Chick-fil- A Franchise In Wallingford Brings Owner Closer To Home

Monday, November 10, 2014

Todd Langston was approaching 180 nights per year in a hotel room away from his family when his young daughter said to him over the phone, "I forgot what you look like." Her words forever changed the course of the Farmington family's life.

As a marketing executive for Stanley Black & Decker, Langston enjoyed a history of corporate success, but at the expense of a meaningful home life.

Langston is southerner that Stanley Black & Decker transplanted to New England through promotions; first into Rhode Island and later to its world headquarters in New Britain. Born and raised in North Carolina, he attended the University of North Carolina and received a master's degree in public relations from American University in Washington, D.C.

It wasn't long after the phone call from his daughter Abigail in 2010 that the Atlanta-based restaurant chain Chick-fil-A announced its foray into New England.

"I really believed in the brand," Langston said. "It was part of a longer-term plan to be home in our zip code or near it. I grabbed my wife's hand and said, "OK, Are you ready to do this?" Langston and his wife Carla Langston, an international sales and marketing director, filled out the expression of interest and things started moving faster. Later, they found themselves at an informational seminar in Waterbury.

"That invigorated me," he said. "And as the process continued, I got more and more excited for me and my family and I knew it was the right thing for us." Langston was one of 20,000 candidates that applied to Chick-fil-A in 2012 and among 75 eventually chosen as a franchisee in 2014. Chick-fil-A had already selected the real estate, and after paying the $5,000 franchise fee Langston was given the North Colony Road store, the second Chick-fil-A in Connecticut.

"The hard part is more so getting chosen," he said last week. "The comfort factor is knowing there are 1,800 owner/operators that built this brand before." Langston's commitment to Chick-fil-A comes from a long history and family memories with the chain stemming from childhood. But selecting a franchise isn't always a decision that comes from the heart.

When people hear they can own a Chick-fil-A franchise they say "I'll take 10," said Chick-fil-A spokeswoman Cynthia Chapman. But that isn't how it operates. The company has an intense screening process that measures character, chemistry and competency, she said.

Chick-fil-A also runs more of the operation and collects 50 percent of the profits, unlike other franchises which collect smaller royalty fees but ask for more upfront investment.

Robert Mesite opened the state's first Sonic restaurant about 300 yards away from the new Chick-fil-A. He welcomes his new neighbor and said the introduction of the two national brands into Wallingford creates a destination in the area of town close to the Meriden border.

"Wallingford should be very thankful," Mesite said. "Not only is there a Sonic, but a Chick-fil-A. I think we're going to complement each other." Unlike Chick-fil-A , which franchises one store at a time, Mesite competed with three formidable entities before winning the rights to the Connecticut Sonic franchise. After opening in Walllingford, Mesite built Sonics in Manchester, Milford and Bristol. The business models couldn't be more different.

Mesite had to show not only business acumen, but millions of dollars available to invest and personal wealth to be considered for a Sonic franchise. Chick-fil-A prohibits franchisees from having other business interests while Sonic has owners who own Taco Bells and other brands.

"It is very different," he said. "We take all the risks. You won't see one Chick-fil-A fail because there is corporate money behind it." Wayne D'Amico, a commercial real estate specialist, has brokered deals for Dunkin' Donuts, Subway and Jake's Wayback Burgers. Different franchises are changing the ways they do business to compete and change with customer preferences, he said.

Twenty years ago, Dunkin' Donuts welcomed the single franchise. But in recent years, it seeks candidates with the financial resources to develop the brand regionally. This reason alone explains why there is one Dunkin' Donuts to every 5,000 to 6,000 people in Connecticut, Massachussetts and Rhode Island, but large swaths of unclaimed territory throughout the Midwest.

"They have to have a commitment to not just one but a roll-out of multiple franchises," D'Amico said. "In order for the brand to succeed in the market you have to have adequate supply to build loyalty to the brand." D'Amico points to Krispy Kreme's failed multi-million investment to put two stores in Connecticut before identifying brand loyalty. "Dunkin' held on because of its coffee," he said. "But Krispy Kreme didn't have a product that justified its yield." Langston is content with the arrangement because it works for him and his family, he said. For months, they worked out of a trailer, recruiting and making contacts without a paycheck. He also embraced the Wallingford community and, with the grand opening underway, enjoys watching people get their first taste of Chick-fil-A.

"My whole career, I've been able to build things, build brands," he said. "It's a lot of comfort knowing they do the demographics and work to see you're set up to succeed." He also understands his market. In July 2012, Chick-fil-A's president Dan Cathy ignited a firestorm when he spoke out publicly against marriage equality in the United States. The comments led to calls for a boycott, a severing of ties with promotional partner Jim Henson's Muppets, and the company's possible exclusion from the Chicago and Boston markets.

After some peace-making with the Civil Rights Agenda, it was also reported that Chick-fil-A officials stated in an internal document that they would treat every person equally, regardless of sexual orientation.

When asked how a perception of intolerance might play in more liberal-leaning Connecticut, Langston leaned forward.

"We use the words honor, dignity and respect," Langston said. "You could be Baptist, you could be Atheist. Whatever walk of life; when they come to Chick-fil-A, they're going to be treated with honor, dignity and respect. That's not something you just say, that's something you do." Langston's wife Carla helps run the business and the children are around the restaurant enough to remember his face.

"My daughter calls herself the vice president of the children's play area," Langston said. "This is the most welcoming town I can imagine."

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