In 2005, Mike Scruggs, Sr., was senior vice president of global operations at Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. in Detroit. A year later, he was a Little Caesars franchisee operating 2 stores with his wife, Deb, and his son, Mike II, in Colorado Springs. By April 2007, he’d opened his fifth restaurant. Today he has plans for more, lots more!
With more than 25 years under his corporate belt, Scruggs was ready to go out on his own. He cites two main reasons. First, ‘You want to build something for yourself and your family.’ Second, ‘You want to work for yourself, make decisions that don’t involve a lot of red tape.’
Plus there’s the passion factor: he really likes working in a pizza store. ‘I’ve always been in operations, behind the counter, working in the stores with the managers and the people,’ he says.
Scruggs started in the pizza business when he was 15 or 16, working at Amato Brothers in Livonia, Mich., west of Detroit. He says that’s where he learned his work ethic-and some valuable lessons about working with others. For instance: ‘You retain people by how you train them, how you respect them, and how you support them. It’s not always pay.’
For Scruggs, it was a combination of factors that drew him to Colorado and franchising. A few years back, his son, Mike II, now 25, who had never previously shown an interest in the business, said he’d like to get into Little Caesars as a franchisee. Scruggs put him to the test in a Detroit store for 6 months. ‘He did well,’ says Scruggs, which got him to thinking…
Andrew on October 10th, 2007 at 8:50 am
It’s always pleasing to hear stories like this one of people who have had a dream and made it happen
I’m sure it Mike helped having all that experience under his belt, particularly senior management experience with the franchisor.
I bet know one has ever had a more solid background from which to launch into their business as Mark had.
His background obviously gave him a huge chance of success.
Cheers
Andrew