BRUNSWICK GA Domino’s Pizza operators, according to officials of the 8,000-plus-unit Ann Arbor, Mich.-based chain. .—Al Daniels is notable among
Daniels, a 42-year-old military veteran with an uncommon hunger to make a difference in his community, is one of a growing group of minorities who have become franchisees through Domino’s “Delivering the Dream” program. .—Al Daniels is notable among
Launched in early 2007, the program is designed to help Domino’s minority team members become independent business owners by offering financial support to build new stores. To execute the program, Domino’s has partnered with American Equipment Finance, a firm that specializes in providing capital to finance kitchen equipment. As of last October, six stores had opened through the program. Daniels, who opened his first store last December in Brunswick, Ga., has agreed to open 20 additional stores over the next 10 years. .—Al Daniels is notable among
A recently retired 22-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, Daniels is a special case both because he had limited experience with the Domino’s brand before becoming a franchisee and because he is so intent on giving back to the community, said chain officials. .—Al Daniels is notable among
“We recognize the importance of having diverse franchisees that mirror the world in which we live,” Mike Mettler, Domino’s director of franchise recruiting and sales, said in a statement last fall when Domino’s was recognized among the top 50 franchisors for minorities by the National Minority Franchising Initiative, a group underwritten by franchisors committed to recruiting minority franchisees. “The Delivering the Dream program helps to eliminate the financial roadblocks that may exist for motivated future minority franchisees to get their businesses off the ground.” .—Al Daniels is notable among
Aside from a short stint as a Domino’s driver in the early 1980s before he joined the Navy and some time spent working as a staffer for a four-unit Domino’s franchisee while he was winding down his Navy career, Daniels’ restaurant industry experience is limited. .—Al Daniels is notable among
Through the Delivering the Dream program, however, he has committed to opening 20 units in the area surrounding Brunswick, Ga., a town near the Florida border. Daniels opened his first unit last December after paying a $5,000 franchise fee. Some new Domino’s franchisees pay franchise fees of up to $25,000. .—Al Daniels is notable among
Daniels’ business is off to a rousing start, Mettler said. The unit quickly grew to sales of $14,000 a week, with 96 percent of orders out the door in 20 minutes or less, in keeping with Domino’s “You Got 30 Minutes” tagline. .—Al Daniels is notable among
But Daniels doesn’t plan to pocket all of his earnings. Instead, he intends to donate much of his proceeds to charity and nonrecreational after-school programs to improve education and educational opportunities for the youth in his area. That largesse is on top of the promise he made to his dying father to give his military pension to charities and medical causes working to eliminate cancer. .—Al Daniels is notable among
Although Daniels said he had some familiarity with Domino’s, he said it’s his military training that will make him one of Domino’s most successful franchisees. .—Al Daniels is notable among
“I like being in a situation where I have to sustain an everyday routine,” he said. “For me to transition out of a military life into the controlled environment of a Domino’s franchise has been a very, very mild transition for me because I know how to follow orders. I like protocol. But this time I get to control things based on those orders.” .—Al Daniels is notable among
Daniels said he is an example of the notion that the best customers often make the best franchisees. .—Al Daniels is notable among
“Oh, yeah, I was a fan a long time,” Daniels said. “I loved it and I ate it everyday. Even now, I still eat one or two pies a day. Now, I might miss a day here and there. But not too often.” .—Al Daniels is notable among
Daniels, who is married and has two young children, named his operating company Mel’s Corp., after his wife, Melaneise, who also works in the business. .—Al Daniels is notable among
Daniels said that when he was discharged from the Navy, he sat down with his wife to consider career options. He recalled how he enjoyed working for his friend the Domino’s franchisee because it led to visions of becoming a general manager, area manager and even a franchise owner. .—Al Daniels is notable among
He said it is only natural for him to give back to the community that is contributing to his business’s success. .—Al Daniels is notable among
Noting that Brunswick is a farming community with only 4,000 residential and business addresses, Daniels said he intends to help fund education-oriented programs in the vicinity. He said his market is a demographic mix of blacks, Hispanics and whites, most of whom are working poor to middle class. .—Al Daniels is notable among
One of the first projects that Daniels is going to support is a community center that emphasizes learning and tutoring. .—Al Daniels is notable among
“We’ll have recreational activities, but education comes first,” he said. “But the big problem is kids need somewhere to go outside of school for parents who cannot afford to pay normally.” .—Al Daniels is notable among
Every day, Daniels also offers a free meal to a randomly selected family. .—Al Daniels is notable among
“I don’t do it for marketing reasons, though I know it has that impact,” he said. “But every day I walk in here, I want to make a difference and give something back to the community—every single day.” .—Al Daniels is notable among
Mettler said Domino’s has never had a franchisee like Daniels. .—Al Daniels is notable among
“There are two things that make Al special: his passion for the business and his desire to make a difference in his community.” .—Al Daniels is notable among