Building a Community Around Your Brand with Larry Sidoti of Garbanzo Meditteranean Fresh

Larry Sidoti is the CDO of Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, a 2019 Fast Casual Magazine Top 5 Movers and Shakers brand and the leader in fast-casual Mediterranean cuisine. Garbanzo has nearly 30 locations in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Texas and Virginia. Larry is a trench-hardened veteran in the food and beverage industry with over 20 years of restaurant and franchise experience. Larry began his career in the mid 1990’s when he founded the raw juice and smoothie concept, Juice It Up. Sidoti developed an amazing company culture and grew the concept to over 180 units. Key Takeaways: [0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more! [0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Larry Sidoti, the Chief Development Officer of Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh. [2:14] Josh welcomes Larry to Franchise Euphoria. [2:50] Larry gives an overview to how he got his start in the franchising industry, which started with the concept Juice It Up. [5:24] Larry reflects on the challenges of growing a new concept vs. expanding a legacy brand. [7:23] Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh has gone through several stages of growth over the past decade but is now going through the “emerging franchisor” phase. [11:54] Larry describes what the experience of walking into a typical Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh is like to the average consumer. [15:22] Larry comments that everybody eats, but the experience of serving others is never more prominent than in a restaurant. [19:12] Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh is looking for a variety of franchisees including single-unit operators, multi-unit operators, and area developers. [21:52] Larry suggests that one of the biggest questions franchisees should ask themselves before they decide to franchise with a business is “are you willing to marry their ideas”? [23:37] Larry prides himself on his empathy towards his franchisees, which comes naturally as a former franchisee himself. [27:29] Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh sets themselves apart from their competitors with their low franchising costs, stellar unit economics, and the foundation of a quality product. [30:45] If you’d like to learn more about the Garbanzo concept, visit one of their websites listed below. [31:26] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: [email protected] www.franchiseeuphoria.com www.indyfranchiselaw.com http://www.eatgarbanzo.com http://eatgarbanzofranchising.com