In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Feghali, also known on X as the famous QSRguy, a powerhouse multi-unit franchisee who:

• Owns 33 Little Caesars across California, Oregon, and Arizona
• Operates a Jersey Mike’s
• Founded his own viral cookie-and-coffee concept, Coco Playa, which did $1.3M+ in its first year

We cover: 🍕 Ryan’s roots folding boxes in his dad’s Little Caesars and why he initially swore off franchising 🚀 How he went from buying two underperforming stores to scaling a 33-unit pizza empire 📈 The systems, tech, and hospitality strategy that help his stores outperform the average AUV 💰 What he looks for in acquisition deals—and why he’d rather overpay for a great location 🥤 How his new concept Coco Playa exploded with Gen Z fans and dirty soda diehards 🤝 Why franchising too early is a trap—and what he’s doing differently as a founder 📚 Plus, a teaser on the book he’s working on

If you're into QSRs, franchising, or just love a good operator story, this one’s packed.

Links:

Buy or sell your franchise: https://www.frandawgs.com/

Ryan on X: https://x.com/QSRguy

Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfeghali/

Check out Ryan’s coffee/cookie brand, Coco Playa:

https://trycocoplaya.com/

https://www.instagram.com/trycocoplaya

Jacob Jaber helped turn his dad’s corner store in San Francisco into one of the most beloved coffee brands in the country. In this episode, we break down how Philz became a Silicon Valley icon — without ever serving espresso.

We cover:

• How Jacob scaled from 1 store to 80+
• The real reason they refused to add espresso machines
• Why hospitality was always the product (not coffee)
• Their $100M raise — and the Naval Ravikant story behind it
• What Jacob looks for now as an investor in brick-and-mortar startups

This isn’t just a story about coffee. It’s about obsession, word-of-mouth, and building a brand so good, people tell their friends. If you’re building anything consumer-facing, this one’s a must-listen.

Links:

Buy or sell your franchise: https://www.frandawgs.com/

Jacob’s investment firm: https://www.humblelion.co/

Follow Jacob! https://x.com/JacobJaber

Bret Borock co-owned 5 Orangetheory studios—including one of the top 10 locations in the country. At the peak, they were printing cash. But when COVID hit, he nearly lost it all.

The deal fell through. And Bret had to wait until 2024 to finally exit.

So what did he do next?

He went from boutique fitness… to garbage. He bought into Smash My Trash—and then doubled down with a Heavyweight Waste franchise.

In this episode of FranDawgs Uncut, Bret unpacks: – How he scaled top-performing Orangetheory studios – What it’s like trying to sell a business during a crisis – Why he bet on the unsexy world of commercial waste – The surprising playbook that works across both fitness and trash

Enjoy!