News

DFW restaurant owners earn Schlotzsky's top awards

March 14, 2014

Schlotzsky's honored Dallas-Fort Worth area franchise partners at its annual convention last month, according to a company press release. Husband-and-wife team Cary and Jackie Albert of Dallas earned the Don & Dolores Dissman Franchise Partner of the Year award. Viral Patel, also of the Dallas area, was this year's recipient of the Roy Thomas Bustin' Buns Award.

"Every year, we look forward to honoring the top performing franchise partners who inspire the system as a whole," said Kelly Roddy, president of Schlotzsky's. "Cary and Jackie Albert and Viral Patel all demonstrate outstanding leadership, keen business acumen and, above all, unwavering dedication. We are proud to call them members of our family, as should the Dallas-Fort Worth community. We're very grateful for their efforts and commitment to Schlotzsky's."

Well-known throughout the franchise system, Cary and Jackie Albert have been part of the Schlotzsky's family for two decades and currently own and operate 12 locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Proven leaders in the system, the duo are viewed as the "go-to" team in the system for product and operations tests, innovators in national marketing programs and best practices, and regularly push to grow the Schlotzsky's brand overall, Roddy said.

The Don & Dolores Dissman Franchise Partner of the Year Award goes to a top-level franchise partner in the system who leads by example and sets the bar at the highest level through operations, performance and involvement, according to the press release.

Viral Patel and Kamlesh Shroff have been with the Schlotzsky's franchise system for a decade, operating 12 restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth and the surrounding area. Patel, who was raised with an emphasis on integrity, ethics and achievement, applied these values to turn previously failing stores into great successes through remodels, co-branding, streamlined operations, improved customer service and enhanced food quality. Together, Patel and Shroff's business focus is results and numbers driven, relying on success from key metrics and benchmarks in the Schlotzsky's system to make his businesses successful, Roddy said.

The Roy Thomas Bustin' Buns Award honors the franchise partner who works hard to do whatever it takes to make their restaurant a success. The recipients of this award are passionate about the brand, lead the system in innovation and are always searching for ways to improve the business, according to the release.