Franchising

From pizza lover to franchisee: How Dane Kopnisky built a life with Donatos

After leaving Ohio for an office career in Boston, Dane Kopnisky and his family returned to his longtime favorite, Donatos, opening a location in Summerville, South Carolina, in 2016. Nearly a decade into franchising, Kopnisky's passion for the product, and the communities they serve, keep him committed to growing the business.

Photo: Donatos Pizza

October 21, 2026 by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

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For Dane Kopnisky, becoming a Donatos franchisee was never part of the plan. After working there throughout high school and during some college years, Kopnisky believed that when he left, his days working in pizza were behind him.

Kopnisky grew up in Ohio, where Donatos was founded, and spent two years working at the pizza chain during high school. He returned to the restaurants during summers while attending the University of Dayton, where he earned a degree in marketing and communications in 2007.

After graduation, he moved to Boston to pursue an office career. But life in New England, particularly after he and his wife welcomed their first child, brought a realization that a traditional office job wasn't the right fit for their family.

"We got stuck in massive snowstorms," Kopnisky said. "Office work and out of the snow, it just wasn't for us."

Donatos, meanwhile, had never been far from his mind. He loved the food, admired the company's family-oriented culture and had maintained a connection to the brand. And after several conversations with the team, Kopnisky and his wife started to consider a different future as franchise operators.

The decision to become franchisees was a family commitment, and the process of opening the first restaurant tested that commitment early as they packed up their Boston residence to meet with the company and train in Columbus, Ohio. Their second child was just two months old while their oldest was two. Undeterred, they made the move and spent nine weeks in corporate housing in Columbus, learning how to run and manage a store through dedicated daily instruction.

Meanwhile, construction delays caused by storms complicated the timeline for their new restaurant. Then came one final obstacle.

On the last day of training, their older child became sick, followed by his wife, who also had become ill. Then it was Kopnisky himself. He remembers it as the worst sickness the family had ever experienced, all happening as they were scheduled to leave for the 11-hour drive to South Carolina.

"When we made it to town here, it felt like rainbows were going off and some peace," he said.

Every day brings something new

The decision to become franchisees was a family commitment, and the process of opening the first restaurant tested that commitment early as they packed up their Boston residence to meet with the company and train in Columbus, Ohio.

Their second child was just two months old while their oldest was two. Undeterred, they made the move and spent nine weeks in corporate housing in Columbus, learning how to run and manage a store through dedicated daily instruction.

Meanwhile, construction delays caused by storms complicated the timeline for their new restaurant. Then came one final obstacle.

On the last day of training, their older child became sick, followed by his wife, who also had become ill. Then it was Kopnisky himself. He remembers it as the worst sickness the family had ever experienced, all happening as they were scheduled to leave for the 11-hour drive to South Carolina.

"When we made it to town here, it felt like rainbows were going off and some peace," he said.

A new beginning

Although he had restaurant experience before becoming a franchisee, Kopnisky didn't come from an operations background. That made the transition to ownership a significant learning experience.

The biggest adjustment, he said, was understanding that restaurant operations never really stop.

"There's always something that arises, and that was a big adjustment for me after we opened," he said. "I am on 100% of the time."

Over time, Kopnisky has become accustomed to the demands, but the constant need to troubleshoot remains one of the defining realities of his family's restaurant ownership.

Their experience through the COVID-19 pandemic added another layer to the learning curve, requiring them to navigate the challenges of running a restaurant through an extraordinary period of uncertainty.

Still, he sees the work as worthwhile and believes one of the most important relationships in his business is with his general manager, Rodney, who has been with the restaurants for nearly a decade and oversees day-to-day operations at both locations.

Their working relationship developed over time and has grown into one built on trust and shared experience.

"It's all how you treat everyone and everyone around you," he said.

That philosophy also extends to the people who keep the restaurants running behind the scenes. Reliable local oven repair and refrigeration technicians are essential contacts, particularly when equipment problems threaten service, he said.

And within the Donatos system, Kopnisky has developed strong relationships with the people he relies on for guidance.

He credits Tony, the company's head of franchising, and CEO Kevin King with helping create a culture in which franchise operators feel supported. He also points to franchise business consultant Dave Hunt, who has worked with him for approximately seven years.

"If they don't have an answer for something, they go above and beyond trying to solve any issue they might have," he said.

10 years and two locations

Nearly a decade later, Kopnisky and his wife operate two restaurants, having taken over an existing Donatos location in Charleston's West Ashley area in August 2025.

Their second location is smaller, carryout only and comes with its own set of learning curves. Mainly, how to navigate a to-go concept while running a larger, sit-down location as well. He's also adjusting to third-party delivery services and the opportunities and challenges that exist within those ordering channels.

"The biggest adjustment we've had over the last few years is third-party. We're late to Uber Eats and DoorDash and it's taken a while for that to pick up down here," he said. "You lose a lot of control over your product when you use a third party. The biggest challenge is how we keep a product hot and fresh."

Despite the challenges, he remains enthusiastic about the brand and the franchise system that supports it.

"We got into Donatos because my wife and I think there's nothing better than a Donatos pizza. I enjoy being at the restaurant everyday that I'm in town. I still like delivering pizzas; I still like making pizzas, I like talking to the customers at the front," he said. "We genuinely stand by the product, and it's nice to be able to bring this into different places and have people try it. Once we started this, this is all we wanted to do. I haven't looked back."