IHOP Brandon and Shaleeza Collins were named 2023 Franchisees of the Year during the brand’s Global Franchise Conference. This prestigious award recognizes franchisees for all-around excellence in leadership and a person who embodies the brand’s mission by leading excellent restaurant operations.

BLACK ENTERPRISES spoke to the husband and wife team to learn more about how they overcame years of difficult circumstances to develop into top award winners.

Brandon and Shaleeza weren’t unlikely candidates to own an IHOP franchise. However, in 2006, after retiring, Brandon’s parents, Ella and Larry Collins, decided to open an IHOP restaurant, recognizing the needs of their North Baton Rouge community. “There were no sit-down restaurants, and they wanted to make sure that need was met and create a legacy for their family,” Shaleeza explained.

“This legacy wasn’t just for children; it was a legacy for the community. We are in North Baton Rouge; there’s not much here. There is no economic development here. Our IHOP is still the only national franchise restaurant in North Baton Rouge,” Brandon added.

Changing the trajectory

After purchasing the IHOP franchise, the challenges began early. “Things took a turn when my mom started having difficulty with her daily chores and back-of-the-house duties, so I wanted to help her,” Brandon explained.

“We felt that we could help solve some of these difficulties in our own individual way, without having to be physically present – ​​at first. It snowballed from there, simply because my parents started a company that they technically had no experience in.”

Brandon and Shaleeza graduated from college and commenced working in the financial sector. “We never saw ourselves as restaurant owners,” Shaleeza interjected.

“I used to be a finance major, Brandon was a management major, so we just saw that we were focusing more on finance. But God had his own path for us. We couldn’t sit by and watch him struggle and never step in to assist. This was the driving force that made us change the trajectory of where we were going.

Passing the torch

In January 2023, after several years of learning the ins and outs of the restaurant, Brandon and Shaleeza purchased it from Brandon’s parents, excited to proceed the legacy that began all of it.

“We didn’t want it to go away, especially after everything we had to go through and what my parents had to go through to contribute to this area. We were told nothing would reach here. That has always been the driving force behind what we did and how we did it, to simply show that this is a viable business and a viable community worth investing in. We just wanted to be that example.”

Our time – our likelihood

The humility that Brandon and Shaleeza show in running their franchise is the same humble response they show in winning such a prestigious award.

“The victory was bittersweet. We’re doing the same thing we’ve been doing for over 15 years. I just think it’s our turn – our chance. We also received real help in getting to know the corporation and being recognized by the corporation while going through the interview process for the franchise application. I was invited to join the newly formed committee, which allowed us to have a voice that we felt was small and irrelevant for a large brand like IHOP. This allowed us to provide our perspective as actual Operators, because in many cases franchisees with multiple locations who are not actually in the store every day have a greater say. Winning this award is a really big deal for us.”

After 19 years of owning the franchise and winning this award, what’s next for Brandon and Shaleeza?

“Our goal as second-generation owners is to grow the company because we would like to see it grow. But we want to make sure that the way we’re doing it makes sense and that we’re doing it at a pace we can sustain,” Shaleeza explained. “We are currently working on another location, potentially one of DINE Brands’ new concepts.”

The IHOP brand supports the Collins family of their multigenerational journey. Firstly, taking advantage of the opportunity to open in an area struggling economically, but additionally approving the transfer of the purchase of the business from parents to children. Franchisors have sole discretion to approve latest owners. In giving this approval, IHOP expressed appreciation for the labor put into keeping the company open and recognized the potential for the future. And in the case of two children aged 14 and eight, all the pieces indicates that the ownership will pass to the third generation. “Our 14-year-old son is already hosting and serving, and our 8-year-old daughter is also asking to get into the business, but she still has a few years before that is possible.”

To learn more about IHOP franchise ownership, visit franchise.ihop.com/en/us.

On October 20, the last full-size Kmart within the continental United States closed its doors. The closing of the Bridgehampton, New York store ended an iconic chapter in American retail.

Kmarts across the country was the go-to store for consumers’ each day needs. However, through the years, Kmart has been unable to compete with Walmart, Target, Amazon and other large retailers. Only one smaller location stayAccording to .s in Miami and several other stores within the US Virgin Islands and Guam.

The Bridgehampton Kmart, about 90 miles east of Manhattan, opened in 1999. Kmart itself was a serious force within the American retail marketplace for many years, with its roots dating back to the late nineteenth century when founder Sebastian Spering Kresge opened a five-dollar store in Detroit. By 1962, the corporate had modified its name to Kmart and have become known for its famous 15-minute “blue light promotions”, during which flashing lights and public announcements informed customers of limited-time discounts. This beloved promotion was introduced in 1965 but was discontinued in 1991.

