Georgia Senate Honors IFA and Doc Cohen for Driving Franchise Growth and Economic Development
Georgia’s State Senate has passed resolutions praising the accomplishments of the International Franchise Association and former IFA Chair Lawrence J. “Doc” Cohen. State Sen. Jason Esteves, a Flying Biscuit Café franchisee, introduced the resolutions, which recognized the IFA and Cohen for boosting economic growth and small business development as well as making philanthropic and other contributions to communities coast to coast. Cohen, a multi-unit Great American Cookies franchisee and IFA Hall of Fame member, was singled out for his “leadership, innovation and dedication” to franchising.
The Georgia honors are especially significant because the IFA’s 2025 Economic Outlook report projects that the Peach State (ahead of the Carolinas, Virginia and Arizona) will lead growth in franchising in 2025. The IFA credits Georgia with more than 34,000 franchise establishments that employ 361,000 people and generate some $37.4 billion in output. In a statement regarding the resolutions, IFA President and CEO Matt Haller said that Georgia’s recognition of the IFA “cements the value of the business model to the state. … We look forward to supporting an environment where franchising, especially the people who comprise it, can continue to grow and thrive.”
In addition, Haller stated that “IFA is honored to join Doc in this tremendous recognition. There are few people more fitting for this recognition than Doc Cohen. Doc has committed his career and his life to giving back. Whether it’s advancing the careers of those who have been fortunate enough to work with him, growing his business to reach new people, and working to strengthen the franchise business model so the next generation can have these same opportunities, Doc always answers the call.”
Cohen, a Franchising Icon
Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday after being presented with the resolution, Cohen said “franchising enabled me to achieve my American dream.” He broke new ground as the first franchisee to serve as IFA chair and the first franchisee inducted into the IFA Hall of Fame. Cohen isn’t all business, though. In a Franchise Times article focusing on his spacious home and diverse art collection, he quipped, “I’ve always said there’s a lot of dough in cookies.”
In his remarks to the chamber, Cohen – who earned a pharmacy degree from the University of Georgia and also holds a law degree – emphasized the local ownership of franchises. “What a lot of people don’t understand is that the Great American Cookies or the McDonald’s on the corner are not owned by some corporate entity in Chicago or in Atlanta or in Los Angeles. They are owned by your neighbors. … Franchising really is about small business. So when you vote for issues that are impacting franchising and small business, remember that it affects your neighbors, their children and your family. Keep doing the right thing and let franchising help grow this great economy we have in this country.”
As a leading franchisee for Great American Cookies, Cohen, a certified franchise executive (CFE), was instrumental in developing the brand and its franchisees. “I’ve always believed there was a necessity, even so far as a requirement, to give back to industry that has helped make people successful,” he told QSR Magazine in an interview shortly after being inducted into the IFA Hall of Fame in 2011.
Multi-Brand Empire
Cohen started with a single Great American Cookies store in Lafayette, La., and expanded into other states. He ultimately owned and operated 35 units across seven states, including eight of the top 10 highest-volume stores. When Mrs. Fields bought Great American Cookie Co., he sold his stores back to the company in August 1998, according to Franchise Times. A few years later he wanted to buy back a couple of stores in the Houston marketplace and ended up with the entire territory, he said.
His franchise portfolio, Houston-based Cookie Associates, has included units of TCBY, Coffee Beanery and Pretzelmaker, according to QSR Magazine. Through franchising, he told the magazine, “I was able to get into a business I did not know. I was taught the business. I learned how to do it. Somebody else had developed the concept, which made it much easier for me to come in and start my own business. We say in the franchising business, ‘For yourself, but not by yourself,’ so I always had that backup. It worked and it was a great way to do business. Still is.”Cohen’s philanthropy includes serving on the Board of Trustees for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The IFA Foundation has honored him by establishing the Doc Cohen Franchising Scholarship.
