Focus, Hard Work, and Consistency: Insights from a Top Multi-Unit Franchisee
Thanks to the Franchise Wisdom series I do for our Franchise Success Formulas Podcast, I have the opportunity to share the journeys and wisdom of inspiring, amazing Top Multi-Unit Franchisees who are succeeding and making it big in the franchise industry. My latest interview was with Farhan Abbas, the largest Popeyes franchisee in Canada and one of the most-awarded operators in the franchise brand.
Farhan has been with the brand for about 12 years and currently runs 78 restaurants across Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. He has always been an A-rated franchisee across the board, and his exceptional performance, quality, service, and results have earned brand awards for the past six years.
The year 2024 was particularly notable, as he was named Developer of the Year and his company received the Gold Plate Award, the ultimate national recognition, as well as the Crystal Award, which is a franchisee global distinction.
The American Franchise Academy has trained many of his team members and leaders. That has allowed me to see firsthand the commitment and hard work Farhan dedicates to his franchise business to achieve his goals and thrive.
During our interview, he shared powerful top-franchisee insights to help unlock your business potential. I hope his story and business lessons motivate you to reach new heights!
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A Vision That Met Opportunity
Farhan graduated in Finance and Accounting from McGill University in Montreal and later earned the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) licenses. While his accounting career was going well, working for various banks and financial organizations such as State Street, American Bank, Manulife Financial, and RBC, he knew he wanted to do something on his own.
He looked at many things, from a bed-and-breakfast to a manufacturing and retail food business. He even thought of opening his own accounting practice. But franchising interested him for all the support he could get from a brand name behind him.
“You can argue there are pros and cons of being with a brand or being independent. I feel that in franchising, you can piggyback on a lot of knowledge from a lot of smart people who have experience in doing this. And if I started my own thing, I would never have the marketing dollars that the Popeyes brand has”.
His opportunity came in 2013 in Mississauga, Canada, when he was able to open five Popeyes stores simultaneously. This offered him not only the chance to become a business owner but also to run a large business. He knew he didn’t want just a job; he wanted an enterprise.
“I didn't wanna be a one-store person. And while I dabbled with other brands, the reason this attracted me was that it was giving me the growth factor, and that I could move very quickly to five stores. So I said, okay, this is the right opportunity. I can learn and grow with this brand”.
Another thing Farhan found attractive was that, even though Popeyes had been in Canada for about 40 years, it was only concentrated in the Greater Toronto Area. To him, this represented an opportunity to expand across Canada and go to any other province.
What it Takes to Be a Multi-Unit Franchisee
As Farhan discovered in his early days of franchising, running a business requires many skills, and his corporate experience did not prepare him for business ownership. Yes, his accounting background helped him raise capital, manage budgets, and forecast. Still, he had to learn business management, customer service, and the peculiarities of the food service industry to make his business profitable. “It is a lot more work than people think”, he admitted.
“People see two pieces of chicken and fries, but the amount of work that goes behind those two pieces of chicken and fries is incredible! And you have to know everything yourself so you can teach your employees how to do it. It's not easy.”
And, as a business owner of multiple units, he also had to learn about efficiency very quickly, because he couldn’t be in all the stores at the same time, and yet, he had to supervise all the operations and teams.
“You can run and manage one or two stores, but once you get to five or six units, you can't do it yourself. You need extra help. That’s when you need a District Manager.”
This is particularly relevant when you have units nationwide, like Frahan does. Why? To easily adapt to different cultures and markets.
When he started, all of his stores were located in Ontario. Three years later, the company opened its first store outside that province, in Alberta, and four years after that, they expanded to British Columbia. By the end of 2025, they will have 51 stores in British Columbia alone.
“It's the same country, but people have different lifestyles, employees have different expectations, and customers behave differently from one province to another. You must learn what's required in those specific markets so you can always keep up”.
I agree. While you can continue to get better and master your brand over time, franchising is a constant learning journey because the economic situation, the generations, and the unit economics of the business change, and you have to adapt and learn to keep the business going continually.
When Frahan reached 40 units, he started researching how larger franchisees in the US are thriving. That’s how he discovered the American Franchise Academy, and it has been an honor to have him trust us to join him and his leaders on their journey.
