Before You Open a Second Franchise, Build a Team That Can Run the First

The detail I keep coming back to in Krish Patel’s PrimoHoagies story is who went to training with him. Before the first store opened, Krish and his cousin Raj spent three weeks learning the operation in New Jersey. Raj later became general manager of both restaurants. By the time the family expanded from Latham to Albany, it had someone in management who knew how the business was supposed to run from the start.

That is where I would begin a conversation with someone considering multi-unit franchise ownership. The second store changes what the first store needs from its owner. If the owner is still the person every shift depends on, opening another location splits the attention the original team has come to rely on.

Take stock of what the first location still needs from you

Patel signed with PrimoHoagies at 21, but he had already worked in his family’s restaurant. At PrimoHoagies, he stayed close to the day-to-day work and helped prepare orders himself. That kind of involvement can show an owner where the restaurant needs stronger routines. A lunch rush can reveal whether the team has prepared enough product, set up the stations properly and trained enough people to cover a gap.

Before adding a second location, I’d look at what happens when the owner is off-site. Can the manager handle a callout without cutting service? Can the team spot a portioning or inventory problem and address it? Does someone have the authority to resolve a customer complaint on the spot? Those answers tell you how much of the first store’s performance the team can sustain on its own.

Treat the second location as a new market decision

Patel’s first restaurant opened in Latham in 2024, and his second opened in Albany in 2025. Latham is on a commercial corridor, while the Albany store sits across from a hospital. Even when two restaurants share a brand and a management team, customers may visit at different times and for different reasons.

For the second location, I’d want to know what will generate repeat orders. That could mean nearby workplaces, residents, passing traffic or catering accounts. Each demand source has implications for staffing and service. A store that draws a concentrated weekday lunch rush may need a different schedule from one that serves steady residential traffic through the evening.

Set an opening pace the business can support

The Patel family secured rights to develop up to 10 restaurants. Its first two openings show what that commitment looks like in practice. Each location needs a site, a trained crew and management coverage, even when the menu and operating procedures are already in place.

The question I’d put to any prospective multi-unit owner is simple. If you spent opening week at the new restaurant, who would handle the busiest shift at your first one? A specific name, a trained backup and a clear plan for that shift tell you more about your readiness than the number of locations in the development agreement.

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