Seeking Co-Operating Partner – Franchise Acquisition (Multi-Unit Experience Required)

Hi All and Happy New Year! I am pursuing the acquisition of a portfolio of a high-quality franchise concept (currently seeking and evaluating opportunities) and am seeking an experienced operating partner to partner with me as a co-operator / franchisee of record. By background, I bring leadership experience from the military and direct franchise exposure through investment banking and advisory work with large-scale, multi-unit franchise concepts. That experience spans unit economics, growth strategy, capital structuring, and transaction execution. However, many franchise brands I have spoken with directly require hands-on operating time as an owner/operator for them to allow you to become a multi-unit franchisee, creating a classic chicken-and-egg dynamic: you cannot become a franchisee unless you have already been one. To satisfy brand requirements and, more importantly, to ensure strong operational execution, I am looking for a partner who has: --Owned, operated, or scaled multi-unit restaurants or multi-location retail --Direct responsibility for day-to-day operations, labor, margins, and systems --Credibility to serve as one of two operators / franchisees of record --Interest in meaningful equity participation and long-term platform build While at the outset I would focus on capital formation, acquisition execution, lender/investor relationships, and growth strategy, I'll also work alongside while an experienced operator to learn the nuances of operations. If you have relevant operating experience and are interested in exploring a partnership, are a capital provider who is interested, or can provide an introduction to an operating partner please comment or message me directly. Happy to share additional details offline.