Oatney Brings Almost a Quarter-Decade of Experience to Helping the Restaurant Franchisor Identify Qualified Franchise Partners
ARC Group Inc., the owner, operator and franchisor of Dick’s Wings & Grill, WingHouse Bar + Grill, Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, and Fat Patty’s, has named Sean Oatney chief development officer. With more than 24 years of franchising experience, Oatney is focused on building a strong team to help ARC award franchises to qualified candidates.
“I am so impressed with the servant leadership this company has with its existing franchise partners and look forward to helping each one of them succeed today and in the future. The future is bright with our brands, and we see amazing opportunities in wide open markets to build our brands,” Oatney said.
His initial interest in the restaurant franchisor was its family-like environment, Oatney said. “The company is like a startup and is very nimble. Taking a page out of Steve Jobs’ playbook, each area of the business has a leader who is the absolute best at what they do! Add to that, our chairman of the board, Seenu Kasturi, is an amazing businessman, and I look forward to helping our company grow into a franchising leader in the restaurant space.”
Kasturi said Oatney’s experience and personality made him the ideal candidate for the role. “Sean’s morals, values and mission were exactly aligned with where we need to go and where we have been, and more importantly, his leadership and do-whatever-it-takes attitude made it easy to bring him onboard,” Kasturi said.
Following a System
Oatney has been in and around franchising most of his adult life. His resume includes owning a retail sign company, working in various leadership roles for United Franchise Group and serving as vice president of franchise development for Tommy’s Express Car Wash.
His previous service in the U.S. Army provided a deeper understanding of standard operating procedures and the importance of being a good team member, he said. “Organization is the most prized trait I took from the Army. Organization equals time, and time equals money. All of this is applicable to the franchising model,” Oatney said.
His message to prospective franchise owners is that success comes down to following the system and being coachable. “Everyone in the franchising model wants to see your success. It’s like a marriage, so make sure you are a good fit for each other from a cultural fit, vision, mission and overall growth strategy before you invest in yourself and your future.”
The franchise development expert also noted that technology is driving the entire franchise industry forward. “I love how AI is making things move faster in reaching people,” Oatney said. In his spare time, Oatney enjoys reading books, mountain biking, hiking and spending time with his wife and three sons.
