Resources

It is unbelievable how quickly things can change. Within a matter of days, the business model that has helped sustain community staples like Huddle House and Perkins Bakery & Restaurant in various capacities for nearly 70 years has been turned on its head. The restaurant industry, along with a few others such as airlines, hotels and walk-in retail, has been hardest hit.

When we started the franchise back in 2007, my original partners and I mutually agreed that giving back was an important investment to make in our neighborhood and our business. We lived in the best city, enjoyed the best staff and a growing clientele, and had access to the best community partners, so it was an easy decision.   

Clifford Davison’s Massage Envy in Winchester, VA, closed because of COVID-19 and state-wide mandated closures, is still providing for his business’s employees and the wider community, in acts of franchising giving back.

In a period of great uncertainty for the community, and tremendous hardship for the first responders and hospital workers who are battling COVID-19, James Connor and his Biggby Coffee franchise in Trenton, Michigan are answering the call of service.

In Western Pennsylvania, Sport Clips franchisee Al Rodriguez is assisting his community in myriad ways, even as his salons are closed or reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an example of all of franchising giving back, FranNet franchise consultant Tracy Rickman is serving her community in Ohio in this time of need.

In St. Charles, Illinois, CD One Price Cleaners franchisee Tom Simonian is going above and beyond to provide a first responders in need with real-world resources and solutions as they fight COVID-19.

As owner of The Little Gym North Raleigh/Wake Forest, Richard Moore knows about keeping kids in his community active, energetic, and healthy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, his gym has been closed to ensure the health of children that his gym normally serves.

Linda Sharp, a PuroClean franchisee based out of The Woodlands area north of Houston, is a longtime active member of her community, and her business has operated with an eye toward community service and dedication.

In the Tri-Cities area of Washington state, IHOP franchisee Susan Mendenhall is once again feeding her community in times of crisis, and showing resilience in the face of adversity. Mendenhall is no stranger to stepping up in challenging times; in 2015 her IHOP location in Kennewick, Washington fed firefighters who were responding to devastating wildfires in the area.