Top 100 Retailer of the Year ehaus had just returned from opening a new location in Omaha , with two more spots slated for later in 2024 . Altogether , the number of franchisees is fast approaching the mid-teens , thanks to a strategy that Gildehaus calls the Macadoodles program .

“ It ’ s important that the store manager is following the Macadoodles program ,” Gildehaus says . “ There ’ s a lot of things in the program , big and small , but they all add up to making a Macadoodles store successful .”

Our article in 2023 focused on how founder Roger Gildehaus perfected his retail acumen , as an executive working at Walmart under its founder Sam Walton . Lessons learned from Walton helped propel Gildehaus to success in beverage alcohol retail after leaving his former career .

Today , Gildehaus and his company count two corporate stores in addition to a rapidly growing number of franchise locations . At the time of this article , Gild-

FRANCHISING : FIRST STEPS

Why has Gildehaus gone down the path of franchising his retail brand ?

“ We want to keep growing it ,” he says . “ You never know what the future will bring . Maybe someone will come along and want to buy all of it , or maybe we ’ ll keep doing it ourselves .”

People interested in becoming a Macadoodles franchisee start by reaching out to the company . From the very beginning , everything follows specific procedures meant to maximize the potential for success .

“ A guy who works for me makes the initial contact with interested parties and lets them know what the process is : What to expect and what not to expect ,” Gildehaus says .

What to expect includes what the interested parties will receive for their franchise fee . That is : a high level of guidance from corporate , much of it hands on , along with the Macadoodles blueprint to follow . This kicks off with Gildehaus and his team meeting with possible franchisees in their personal market to help them pick out a location for the new store .

“ Many times , I pick out the location that the franchisee had picked out ,” Gildehaus says . “ But sometimes I say , ‘ Let ’ s look around for a more-suitable location closer to where the homes are and where the cities growth is going .”

Gildehaus also meets with local vendors and distributors , and he designs the merchandise layout for the new location . This includes details as fine as figuring out the opening endcaps and

8 Beverage Dynamics • 2024 Top 100 Issue www . beveragedynamics . com