Hothead Burritos Chain Making Its Mark

Back in October, Blair pointed out the seemingly scarce existence of multi-concept franchisors. "Like a good man", she said, "they are not easy to find". I recently came across an article that brought this topic back to the forefront of my mind.

Ray Wiley is a veteran Subway franchisee that has struck out on his own. Ray and his wife Cynthia opened their first Hothead Burritos fast-casual in 2007. Today they have seven locations in the Dayton, OH area and have just signed their first franchisee, set to open mid-December. According to aol.com this could be the start of something big...as in naming Hothead Burritos one of the next big restaurant chains. Wiley's goal is to open 30 franchise operations by the end of 2010 with the ultimate goal of competing with Chipotle Mexican Grill and other fast casuals within a few years.

Wiley says there are no hard and fast rules to becoming a franchisee. This may be in part because he admits that he himself did not fit the bill of a Subway franchisee starting out. However, he clearly had the tenacity and forthrightness to be successful. The Hothead concept may be especially appealing to hopeful franchisees because the startup and royalty fees are lower than most at $23,000 and 5.5% royalty + 3% marketing respectfully. Wiley says it's not all about the money for him. He wants to help others achieve their dreams.

So returning to the original question: where are these multi-concept franchisors and do they exist? Yes, Virginia, they do exist. And Ray and Cynthia Wiley paint a perfect picture of what they look like.
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