December 31st, 2019

62: The Growth Mindset: Building a Multi-Unit Empire, with Pushpak Patel

In this episode, Brian talks with Pushpak Patel, the CEO of Mitra QSR and one of the largest Yum Brands franchisees in the world. Mitra QSR currently owns and operates 200+ restaurants of KFC and Taco Bell.

It wasn’t always easy. Building a multi-unit empire is a matter of taste, opportunity, passion, and comfort level. Most importantly for Pushpak, “It doesn’t matter what the business is, it always comes down to the people.” After acquiring a new location, building the right processes and systems outside the restaurant for the right people became a crucial mode of growth. Pushpak says, “If you can get the same people to buy into your new mindset, you’ll be set.”

Brian and Pushpak talk about how he built the systems that set his locations up for success and the type of growth mindset needed to persevere in the franchising world. Tune in to this week’s episode and learn invaluable lessons from one of the biggest names in multi-unit franchising!

What we talk about:

  • What took Pushpak Patel from the engineering field to the business world
  • “Debt is good but debt can kill you when you’re starting a new business.”
  • How Pushpak and his partner started from owning 1 restaurant to 32 locations
  • Establishing the culture and having the right people
  • Scaling the culture
  • How being a YPO member helped him with his growth
  • Building the system for having multiple locations
  • Structuring a deal to acquire multiple locations
  • Figuring out what top priorities need to be tackled between multiple locations
  • Always buying at a good value
  • How long it took to negotiate the purchase of the multiple locations
  • The change in the organizational structure that came with the expansion
  • Acquiring locations vs. building one
  • Learning how to delegate and do follow-ups
  • Building the team for growth
  • The process of acquiring locations in groups
  • The 0 or 10 concept
  • “I don’t think that people fail, I think that people give up.”

What we mention: