The Five Pillars of Franchising with Riko’s Pizza’s Carl Bachmann - Grounded Podcast - Episode #35
From franchisee to leading national brands, Carl Bachmann’s journey in the restaurant industry is packed with lessons in growth, innovation, and operational excellence. Now as President and Chief Operating Officer at Riko’s Pizza, Carl brings his experience from Ruby Tuesday, BurgerFi, and Smashburger to a fast-growing brand that’s redefining what pizza can be.
In this episode, Carl shares his five foundational pillars for building and scaling a successful franchise, covering everything from infrastructure and innovation to consistency and smart marketing. Whether you’re a restaurant operator, franchise owner, or industry leader, Carl’s insights provide a playbook for sustainable growth and creating a culture that thrives.
The Five Foundational Pillars:
- Infrastructure: Build a strong support system with the right people and processes to ensure consistency and scalability.
- Taste and Quality: Deliver memorable flavor-forward products that keep customers coming back.
- Defining Your Portfolio: Understand where your business model thrives to drive strategic, sustainable growth.
- Gold Standards and Processes: Create replicable systems and high service standards to ensure operational excellence across all locations.
- Punch Above Your Weight: Leverage social media, storytelling, and community engagement to amplify your brand presence without overspending.
Quote of the Show:
- “If you're not innovating, changing, and keeping it interesting, you're not creating exciting moments for the guests. I think the guests deserve that.” - Carl Bachmann
Connect with Carl:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-bachmann-80704110/
- Company website: https://www.rikospizza.com/
Ways to Tune In:
- Transistor: https://www.groundedonthepod.com/
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2I7EoKaVff3SnW3CoIXjJ6
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grounded/id1680909033
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/451edb13-5534-43ee-b46c-be36a7581460
- iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-grounded-281280581/
- Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/grounded-5259267
- Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/1064441
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-Grounded-Podcast
Creators and Guests
Host
Lauren Mitchell
Lauren Mitchell is the Director of National Accounts and Custom Distribution at Produce Alliance, LLC. She is a dedicated fresh produce spend & spec maximizer for multi-unit national restaurant chains & groups. She gets to know your brand and infuses your expectation for quality, consistency and transparency to create more reliability in your produce category.
