"Would you like fries with that?" Experienced QSR operator looking to network with people experienced in multi-unit QSR acquisitions.

Gyrene Burger Company was a start-up hamburger delivery restaurant concept started by Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan. I left active duty to become the charter franchisee and was eventually the only store in the system - located just off the campus of the University of Tennessee.
Mr. Monaghan was a Marine before founding Domino's and always said veterans were his most reliable franchisees, so when he was looking to roll out his Gyrene Burger concept he was looking for a Marine officer to be the first franchisee. I responded to a classified ad in the base newspaper. I had no experience. No pedigree and honestly no money. I needed $20,000 to put as a down payment on the initial $200,000 loan. The next day the Marine Corps announced they were offering a $20,000 bonus to officers who left active duty and switched to the reserves. I took the deal and overnight became a franchisee/test store for this fledgling better burger concept. I was mentored for 2 years by Mr. Monaghan as well as top former Domino's franchisees. The brand was ultimately not a franchiseable concept due to insurance concerns and being a bit before its time (This was###-###-#### so pre-DoorDash, UberEats, etc.) but Mr. Monaghan graciously took care of me when we made the decision to close. I'm proud to say Tom told me I was one of the best and hardest working operators he'd worked with including during his 30+ years at Dominos. Since then, I've been toiling away in corporate IT trying to save for my eventual return to franchising. In 2024, I attended the Franchising Certification course at University of Tennessee Haslam School of Business. Looking to meet others who are interested or experienced in the QSR acquisition space.