1851 Franchise spoke with Army veteran Shane Paul about how he successfully transitioned to civilian life as a multi-unit Jack in the Box franchise owner.
Veteran Franchisee: Shane Paul
Franchise: Jack in the Box
As a first-generation college graduate, a successful Army veteran, and a longtime restaurant industry professional, Shane Paul has consistently taken control of his destiny and forged his own path. Currently, as the owner of multiple locations of the iconic fast-food franchise, Jack in the Box, Paul continues to utilize the skills he’s developed throughout his diverse career while giving back to his community with the brand he loves.
1851 Franchise spoke with Paul about his journey in the franchise industry, his accomplishments in the industry, and his advice for other veterans interested in breaking into the franchise industry.
The transcript below has been edited for clarity, style and brevity.
1851 Franchise: Tell us your personal story: how does serving in the military relate to your background and what was your journey from the military to being an entrepreneur?
Shane Paul: I am a proud military veteran, having served 24 years, 11 months and 17 days in the Army National Guard, serving in five states and supporting Afghanistan, the World Trade Center attack relief efforts and Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
I enlisted in 1986 to help pay for college as no one in my family had attended college. While in college I decided to join ROTC and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. I will be retiring as a Major and look forward to starting my pension at age 59.
I also worked for nearly 30 years in corporate foodservice. I earned my law degree from Ohio University and my MBA in Finance from Florida A&M University. I worked for McDonald’s, Burger King, Kosi, and Jack in the Box. At the time I left Jack in the Box, I was overseeing $2 billion in assets and over 7,000 employees for the brand. I asked Jack in the Box to let me become a franchisee and, partnering with existing franchisees, purchased seven restaurants from Jack in the Box’s headquarters in San Diego, California.
1851: How did your military experience help you succeed in the franchise business?
Pole: It still helps me today. I can’t describe how stressful this job is and the constant stream of problems you face every day. No matter how bad it gets — I’ve seen way worse in the military — it weirdly keeps me pretty calm.
Time planning and organizational skills also help a lot, and gaining these skills in the military will give you skills that are comparable to similar experience you could get anytime in corporate America.
Finally, leadership and public speaking skills. It may not seem like a big deal, but many people don’t like speaking in front of people or in small groups. When you’re running a business, such as a restaurant, you’re always speaking to groups of people and giving instructions. So the ability to speak, to deal with people well, and to be a good leader is something we all learned in the military and is a necessary skill for owning a business.
1851: What is your favorite thing about Jack in the Box?
Pole: I own seven Jack in the Box stores in San Diego and just signed a deal with Jack in the Box to open six new stores in Louisville, Kentucky, so you can see I’m committed.
My favorite thing about our menu is that we serve breakfast all day. We also have tacos, churros, and egg rolls. Our menu is very diverse, so everyone who comes to us can enjoy a wide variety of food.
I also like the brand itself. We aim to be a cool brand that is different. Last year we partnered with Snoop Dogg, and recently with Ice Cube. Our mascot is a clown. It’s just a fun brand!
Our company has been around for over 60 years and continues to grow and evolve. I’m so proud to share with you all that I’m part of Jack in the Box and hear how much you love our brand. It’s amazing!
1851: Looking back at the franchise’s journey so far, what are you most proud of?
Pole: Two things: In the restaurant industry, turnover is normal. When you’re running seven restaurants, it’s normal to have two or three restaurant managers leave in a year. We haven’t had a restaurant manager leave in over three years. So our team is stable, experienced, and as a result, we’re positioned to achieve great results.
We are also proud of the love we receive from our customers. We have many customers come in almost every day, and I never get tired of hearing them talk about this or that employee and how hard they work.
Finally, in addition to the restaurants I own here, I am proud that my business partners and the Jack in the Box brand have placed their trust in me to continue expanding and opening new restaurants.
1851: What advice would you give to other veterans considering the move into franchising?
Pole: There are three main pieces of advice:
- Funding: I often mention my brand, restaurants, and a restaurant can cost over $2 million to build and open. So you need to know how much money you have and look for opportunities that are right for you. Many brands offer discounts and incentives if you have military experience; just mention it. You can also get various loans as a veteran. It’s not necessarily about having money in your bank account, it’s about understanding what you want to do, how much it’s going to cost, and whether you can find a way to pay for it.
- Love the brand: There are many conferences where brands have booths. You can use these to expose yourself to all kinds of franchise opportunities, including cleaning, car repair, hotels, and of course restaurants. You have to find what you love and what suits you. I’ve mostly given optimistic and positive answers so far, but at the end of the day, owning a business is hard work and you can lose everything if you fail. If you’re going to take a risk like this, make sure you love your brand, because it may be the only thing you have in your favor when things go wrong.
- Make sure you have the expertise: For example, if you want to run a restaurant, you don’t have to be an expert in the restaurant industry. But you have to have people in that industry who know how to run it. When people talk about starting a business, I’m most surprised that they think they have to be some kind of expert in that industry. Before you start a franchise, you have to be really an expert or be prepared to bring in trusted experts to invest in.
If you have the people to do that, love the brand and are being paid, then franchising is for you!
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