Food service franchisees share the recipes behind multi-unit ownership
By Georgie Binks
There are a variety of ways to go about franchising depending on your goals and circumstances. For many franchisees, multi-unit ownership allows them to take what they’ve learned from single unit ownership and apply it to additional locations, while also giving them opportunities to further build their wealth. That being said, the experiences that come with owning a single unit are different than that of owning multiple units, both in terms of finances and the kind of work involved. Franchise Canada sat down with multi-unit franchisees from three different brands to ask them about their experiences owning multiple franchise locations.
Panago Pizza Inc.
From concrete laborer to the owner of six Panago locations, it’s been quite a journey for Satnam Malhi.
Malhi remembers that “While working my full-time day job, I was also a part-time Panago pizza delivery driver. I saw how well established Panago is, and the ongoing operational support franchisees were receiving. I remember one day thinking to myself that I can do this too. I want to be a part of this franchise and do the best that I can in helping it succeed.”
Panago is a Canadian brand with 35 years of experience offering more than 30 recipe pizzas alongside create-your-own options. According to Malhi, what makes the brand unique is that their ingredients use no artificial colours or flavours, and only cage-free eggs. They also make their pies with 100 per cent organic pizza sauce, dough made fresh in house, and are sensitive to health and dietary requirements, with a wide range of plant-based, vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-smart options available on the menu.
With six locations in Alberta, Malhi is busy. “My main focus is to ensure our locations are running smoothly and profitably. When I was able to see how well the first store was running, I knew my family and I could take on more.”
There are benefits to being both a single unit and multi-unit owner, Malhi says. “With a single unit, you’re hiring and supervising a much smaller team compared to multi-units. You’re able to be more hands-on at one location and oversee small tasks yourself. [Owning multiple units], I learned I can not be in more than one place myself. You have to hire and train good staff you trust to oversee that particular location.”
Malhi appreciates the support from Panago’s head office in training, marketing, and product development. “I can focus on growing my team and serving the community while the brand takes care of the rest.”
Malhi feels that one of the benefits to running a Panago is brand awareness—it’s a brand customers already know and trust, with a proven business model franchisees can benefit from.
A recent success for Malhi is that three of his stores have now been fully paid off. For others considering a Panago franchise, Malhi says, “Be ready to work hard in the beginning. At least the first year, you need to be very hands on, learning the systems and building your team. It requires a lot of dedication, resilience, and leadership. Panago gives you the blueprint, you just have to follow it, execute it, and over time make it yours. “
Then, get ready for a great feeling. Malhi shares, “I love walking into my store and seeing happy customers.”
Pacini
Jo Circé and his wife, Sandra Bureau, just love their franchise locations and the products they serve. “Pacini is unlike any other Italian restaurant chain,” Circé says. “Love guides our thinking, decisions, and actions. We love authentic Italian cuisine—from the quality ingredients, intoxicating flavors, and inspiring aromas to the textures and appetizing presentations. And we love the people, young and older, customers, community members, employees, suppliers, and partners.”
The two had been involved in the restaurant business for years when one day it all came together. Circé explains, “With the help of a friend and former coworker, I met Pierre Marc Tremblay, owner of the Pacini franchise. After the meeting, Pierre Marc told me, ‘You should be a restaurateur!’”
Circé started working for Pacini as director of operations, and a few months later, a franchise location came up in Rosemère, Quebec. Circé and his wife jumped at it.
“We opened Pacini Rosemère in September 2015, acquired Pacini St-Jérôme in October 2019, and we just opened Pacini Marché Central (Montreal) in May 2025.”
The couple loved the human side of the franchise, explains Circé. “We felt the franchisor was going to take care of us and at the same time we were going to take care of the brand, our employees, and our customers.”
“The franchise listens to our needs and is attentive to our suggestions,” Circé says, “We are also a family concept, so we feel everyone from one to 99 years old is a potential customer. The clientele is very similar to us and we feel comfortable in this environment.” He adds that there is also room to grow in the franchise system as opportunities arise.
Additionally, he says, “We try to integrate our employees into our decisions, find new ways of working, to add equipment to improve productivity—all this is to make our employees feel good and offer the best possible service to our guests.”
And, of course, there are differences between owning a single location and multiple stores. Circé says, “We quickly realized that we couldn’t do everything alone. We had to give our team responsibilities, give clear instructions, and be educators.”
Circé believes restaurant experience and employee management are keys to success in this franchise. “However,” he adds, “In my opinion, the most important criteria are open-mindedness, the ability to adapt quickly to changes, strong emotional intelligence, and good listening skills.”
And, of course, a love of great Italian food!
A&W Food Services of Canada
From that first gulp of A&W’s ice-cold root beer to the feeling of being involved in a successful family venture, life is good for Josée and Karine Lauzon these days. The two own seven A&W franchises in Quebec.
They first developed their interest in the famous franchise when their parents, Ginette and Luc Lauzon, were looking for a restaurant banner in 2001 that shared the family’s values in terms of food quality, guest service, and work environment.
“We joined A&W with our parents right away, starting from our teenage years.” Karine says, “What makes A&W unique is that we stand out as a Canadian franchisor. We have been serving our original recipes for years for our famous Teen Burger, onion rings, and root beer. In addition, A&W has successfully reinvented itself to ensure it continues to satisfy today’s guests.”
For Josée and Karine, an advantage of becoming a franchisee with A&W is their strong partnership with the franchisor: “We receive very attentive support from our franchisor, who truly partners with us. We also have access to various resource persons at the head office, depending on the topic.” Another advantage is the brand’s image, which they say stands out very well in the fast-food industry.
Challenges include competing against a giant in the industry for market share, as well as maintaining profitability despite the sharp increase of input costs in recent years.
Going from managing one franchise location to several is also a challenge. Josée explains, “The biggest difference is in daily operations management versus overseeing managers who, in turn, manage their own team members within the operations.”
Still, the benefits outweigh the challenges. Josée mentions that one big benefit of owning multiple restaurants is “being able to leverage the different strengths of the various concepts within a 24-hour period—from drive-thru, to urban settings and shopping malls.”
As for future plans, she says, “We continue to shine in the markets where we already operate our locations, while keeping an eye on the potential of neighboring markets.”
For those considering an A&W franchise, she says certain things are essential: an ideal franchisee would be “anyone who is motivated, ready to take ownership at all times, and committed to respecting compliance in order to properly represent the franchisor.”
And an ability to work hard is a must. Karine says, “You must not be afraid to roll up your sleeves. A strong desire to grow and succeed within a group that values knowledge sharing is essential.”
Read this article in the Food Issue of Franchise Canada, 2025, titled “More Kitchens for the Cooks”