Franchise Focus

Hungry Howie's franchisee credits his people for success

Hungry Howie's franchisee David Plait owns 21 Hungry Howie's locations and says helping his employees succeed also helps his own businesses.

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June 14, 2023 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

Franchisee David Plait's family has been with pizza chain Hungry Howie's since the brand launched. He's been an integral player, helping to dream up recipes and the company's famous flavored crusts. Throughout his career, however, it's the people he's helped shape and mold who have been instrumental. He credits his people with his success, and it is a move that makes Plait a standout in his franchise.

Plait's father worked for Lombardi Foods, a supplier for the chain in the 1970s, before becoming Hungry Howie's fourth franchisee opening up store No. 8. Plait worked in the Berkley, Michigan, pizzeria as a teenager and grew up in the company.

David Plait owns 21 Hungry Howie's locations. Provided.

"Store No. 8 is still being operated by the family today," Plait said, adding that he worked with a couple of franchisees who brought the brand to Florida. In its early days, Hungry Howie's had just a few people who made decisions and developed concepts and recipes.

"It was not unusual for us to sit around at midnight (or) 2 o'clock in the morning just dreaming up a better mouse trap," Plait said. "As a matter of fact, our signature flavored crust was actually dreamed up and developed at one of those pow wows. … That came out of the Berkley store itself … my father introduced it to (owners) Jim Hearn and Steve Jackson. Everybody loved it."

The flavored crusts helped differentiate Hungry Howie's from local competitors Little Caesars and Domino's, both headquartered in Michigan as well. It evolved from putting sesame seeds on the crust to butter, then butter cheese and now includes garlic, ranch, Cajun and many more flavors. Other brands have tried to flavor their crust, but it remains Hungry Howie's mainstay — 96% of the brand's pizzas go out with a flavored crust, Plait said.

That first location in Berkley evolved into four stores by 1982, and today Plait owns 21 units. (His family also operates nearly 40 locations.) Plait said they knew they were ready to operate more stores because there were so many family members who loved the business, and there were more of them than there was square footage to operate.

"It was almost a competition amongst ourselves of who could get to the store first to open it. … We loved making pizza. We just loved the reactions that we got from our customer base," Plait said. "It was just so much fun serving families."

Expanding the business helped the family find financial and job security.

"Nobody started this very first store with the idea in mind that this was what we were going to do for a living," Plait added. Plait's father maintained his career with the supply company for which he worked. "It was fun, and the next thing you know, we just looked at the next town and it was just natural (to open a store). People were asking for Hungry Howie's pizza in the bordering towns and they were driving a distance. Our delivery drivers couldn't go as far as the consumers wanted us to, so we just evolved as a result of demand."

Changes

Over the years, Plait has seen the pizza industry change in several ways. He said that speed of service has become paramount, especially during the pandemic. People expect their products almost instantaneously, Plait said, the same way society wants their information.

How is that product produced quickly at Hungry Howie's? Plait said via equipment, a solid recipe and training and education of employees.

Marketing has gone digital, and there has been a rise in online and app ordering platforms.

Plait said the company used to use deck ovens in its early days but now uses conveyor ovens for speed and consistency.

Plait touts people as his reason for staying in business. He especially enjoys working with youths in the field, whether it's getting them through high school or helping them into college. He employs nearly 400 people, and some of those have been with him for up to 28 years.

"This business has afforded me the opportunity and a platform to just be involved," he added, "involved in local church groups, involved in local civic groups, fundraising, helping others and being on boards in different communities has been the real joy. The pizza industry has opened up so many doors for me that otherwise wouldn't have been opened.

"I think that's really the difference between my small organization within the Hungry Howie's brand and maybe some of the others is just how important it is to help people find a direction more than anything else."

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Often, jobs in the QSR industry are viewed as a first stop or a supplement income for a family. It's rarely viewed as a career choice. Every person is different, Plait says, and every person gets something different out of their employment.

When asked what advice he'd give to a franchisee starting out in the pizza industry, Plait recommends that a franchisee recognize that his or her presence in their business will be the difference between success or lack thereof.

"Generally, as you enter into this industry, it's a weekend industry. It's a night industry, which is completely opposite of most business models," Plait said. "Be prepared to have a love for being involved in your community when your communities are having fun.

"You have to learn how to enjoy having fun when everybody else has checked out from business (or) checked out from work."

About Mandy Wolf Detwiler

Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.

An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living.

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