For Brandon Pratt, the answer is yes. “The proof is in the pudding. I’ve seen it, I’ve tested it.”
Becoming a successful Pizza Ranch Franchise Owner was not Pratt’s original plan. While working in real estate, the opportunity came to him in 2005 when his friend asked if Pratt wanted to diversify and open a pizza business. He opened up his first location in Iowa City in 2006. Over the past 13 years, Brandon has opened five locations in Iowa and Illinois. His sixth location in Marion, Iowa, is set to open in 2019.
Brandon put his real estate acumen to work when he decided to revamp his Iowa City location. He added 3,000 square feet to his space, accommodating 90 more seats and a signature Pizza Ranch FunZone Arcade. The Iowa City Pizza Ranch has transformed into what he calls a “birthday party capital.” The location serves 200-300 kids per day on the weekends. The average turn of seats has become slower, which as he remarks, “can be bad or good depending on how you’re operating.” Pratt and his crew have had to reevaluate their system to accommodate the mass number of guests who flock to his location.
“Owning five locations, I get to work with a lot of data.” When he first started franchising, Brandon worked as a General Manager for his Iowa City location. Thanks to his current full-time management team, he can now focus on “big-picture trends” to make his franchises successful.
Brandon was in the first wave of Franchise Owners who included a FunZone Arcade in their Pizza Ranch—a testament to his trendsetting attitude. He has seen the development of the FunZone Arcade with the corporate team over time. “They’re totally dialed in.” Anyone considering adding a FunZone Arcade to their location will find plenty of support.
“We are dedicated to growing the bottom line for our Franchise Owners and delivering our guests the best family-friendly experience within the communities we serve,” said Mark Souba, Pizza Ranch Chief Development Officer. “A FunZone Arcade meets both of these objectives.”
The dual income streams and wider guest outreach have been positive for Brandon. “We’ve found that the more games we have, the different demographics we bring in. We realized that we had no game options for toddlers, so I’ve increased our FunZone Arcade to 24 games to cater to that group.”
Of course, there are challenges. You need the proper square footage and resources to create an exceptional experience for Pizza Ranch guests.
Yet, like a true Pizza Ranch Franchise Owner, the way that the FunZone Arcade serves the community greatly outweighs all challenges for Brandon. “It’s just fun. It gives so much energy to the crew, guests, and restaurant environment. We’re a restaurant and an entertainment center. It’s the best of both worlds,” Brandon says. “We’re trying to be a place with delicious and craveable food and a great place to spend time with your family—and we knock it out of the park.”
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