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Dana DeVito went from working in IT to owning Jack in the Box restaurants, and he started with almost 100 employees from day one and no idea how to hire. Turnover eventually reached 300 percent, and one Monday a restaurant that needed 22 people had seven. In this episode of From A to Franchisee, Dana tells host Allison Dudas what those years cost him, how he learned to delegate with an “acceptable level of imperfection,” and why he now treats hiring as a relationship rather than a transaction. He also covers what got him through eight or nine grueling years, the questions to ask a franchisor about turnover and training before you sign, and what new owners should focus on in year one. If you’re weighing a franchise purchase, he’s candid about the people mistakes he’d help you skip.

Show notes

Guest: Dana DeVito, a longtime Jack in the Box franchisee who now owns two Scooter’s Coffee locations and coaches owners on hiring and retention through Elite Performance Associates.

What you’ll learn

• Why Dana bought into Jack in the Box, and how ownership differed from what he expected
• What it’s like when the business never closes and every problem lands on you
• How he went from zero to almost 100 employees overnight, and what he got wrong
• What 300 percent turnover costs in money, time, and your own sanity
• Why skills are a yes-or-no question while character and culture fit drive performance
• The questions to ask a franchisor about turnover and training
• What to focus on in your first year as a new owner
• How community, mentors, and scheduled rest helped him through the hardest stretch

Key takeaways

• Franchise ownership can be far less hands-off than buyers expect, especially when locations are open 365 days a year.
• Dana’s turnover hit 300 percent, and a single location needed 22 people with only seven on staff, which forced him to cut hours.
• Hiring works better as a two-way relationship than a quick transaction, and it starts in the interview.
• Decide which skills are mandatory, then hire for character and culture fit.
• Before you buy, ask the franchisor about system-wide turnover and how their training was built.
• In year one, learn the franchisor’s systems well enough to teach them to your team.
• Dana’s advice for anyone about to sign: be prepared to be part of the team.

Resources

Find Dana DeVito on LinkedIn

Listen and read next

• What You Inherit When You Buy an Existing Franchise: Another From A to Franchisee episode, with a multi-unit owner who bought an existing location and replaced the whole team.
• Owning a YogaSix Franchise: A Married Couple’s Journey to 7 Studios: Two owners on doing their due diligence and managing people across multiple locations.
• Inside Year One: A Travelin’ Tom’s Franchisee Tells All: A coffee truck franchisee on what her first year of ownership was really like.
• A Place At Home Franchisee Talks Culture and Grit: A franchisee on choosing a brand for its people-first culture, plus the questions he asked franchisees and the franchisor before buying.