Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise

For multi-unit franchisees looking to sell their locations: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/

Kal walked away from a Wall Street career to chase his dream of entrepreneurship — and went 5-for-5 picking winning brands. From butcher shops and pizzerias to Orangetheory, European Wax Center, Marco’s Pizza, Dave’s Hot Chicken, and Popup Bagels, he’s scaled to over 100 locations with a private-equity style approach. We dig into how he evaluates franchise opportunities, why diversification matters, how he handles scale and capital raises, and what it really takes to build brands that print cash.

If you want to learn how the best operators think about brand selection, growth, and exits — this is the playbook.

Follow Kal:

Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kal-gullapalli-91a7525/

MPZ Holdings: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mpzholdings/posts/?feedView=all

Timestamps (YouTube/Spotify Chapters):

0:00 – From Wall Street to entrepreneurship

3:00 – Buying butcher shops & early lessons

7:30 – The bet on Orangetheory

13:00 – Scaling European Wax Center to 50+ locations

19:00 – Surviving COVID & raising capital

24:00 – Why Marco’s Pizza became the anchor brand

31:00 – Entering Dave’s Hot Chicken at the perfect time

38:00 – Site selection, unit economics & the secret to growth

44:00 – The rise of Popup Bagels and reinventing a category

50:00 – Diversification vs. going deep in one brand

52:00 – Kal’s daily routine & what’s next

For help evaluating franchises, reach out: https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise

For multi-unit owners considering selling their locations: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/

Jon Benson’s journey into franchising wasn’t traditional. After scaling a Utah startup from $20M to $450M in sales, and later launching a COVID testing lab that served thousands of people a day, Jon stumbled across GameDay Men’s Health on LinkedIn. Within weeks, he went from curious prospect to signing a five-territory deal in one of the fastest-growing franchises of all time.

In this episode, Jon shares:

• How his early startup and healthcare experiences prepared him for the complex operations of a medical franchise.
• Why GameDay’s simplified “one-hour testosterone optimization” model is a breakthrough compared to traditional healthcare.
• The financing and deal structure he used to secure five territories — and why he approached it like a venture deal.
• What it really takes to open and operate a GameDay clinic: site selection, buildout, staffing, and customer acquisition.
• The emotional stories of patients whose lives were transformed — including one man who told Jon, “You saved my life”.
• His exit strategy, what makes franchising attractive to him, and whether he’ll expand into other brands in the future.

This is a deep dive into how a first-time franchisee can leverage entrepreneurial experience to thrive in one of the fastest-selling franchises in history.

If you’re a multi-unit franchisee considering selling your locations, get in touch https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/

Interested in buying a franchise? Reach out here: https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise

Episode Summary: In this episode of FranDawgs, Patrick sits down with Margarette and her husband Richard - franchise operators who turned their passion for resale into a thriving multi-unit Uptown Cheapskate business. They share how they went from running large independent thrift shops to building one of the top-performing portfolios in the system, with four Uptown Cheapskate stores across Oklahoma.

We dive into:

• The economics of resale vs. thrift shops (staffing, inventory sourcing, square footage).
• Why Plato’s Closet rejected them—and how that led to Uptown Cheapskate.
• How they fill 10,000 sq. ft. stores without ever running out of clothes.
• The proprietary pricing software that keeps them on-trend and profitable.
• Hiring and retaining fashion-forward staff compared to high-turnover fast food.
• Scaling from one store to four, funding growth with SBA loans and profits.
• Why Uptown Cheapskate (and sister brand Kid to Kid) are outperforming most franchise concepts today.

This is a masterclass in how to scale in the booming resale market—while also building a team and culture that lasts.

Guest(s):

• Margarette & Richard (multi-unit Uptown Cheapskate franchisees, Oklahoma)

Host: Patrick Buckley, founder of FranDawgs