Front & Center: Patrick Vollmer dishes up franchise advice
“My grandfather always said learn everything from the bottom up,” he recalled, “so to learn the fast-food restaurant business, I started out washing dishes the first day. A year later, I was managing the place.”
Soon afterward, Vollmer launched his own restaurant, along with a company he calls the Clarus Group.
“ ‘Clarus’ is Latin for ‘bright’ or ‘distinctive,’ ” he explained. “I want us to distinguish ourselves for excellence, and I want everyone who works for us to share that goal.”
During a recent interview, Vollmer talked about his commitment to teaching employees skills that will serve them well throughout life, and the advantages and limitations of owning a franchise restaurant.
S-R: Where did you grow up?
Vollmer: I was born in Minneapolis and raised in Southern California.
S-R: What were your interests?
Vollmer: I was always creating little businesses. By the time I was 7, I’d saved $300 doing odd jobs – cleaning yards and buying and reselling things, like bikes.
S-R: What did you do with the money?
Vollmer: My parents put it toward the down payment on our house.
S-R: Were they trying to teach you something?
Vollmer: That’s a good question. I know it was a stretch for them to buy that house.
S-R: Then what?
Vollmer: My parents divorced when I was 12, and my mom remarried. So I worked part time delivering hay for my father’s feed and western store, and part time putting for-sale signs in the ground for my mom and stepdad’s real-estate company.
S-R: Where did you go to college?
Vollmer: I started out studying art at the Pasadena College of Design, then switched to Arizona State University and tried architecture before moving on to Cal Poly Pomona, where I earned a degree in urban and regional planning, with an emphasis on real-estate development. Years later, I got my MBA from Pepperdine.
S-R: What did you do between college and grad school?
Vollmer: I worked for my family’s real-estate company in Pasadena, started a small remodeling company, and did some landscaping.
S-R: What drew you to franchise restaurants?
Vollmer: When I was 38, my wife and I decided to get out of Southern California because it was too expensive. A friend suggested I check out a Phoenix-based company that franchised Sonic drive-ins. So I went there, met with the group, and two days later told my wife, “We’re moving to Phoenix.”
S-R: You said you started out washing dishes to learn the business. Did the other employees – all younger than you, presumably – wonder what you were doing?
Vollmer: (laugh) They thought I was spying for the owners. But as I moved into management, I applied my philosophy of helping young people develop life skills – to communicate quickly and multitask.
S-R: Where did you come up with that philosophy?
Vollmer: From people who mentored me. My grandfather owned 10 businesses, and taught me money management. Even though he was quite wealthy, he always bought used cars. Another role model was my mom, who grew up in poverty yet made it to the top ranks in mortgage banking.
S-R: Many people consider fast-food-restaurant jobs dead ends. How do you screen for ambitious employees?
Vollmer: When we interview, we ask, “Do you want to do more than just earn a paycheck?”
S-R: What other qualities do you look for?
Vollmer: We want employees to be stage performers with their teammates and guests. I tell them, “Don’t think of this as fast food. We’re a people-development and marketing company, offering the best food and the best service we can.”
S-R: How much do you pay entry-level employees?
Vollmer: Above minimum wage at Sonic – $10.30. Here, because we’re so new, we start at minimum wage ($9.47).
S-R: Is it hard to attract good applicants?
Vollmer: It’s challenging. But people sense that Sonic and Blaze are healthy, drug-free environments. And we give people second chances. I work with UGM (Union Gospel Mission), teaching their (job placement) classes how to interact with interviewers.
S-R: Did the skills you learned in previous careers translate to this one?
Vollmer: Tremendously – particularly my work in real estate. I went door to door asking people if they wanted to sell their house, which taught me confidence and how to communicate with the public. That background also helps me select good sites for our restaurants.
S-R: Why do you buy franchises instead of growing restaurants from scratch?
Vollmer: I’m not good at creating menus. My strengths are setting up systems, organizing people and sharing a vision. Also, with franchises you get purchasing power and brand recognition, which reduces the likelihood of failure.
S-R: How much does it cost to buy a franchise?
Vollmer: The fee for my first Sonic Drive-In was $30,000, plus 5 percent of my sales. That’s pretty typical. In return, they offer training. I did more than most people do, spending a year working in a Sonic. After that year, I was invited to run all 31 of the company’s restaurants, but I wanted to do my own thing.
S-R: Do prospective owners typically have to jump through hoops to get a franchise?
Vollmer: Yes. It’s very difficult. Franchisers look for strong commitment and an ability to support the business. With Blaze Pizza, you also must have already owned a restaurant.
S-R: Are you allowed to sell your franchises?
Vollmer: Yes, but the corporation must approve the buyer.
S-R: What other restrictions are there?
Vollmer: Your menu is limited, but you can tweak a restaurant’s décor to make it feel more local. For instance, I have a mural of the Expo ’74 (Washington Pavilion) canopy with a skateboarder.
S-R: Did the recession affect your business?
Vollmer: Very much. But I’m thankful for the recession, because it taught me better ways to run my business.
S-R: What else affects sales?
Vollmer: Road work can be devastating. And weather – particularly winter – can impact sales. We’re busiest between April and August.
S-R: Several other fast-food restaurants have opened near your Blaze Pizza site during the past year. Is that good or bad?
Vollmer: I think it’s good. It creates a food-court atmosphere that draws more customers.
S-R: What do you like most about your job?
Vollmer: I get to meet a lot of neat people, and know a surprising number of them by name. Our Sonic drive-ins have had the chain’s highest loyalty rating four years in a row.
S-R: What do you like least?
Vollmer: The challenge of making the numbers work. This is a penny business. Ten years ago, I didn’t realize how thin our margins were, and I gave a lot of food away.
S-R: Speaking of which, how many free-pizza coupons have you handed out since Blaze opened last September?
Vollmer: Probably too many. (laugh) In one day alone I gave away 2,753 pizzas. During the past two months, I’ve distributed 49,000 (free-pizza) coupons through the newspaper and mail. But my philosophy is to give back to the community.
S-R: What’s your typical schedule?
Vollmer: Yesterday was a 13-hour day. But I’ve pretty much averaged 12 hours a day, six days a week my whole life.
S-R: How do you relax?
Vollmer: I’m an avid pingpong player, and I read a lot – particularly biographies. I just finished Chrissie Hynde’s “Reckless,” about her life with The Pretenders.
S-R: What is your favorite special-occasion restaurant in Spokane?
Vollmer: Gosh, that’s tough. When you own a restaurant, you don’t get to eat out a lot.
This interview has been condensed. If you’d like to suggest a business or community leader to profile, contact Michael Guilfoil at mguilfoil@comcast.net.