cover story
Shoeless Joe’s
Game On, Franchisees
‘S
hoeless’ Joe Jackson’s career batting
average of .408 is one of baseball’s greatest.
The left-fielder had it all—speed, precision,
determination; today, his image and
accomplishments endure in popular culture.
Those are big shoes to fill (so to speak), but franchisor
Shoeless Joe’s knows a little something about winning,
too. The full-service restaurant and bar chain has been
growing like a champ for more than 20 years, covering
much of the Southern Ontario market and looking for
more. Like their namesake, the management at Shoeless
Joe’s knows the value of a great team, and that means
finding all-star franchisees.
Yes, finding those franchisees can be tough. However,
some have a natural knack for it, like Fred Lopreiato Shoeless Joe’s chief development officer
and his nephew, Nick: restaurant rookies who hit a Frank Lopreiato (left) dishes it out with
home run with their purchase of Shoeless Joe’s in 1987. Joel Sisson, chief operating officer.
Back then, there was no brand, no theme; just a single,
struggling location in Toronto. They could have declined
the opportunity; after all, Fred’s experience was in retail
clothing, not food service, and there was no guarantee
he could make the place a success. On the other hand,
the pair had long imagined the potential of a sports-
Photos by Bochsler Creative Solutions
themed restaurant in Ontario; here was his chance to
develop one.
Fred and Nick’s gameplan proved a winner. Shoeless
Joe’s profits increased 50 per cent in their first year of
ownership and another 25 per cent the following year.
They remoulded the restaurant into a casual dining
establishment, with an inviting, informal atmosphere,
catering to hungry patrons between the ages of 25 and
49. Families and sports fans (sometimes one and the
same) soon crowded the doors.
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Franchisees give our
company depth. They
bring their own range
of experiences, which
helps us all learn.
In 1991, Fred and Nick opened a second Shoeless offers two to three weeks of intensive support, allowing
Joe’s location in Toronto. By 1997, they were running franchisees to take on responsibilities at their own
four. The success of the concept convinced them it was pace. Even after the first month in business, a regional
time to let other people have the same chance they’d manager is available for information and advice.
had. That same year, Fred and Nick became franchisors, “Experience isn’t everything,” Frank says. “What we
and today, the company boasts nearly 40 franchised need are people willing to learn our way of doing
locations across Ontario, opening an average of seven things. We’re proud of our business model and we all
new locations per year. work hard to maintain it in every location.” To that
The benefits of franchising are obvious, explains end, the franchisor is introducing updates to its food-
Frank Lopreiato, Fred’s son and Shoeless Joe’s chief and bar-inventory programs and its accounting
development officer. “Franchisees give our company package. All are designed to make the franchisee’s job
depth,” he explains. “They bring their own range of more efficient and leave more time for the fun part:
experiences, which helps us all learn. Some of our interacting with customers.
competitors are satisfied with store managers, but we
look for more value in the people we partner with. Environment
Franchisees invest substantial time and money in their For Shoeless Joe’s, ‘Environment’ means a great deal
restaurants, so we know they’re committed—they more than four walls and a parking lot. It is about
genuinely care about our brand.” demonstrating respect for franchisees, appreciating
Shoeless Joe’s expects no less from its corporate staff. their loyalty and openly celebrating their hard work
A top star at the franchisor’s head office continually and accomplishments. High-performance franchisees
innovates, thinking of new ways to improve the brand may be eligible for a ‘rookie of the year’ award, or even
for both customers and franchisees. The company aims
to ‘be the best’ at everything it does; a lofty goal that’s
met through its focus on four principles: Service,
Environment, Quality and Profit.
Service
“‘Service’ means providing our franchisees, staff, key
suppliers and guests with a top-quality restaurant
experience,” Frank says. “That’s only possible through a
commitment to recruiting, training and retaining top-
quality people.” Shoeless Joe’s uses extensive interviews
and evaluations to select franchisees, giving it a clear
sense of their skills and performance potential. It also
offers a job-trial program, allowing both parties to ‘test
the waters’ before making any commitment.
Once the franchisee’s onboard, he or she can expect It was president and CEO, Fred
lots of assistance with financial analysis and business Lopreiato, who made Shoeless
communication. Shoeless Joe’s training department Joe’s a franchise name.
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‘Quality’ covers all aspects
of the franchisee experience.
a ‘hall of fame’ award for operational excellence, with Quality
winners receiving cash, cruises and other prizes. Peer ‘Quality’ covers all aspects of the franchisee
evaluation is also a big part of the environment at experience. For Shoeless Joe’s, this means continual
Shoeless Joe’s. The franchisor’s Franchisee Action updates to the menu, with a crisp new design focusing
Committee Team (FACT) is composed of franchisees on fresh ingredients and in-house specialties over pre-
selected by their fellow owners to manage their made items. It also means providing franchisees with
advertising fund and represent everyone’s interests to only the best locations in which to do business.
the head office. As Frank explains, “it’s a tremendous Shoeless Joe’s philosophy of controlled growth
show of respect for these franchisees to be so trusted emphasizes quality over quantity, with a particular
by their peers.” interest in Northern and Central Ontario over the next
three to five years. Its construction division, headed
by Nick Lopreiato, ensures new locations are built to
meet the franchisor’s exact requirements, and at a
reduced cost to franchisees. Inside, the franchisor
continues to evolve its look. The newest Shoeless Joe’s
locations feature a dark mahogany decor spiced with
one-of-a-kind sport artifacts and a sport-themed
plasma TV package exclusive to the chain. Customers
can expect a TV in every booth, showing notable
events from mixed martial arts and boxing to soccer,
basketball, baseball, football and hockey.
Profit
“‘Profit’ is obviously the goal of every location,” Frank
says. “But for us, it’s not about profit at any cost.
Profit must be the result of everyone’s commitment to
our culture and core principles. If those are
compromised, there would be no brand.”
As long as their four principles stay top-of-mind,
the Lopreiatos consider their bases covered. But
competition is always fierce. While Joe Jackson’s
career is long over, Shoeless Joes’ franchise system is
just getting started.
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