Rephonic
Artwork for Empires
Franchising
Wingstop
Jersey Mike's
Private Equity
Dutch Bros
Dave's Hot Chicken
Meineke
Dunkin
Subway
16 Handles
Frios Gourmet Pops
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Club Pilates
Kidstrong
Clutch Coffee
Prince Street Pizza
Little Caesars
SWIG
Savory Fund
Drive-Thru Coffee

Empires explores the top brick & mortar businesses through stories, and interviews of multi-unit franchise operators, founders, and executives. empirespod.substack.com

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes40Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusinessInvesting

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Artwork for Empires

Latest Episodes

Bron Launsby shares how he went from an initially skeptical franchise prospect to building a nine-location Sky Zone portfolio in under a decade. He explains why trampoline parks offered unusually attractive economics, how he kept locations relevant t... more

Rick Vanzura draws on a career spanning Borders, Panera, Wahlburgers, GameStop, and GrowthFactor to explain why certain brick-and-mortar brands thrive while others lose their way. He breaks down Cava’s advantage over Sweetgreen and Chipotle, how Pane... more

Sean Thomas is the grandson of legendary Wendy's founder Dave Thomas. Today, Sean not only owns multiple Wendy's locations, but he is also the co-founder of his own chicken and dirty soda chain, Minnie Bird.

OPEN NEW LOCATIONS IN WEEKS WITH CLOUDKIT... more

Charles Bonfiglio, founder and CEO of Tint World, shares how he went from growing up in his father’s Brooklyn clothing factory to becoming one of Meineke’s top franchisees and eventually building Tint World into a national franchise system. He explai... more

Eliot McDonald went from Raising Cane's shift manager to founding his own chicken tender concept. We discuss everything about chicken tenders & QSR, and how his restaurant chain is doing thus farOPEN NEW LOCATIONS IN WEEKS WITH CLOUDKITCHENS: https:/... more

Andrea Huerta has been operating franchises since she was a teenager, starting as a crew member in her parents McDonald’s location. After helping her family grow a portfolio of El Pollo Loco locations, Andrea decided to go all in on Handel’s Ice Crea... more

Harsh Ghai is one of the largest Burger King franchise owners in America. He's also one of, if not the, largest family owned franchisee with over 250 locations across Burger King, Taco Bell, & Popeye's. We discuss the Burger King comeback, as well hi... more

Jay Rushin, owner of H&H Bagels, joins the podcast to break down the rise of the bagel category, why H&H has taken a different path from venture-backed competitors, and how the brand is scaling its New York bagel model through franchising. He shares ... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Bron Launsby
Co-founder of Slick City, architect of the Slick City concept and franchising effort
Slick City
Episode: How Slick City Puts up 7 Figure EBITDA
Rick Vanzura
CEO/Leader with deep background in Borders, Wahlburgers, Panera, and GrowthFactor
GrowthFactor / former Borders and Wahlburgers executive
Episode: From Borders to Wahlburgers - Lessons in Brick & Mortar
Sean Thomas
Grandson of Wendy's founder Dave Thomas; founder of Minnie Bird
Minnie Bird
Episode: The Franchise Being Built by Sean Thomas (Grandson of Wendy’s Founder, Dave Thomas)
Charles Bonfiglio
Founder of Tint World, former Meineke dealer
Tint World, Tint World LLC
Episode: Building Tint World: The Makings of an Auto Empire
Eliot McDonald
Founder of The Coop, former Cane's and Lane's executive
The Coop
Episode: From Raising Cane's to The Coop: The Economics of Chicken Tenders
Andrea Huerta
Franchisee of Handel's Ice Cream
Handel's Ice Cream
Episode: Why Handel's is the #1 Ice Cream Business in America
Harsh Ghai
Franchise owner with a large Burger King portfolio, Popeyes and Taco Bell acquisitions
Independent
Episode: How One of the Largest Family Owned Fast Food Empires Was Built (265+ units)
Jay Rushin
Owner/Operator of H&H Bagels (former owner of brand)
Episode: The Bagel Wars: How H&H Is Scaling Without Private Equity
Bill Mathis
Subway franchisee, three stores, former chair of the North American Association of Subway Franchisees
Subway Franchisees
Episode: The Evolution of Subway - Bill Mathis (3 unit owner)

Hosts

Patrick
Host of Empires
Reno
Host of the podcast
Patrick Buckley
Host of the show, facilitating the interview

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

From Borders to Wahlburgers - Lessons in Brick & Mortar
Q: What makes a restaurant concept truly durable according to your experience across Brands like Cava, Panera, and Sweetgreen?
A durable concept centers on a sharp value proposition, relentless execution, and a customer-first focus, with discipline in testing and rolling out changes to avoid disruption; leveraging core strengths rather than chasing trends sustains long-term success.
From Borders to Wahlburgers - Lessons in Brick & Mortar
Q: What were the key lessons Borders learned during the rise of the internet and Bezos's early approach to online distribution?
Borders's early strategy focused on physical presence and a stock of inventory while Bezos pushed for online capabilities; ultimately, the decision to resist a full pivot to online hurt them, illustrating the risk of sticking to guidance and not adapting to a changing landscape.
The Franchise Being Built by Sean Thomas (Grandson of Wendy’s Founder, Dave Thomas)
Q: How did the pivot from a burger concept to Minnie Bird come about, and what role did your partners play in that transition?
The pivot emerged during a personal health crisis and collaborative discussions with partner Dave and others; the group realized they were aligned on a chicken/dirt soda concept and began the transition from scratch, leveraging shared culinary and operational expertise.
How Philz Coffee Became an Empire (ft Philz co-founder)
Q: What's the story of Philz and how did you get started?
Jacob describes starting from a bodega in San Francisco, evolving into a coffee concept with a tightly focused six-item menu and a culture centered on hospitality, which laid the foundation for enduring customer relationships before external capital.
The Economics of Hotel Franchises - Keni Patel
Q: What franchise did you pursue to convert or what attracted you to franchising?
The guest explains that after returning to Connecticut and evaluating options, they were convinced to pursue franchising with Days Inn by Wyndham because the brand's central reservations system, rewards program, and brand recognition would drive reservations and overall top-line growth.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Empires

What is Empires about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on scaling brick-and-mortar franchises through hands-on operators, founders, and executives. Episodes frequently explore multi-unit growth strategies, franchising plays (including unit economics, real estate, and standardized operating systems), leadership and culture, and the role of private equity or strategic partnerships in accelerating expansion. Notable throughlines include how brands maintain quality while growing, the importance of team-building and training, and practical insights into navigating franchisor-franchisee dynamics, real estate decisions, and capital growth. Overall, the program is likely valuable for current and aspiring franchise operators, investors, and marketers seeking behind-the-scenes playbooks ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Empires?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Empires. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Empires and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Empires get?

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What are the audience demographics for Empires?

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How many subscribers and views does Empires have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Empires has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Empires?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Empires:

1. Acquisitions Anonymous - #1 for business buying, selling and operating
2. Acquiring Minds
3. No Cap by CRE Daily
4. Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy
5. POWERS

How many episodes of Empires are there?

Empires launched a year ago and published 40 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Empires?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Empires?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Empires from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Empires. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Empires?

Recent guests on Empires include:

1. Bron Launsby
2. Rick Vanzura
3. Sean Thomas
4. Charles Bonfiglio
5. Eliot McDonald
6. Andrea Huerta
7. Harsh Ghai
8. Jay Rushin

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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