Ball Leads Newly Defined Role Dedicated to Franchise Partner Success
Vicious Biscuit, a Southern brunch franchise, has named Mike Ball vice president of franchise operations, a newly defined role dedicated to supporting franchise partner success. Ball, who previously served as the brand’s vice president of operations, is now responsible for building and leading scalable systems for franchisee training and certification, while serving as an intermediary between franchisee and home office support. His promotion comes as the Southern brunch franchise plans to accelerate its national expansion efforts.
“We realized that sustainable success for our franchise partners was going to have to come through providing daily and weekly support and guidance from a singular point of contact and oversight,” Ball said. “Being dedicated strictly to franchising allows me to be more intentional around a steady cadence of weekly and period-based reporting, which helps facilitate increased bottom line profit for our franchisees. I have also been able to help offer best practices for continued execution around throughput, food quality, recipe adherence and plate presentation. All of this is centered around keeping our standards high at all times and never sacrificing our quality for speed.”
Ball said he is motivated to develop meaningful partnerships with franchise owners. “Our brand will only be as successful as they are, so my sole focus is to help them get store one operating at peak efficiency and to begin getting their next locations ready to open.”
Ball also pointed to an emphasis on quality and hospitality as drivers of Vicious Biscuit’s continued success. “The key words here are value and engagement. We offer a true dining experience, not just counter service. By keeping our food quality standards high through our scratch-made kitchen, and strategically introducing new innovative menu items through our quarterly LTO calendar, we will maintain our position as leaders in our segment.”
The restaurant industry veteran has more than 30 years of operations and leadership experience at Cracker Barrel, Liberty Taproom & Grill, McAlister’s Deli and Chick-fil-A. “Every engagement is an opportunity for growth. All of the teachings from these wonderful brands have helped mold me into the leader I am today, and I am just looking to pay forward the lessons that I have learned,” Ball said. “This includes personal and professional development of others, cost control practices, team building, attention to detail and, most importantly, an unwavering focus on hospitality.”
Amanda Kahalehoe, chief operating officer of Vicious Biscuit, commended Ball as being “instrumental in building the operating foundation of our corporate restaurants, and with more than 30 years in the industry, he brings the credibility, experience and leadership needed to translate that foundation into a high-performing franchise ecosystem.”
Principles of Successful Franchising
Ball said the essential elements of growing a successful franchise include partnering with entrepreneurs who align with the company’s values and culture, maintaining a growth model, and pushing growth around key distribution centers. “Franchisors always have to focus on the fact that we are here to support our franchisee partners at all times. We work with them and for them in a servant leadership capacity. We must keep an approachable and available mindset, while maintaining focus on consistency across the brand.”
Ball credited his upbringing as a military kid for teaching him adaptability early and shaping how he approaches franchise operations today.
About Vicious Biscuit
Vicious Biscuit was founded in 2017 by George McLaughlin. The franchise serves handcrafted comfort meals with fresh ingredients and Southern hospitality, and is expanding across the country.
