Rephonic
Artwork for Empires
Franchising
Wingstop
Jersey Mike's
Dave's Hot Chicken
Dutch Bros
Dunkin
Private Equity
16 Handles
Frios Gourmet Pops
Kidstrong
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Clutch Coffee
Prince Street Pizza
Little Caesars
Swig
Savory Fund
Scenthound
Club Pilates
Philz Coffee
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 monthlyEpisodes34Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipInvestingBusiness

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Artwork for Empires

Latest Episodes

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

Bill Mathis worked for Subway starting in 1992, and eventually became a franchise owner in 2001. He's owned as many as 4 stores, and gives us an inside look at the brand over the past few decades. We dive into everything and everything, including the... more

Prince Street Pizza went from a single NYC slice shop to one of the most viral pizza brands in America. In this episode, Prince Street Pizza CEO & co-owner Lawrence Longo breaks down how the brand exploded through Instagram, celebrity co-signs, and i... more

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Recent Guests

Lawrence Longo
Co-owner and CEO of Prince Street Pizza
Prince Street Pizza
Episode: The Iconic New York Slice Shop That's Franchising (Prince St. Pizza)
Kavrin Maguire
Jersey Mike's franchisee
Jersey Mike's
Episode: Building Jersey Mike's - 25 Unit Operator
Joe Pedatella
Franchise owner of 16 KidStrong centers, pursuing 60+ development
KidStrong
Episode: Inside the Largest KidStrong Empire (60+ Units)
Orin Falkowitz
Co-founder of Area 2 Farms, vertical farming entrepreneur
Area 2 Farms
Episode: Franchising the Farm: Area 2 Farms
Dana Tripp
Co-founder of Nothing Bundt Cakes
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Episode: The Booming Business of Bundt Cakes
Debbie Schwartz
Co-founder of Nothing Bundt Cakes
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Episode: The Booming Business of Bundt Cakes
Craig Moore
Former president and CEO of CC's Pizza, later franchise leader for Nothing Bundt Cakes
Nothing Bundt Cakes / CC's Pizza
Episode: The Booming Business of Bundt Cakes
Nick Mindle
Franchisee who owns 17 Nothing Bundt Cakes locations
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Episode: The Booming Business of Bundt Cakes
Brandon J. Hurst
Chick-fil-A operator and multi-unit owner
Chick-fil-A
Episode: What It’s Really Like To Operate Chick-Fil-A (2-Unit Owner)

Host

Patrick Buckley
Host of the show, facilitating the interview

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

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.
Why Swig is Becoming an Empire (ft. Swig's 1st Investor)
Q: Can you give a tangible example of how you've changed the build-out approach to improve economics and scalability?
We shrunk initial 10,000-square-foot builds to 6,000–7,000-square-foot formats, cut unnecessary lobby and space, and focused on maintaining customer experience through efficient layouts, which reduced capital expenditure while preserving service quality and throughput.
Why Swig is Becoming an Empire (ft. Swig's 1st Investor)
Q: And in your mind too, just given that now you're a franchisee, do you have a framework for when a concept should be franchised versus just go build the majority of the locations yourself?
The framework centers on proven replicability, multiple locations across different markets, reasonable payback, and a balance between upfront capital needs and ongoing profitability. A concept should franchise when it has clear data points beyond Utah, demonstrates travel to other markets, and can sustain EBITDA across scales.
Why Swig is Becoming an Empire (ft. Swig's 1st Investor)
Q: The first being, on the franchising side, Swig is largely corporate-owned. Was there ever a thought to lean in fully on franchising?
Yes. After gathering evidence from Crumbl and other brands, and seeing how franchising could enable growth across two to three geographies with proven travel, we decided in early 2022 that franchising was the right path for Swig, provided we had a proven model and solid unit economics.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About Empires

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

The show spotlights high-growth, multi-unit businesses and the operators who scale them, with a strong emphasis on franchising, operations, culture, and leadership. Episodes often center on a single operator's journey—from founding or acquiring a brand to rapid expansion—covering unit economics, staffing, real estate, and the role of investors or private equity in fueling growth. Notable threads include the discipline of scalable playbooks, the balance between standardization and local adaptation, and human stories of perseverance, leadership decisions, and culture-building that accompany fast growth. A few episodes highlight brand milestones, partnerships, and strategies that enable resilience across economic cycles. The format tends to bl... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Empires?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Empires:

1. Acquiring Minds
2. Acquisitions Anonymous - #1 for business buying, selling and operating
3. Founders
4. How I Built This with Guy Raz
5. Prof G Markets

How many episodes of Empires are there?

Empires launched a year ago and published 34 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?

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What guests have appeared on Empires?

Recent guests on Empires include:

1. Lawrence Longo
2. Kavrin Maguire
3. Joe Pedatella
4. Orin Falkowitz
5. Dana Tripp
6. Debbie Schwartz
7. Craig Moore
8. Nick Mindle

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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