Retailer of the Year
All Macadoodles stores ( both corporate and franchise ) have a distinctive look and feel : rustic hardwood floors , inviting color schemes , custom music playlists and open layouts . new franchise stores , and providing launch support and ongoing guidance for franchisees .
“ We grow our franchise relationships from the ground up ,” Corbett says . “ It ’ s a very lengthy process and takes a lot of time . We often begin looking at new projects several years before the stores actually open . In addition to expanding our territory , we have also created different models to better serve the needs of our franchisees .”
Along with the traditional , stand-alone Macadoodles stores that are custom built , the company recently introduced a new retro-fit option . This gives franchisees the option of opening a store within an existing building structure , allowing for additional flexibility .
All franchise stores receive a great deal of support from corporate leadership . During the first year a franchise store is open , either Gildehaus , Corbett or someone else from the corporate leadership team works in the store three days per month . The second year of operations , it drops down to two days a month , then to one day per month during year three . After that , the corporate team visits each store on a quarterly basis , although they are always available to be on hand more regularly if needed . Macadoodles also ensures consistent customer service across locations by providing comprehensive training that emphasizes friendliness and helpfulness to all employees .
“ All cashiers at all locations are trained to greet our customers as soon as they enter the store ,” Gildehaus says . “ If someone buys a lot of product , a sales associate will carry it out to the customer ’ s car for them . We make sure all these best practices for great customer service are being followed in all our stores , by all employees , every single day .”
Gildehaus ’ s wife , Sarah , also owns a liquor store in Bentonville , AR , called Guess Who ?, which is managed by their daughter , Jenn Salisbury . Guess Who ? is very similar to Macadoodles , but when Gildehaus initially sought a liquor permit in Bentonville , his application was rejected due to an Arkansas state law that only allows one permit per licensee . As Gildehaus already held the position of president of Gild Holdings , the corporation that owns Macadoodles , he encouraged his wife to apply for the permit instead , which she did — and she is legally the sole owner and operator of Guess Who ? ( although Gildehaus says he regularly provides her with business advice ). In addition to serving as the general manager of
10 Beverage Dynamics • June 2023 www . beveragedynamics . com