The company also experienced several corporate missteps and ill-fated acquisitions, similar to the purchases of Sports Authority, OfficeMax, and Borders within the Nineteen Nineties. All these brands eventually went out of business. In 2002, Kmart filed for bankruptcy. At the time, it was the biggest retail bankruptcy within the US. $11 billion merger with Sears in 2005 seemed promisingbut turned out to be a financial ruin for each brands, the report says. When the 2 retailers merged, Kmart had about 1,400 stores and Sears had nearly 900 full-line stores within the US. By 2018, the corporate filed for bankruptcy, leaving just 231 Sears and 191 Kmart stores remaining.

“It’s sad,” said customer Deborah Arnone. “It’s the end of an era. We shopped here for Christmas every year. It was a mainstay here.”

The names of the beneficiaries of NBA star Jaylen Brown’s inaugural Boston XChange (BXC) incubator program have been revealed.

Brown and his Boston Celtics teammate, Jrue Holiday, met on Oct. 16 with 10 Boston entrepreneurs participating within the inaugural accelerator program launched as part of the Celtics star’s nonprofit initiative, introduced in August. The program goals to cause Generational wealth in Boston’s communities of color is reported to be $5 billion.

BXC was inspired by Brown’s remarks last yr, after extending his then-record $304 million NBA contract, through which he expressed a desire to make use of part of his earnings to create a “black Wall Street” in Boston. The incubator program in cooperation with the JLH Fund will likely be provide visionary creators from underrepresented communities with the business resources needed to successfully prototype, produce and launch their projects. Through the incubator, recipients will receive $100,000 in grants, access to workspaces and makers, and business services valued at over $150,000. In addition, creators will profit from three years of coaching to assist speed up their ventures in industries akin to design, art, media, entertainment, fashion and culinary arts.

The NBA champion announced the incubator program in August in response to the drastic wealth disparity between black and white families in Boston, Massachusetts.

“Living in Boston and playing in Boston, one thing you notice is the differences. “I came across an article that basically said that the average net worth of a black household in Boston is $8, while for white households it’s in the six figures,” he said.

“Curiosity led me to look further and learn that Boston is in the top five for wealth disparity.”

Now 10 creators have been chosen to participate in Brown’s mission to combat racial disparities in Boston. These include:

Pioneers Clothing / PYNRS Performance Streetwear: Running clothing created by black men business We’ve focused on creating high-performance gear specifically designed to offer higher fit and support for a wider range of runners.

Everyone Must Eat: black food influencer and curator who factory with local chefs to introduce guests to some of the perfect flavors of Boston.

Chess Academy of Future Champions: Chess lesson service for youngsters founded by Black Chess Master Lawyer Times, the primary black player to turn out to be the Massachusetts State Chess Champion.

“It’s truly a dream to be a part of,” the Times said. “Jaylen Brown is a master thinker. … When it comes to generating wealth and closing gaps, we both believe it all starts with the mind.”

Small company producing cocoa beans: Health-conscious food business for babies, which creates culturally diverse, ready-made, fresh and nutritious meals for babies and toddlers, served to oldsters in a trendy, child-friendly cafe. It was founded by Tracy Skelly, who was inspired by her efforts to search out culturally diverse and nutritious food for her daughter after giving birth in 2018.

Hair care with melanin: Founded by sisters Whitney and Taffeta White, whose natural and non-toxic hair care the road is sold online at Target and Sephora stores.

“Boston doesn’t really offer a lot of opportunities like that,” Whitney White said. “I’m really grateful that there’s a focus on Black-owned Boston creators and Boston businesses because we don’t get a lot of love here.”

Anawan Studios: Anawan Studios is a full-service film production company business which goals to create opportunities for Black and Brown creators to enter and thrive within the Boston film industry.

Uvida Store: Boston’s first and only zero waste system storeselling a variety of home items and essentials free from plastic packaging and plastic waste.

Rivet application: Founded by an MIT graduate and rapper, Rivet uses a man-made intelligence platform to assist musicians grow their fan bases.

Crown legends: AND boutique in Boston’s South End, specializing in high-quality hats and exclusive, limited edition baseball caps. While the corporate’s focus is on baseball caps, one of the founders expressed excitement about getting an endorsement from an NBA star.

“I am a die-hard Celtics fan,” said co-founder Al Objio. “We have an NBA champion supporting us. It’s huge.”

Dorchester Art Project: Community art organization which over the past decade has evolved right into a worker-owned cooperative with a mission to offer reasonably priced studios, performance spaces and academic resources for artists, makers and organizers. DAP is concentrated on creating profitable opportunities for artists of color to construct wealth beyond counting on donations.

“When the chance got here up, attempting to construct wealth in Boston, we thought, ‘We’re doing the identical thing. Let’s come together,” said DAP co-founder Lina Cañon.