“To be honest, it's been a great help. I've always been an A-rated franchisee across the board, and when the Popeyes team asked me what I was doing differently, I referred them to you! I answered ‘All my District Managers are trained by Aicha!’”.
Your People, The Key to Success
A Popeyes restaurant can serve 500 people a day, so customer service is one of Farhan’s primary focuses. “If you serve one guy one bad piece of chicken, it will ruin your day because you're gonna have an upset guest”. However, there’s another one in parallel, equally important: the team.
His enterprise has over 1,200 employees, so, as he said, “it's a big part of our business.” Because of this vision, he truly cares about giving them the tools and training they need to help the company succeed.
“They're the ones on the ground serving your guests, from the cashiers to the managers. And if someone is having a bad day or they’re not 100% happy with you or your business, it's gonna reflect on their service and the guest is gonna notice that”.
Farhan really takes the time to build a great company culture, and is also willing to invest in his people, in their future, and their knowledge. I think that's part of why he has been successful.
“I can't be in 50 cities in 78 stores, so I depend on my team because they are the ones in the store. It all goes down to how well they are trained, how much professionalism they have, and how much you take care of them so they take care of your business. Take care of your people. I wouldn’t be where I am if my team wasn't there.”
The best part is that his people see and feel that he cares, so they reward him by being a great team and valuing the company in return. I've met many of them, and they're truly committed to the organization.
Shared Success and Growth
Another great way Farhan shows he cares for his team is through public recognition and rewards. Each year, Farhan and his directors select three or four people—those who performed the best during that year—and reward them with a free vacation and the chance to join them at the Popeyes Annual Convention.
They not only receive training while they are there but also meet vendors, do product testing, interact with the Popeyes team, and listen to CEOs and directors discuss the future of the brand. This experience allows them to see the brand from a different perspective and helps them realize that they are part of a large global organization with a purpose.
It's during these conventions that the brand awards its franchisees, so they also get to experience when their company gets a standing ovation for its performance and results. “The award is not for me; I'm just the guy coming up on stage collecting the award. It really belongs to the store managers because they are the ones who really work hard under the guidance of their District Managers and directors”, Farhan expressed.
The leadership team also plans activities with them, such as going to the beach or taking a hot-air balloon ride.
“For the next two months after they come back, all they do is talk about how much fun they had there! They get really excited and they share their experience and stories with the rest of the team. They become a sort of brand ambassadors”.
This dynamic keeps the team competitive because everyone tries to do better and better at their jobs, so they get picked up for the next year and win that trip.
100 Units and More to Come
Although Farhan is not sure what the future holds, he plans to reach 100 stores in Canada, as outlined in his development agreement. After that, he may expand into another province, enter the United States territory, or even diversify his portfolio with a different franchise brand, either in the food business or not. He’s open to the opportunities that may come.
While this occurs, he spends most of his time managing the enterprise he has built, overseeing leases, development, marketing, product, and HR issues, and making occasional store visits. “I wouldn't say it's a more difficult or easier job because you can't really measure it, but it's definitely a different job profile”.
He’s also very actively involved as a board director, chairman, and shareholder of three fintech companies in Canada, where he is able to pursue other interests while continuing to grow his company and enjoy his life.
“It may sound very simple, but the best nugget I can give you is actually very simple, and it comes down to the basics. You have to be hardworking and consistent. Consistency will pay off in the long run, and you can’t take shortcuts. We've come this far because we've stayed focused and we've stayed consistent.”
Also, take care of your people, take care of your brand, and take care of your business and the guests who come to you. Loyalty pays off. People will remember you, will help you, and will respect you. I think there is no replacement for loyalty.”
Simple, but true. I really enjoyed the conversation with Farhan and all of the tips, best practices, and wisdom he shared with us. Don’t miss Part 2 of the interview next week, where we talked about the critical role that District Managers have in the success of any multi-unit organization.
And remember: just as we did with Farhan, we can also partner with you so you can accomplish amazing things like he has. If you want to explore what we do, visit our Program’s website. We will be happy to help!
