37:30 – What Jack & Jake actually work on day-to-day 40:00 – Are they enjoying the journey? (honest answer) 42:30 – Exit strategy and long-term vision 44:00 – What’s next beyond Meineke