Mauricio Arroyave’s destiny was written with Domino’s

“Domino’s offers a great opportunity for those who are willing to operate with high work ethics and integrity”

– Mauricio Arroyave

By Migdalis Pérez

If anyone believes in destiny, it might well be Mauricio Arroyave. At 12, he handed out Domino’s Pizza flyers in his town; at 14, he worked as a pizza maker/CSR at the Domino’s in Libertyville; at 16, he worked shifts there, and during college, he did the same during his vacations.

Although he graduated with a degree in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, he soon realized that it wasn’t for him. Destiny had it: he was meant to return to Domino’s. So, in 1997, he left his job with the police force to manage the Grayslake/Beach Park pizzeria.

Six months later, Arroyave began overseeing several stores, and in 1999, he opened his own in East Dundee. He was only 23 years old. With his own business up and running, he served as regional general manager of franchises for two years (2004-2005), during which time he managed the entire Chicago market (approximately 90 stores).

During that period, he learned to manage large-scale operations: financial, legal, and new store development. Subsequently, he began acquiring more pizzerias. Today, as he approaches the 25th anniversary of opening that first store, he owns nine franchises of the famous chain and employs 150 people.

He also chairs the Domino’s Franchise Forum Group (major national and international franchisees) and serves as a board member and officer of the Domino’s Franchise Association, which represents 92% of franchised stores nationwide (approximately 7,000 in total).

Business Now spoke with this successful entrepreneur, originally from Medellín, Colombia, and winner of the Domino’s Franchisee Award, the highest honor given annually to the top 1% of franchisees, the “Gold Franchisee.” Here’s what he told us.

NN: Aside from your work history with Domino’s, what other reasons led you to start a franchise with this chain?

MA: I decided to franchise in May 1999, when I was supervising eight Domino’s stores, and I realized I had the ability and potential to manage the business on my own. Furthermore, Domino’s offers a great opportunity for those who are willing to operate with strong work ethics and integrity.

NN: What have been the main challenges and achievements in this field?

MA: Every day in our business is a challenge. To begin with, I’m constantly trying to hire the right people in a demanding job market, then train them to retain them. The reliability, energy, and work ethic of today’s workforce are significantly lower than in previous years.

Today’s workers expect more from their jobs, but generally give less. It’s about finding the right person, training them well, taking care of them, and hoping they reciprocate with loyalty, hard work, and high performance.

Another major challenge is that I’m constantly managing the rising costs of food, labor, supplies, and gas. This turns out to be the biggest financial stress of owning and operating my own business.

On the achievement front, whenever a general manager at one of my eight stores performs well in managing cost control, service times, and overall operations during a corporate inspection, it brings me great joy as a franchise owner.

Seeing team members continue to work hard and improve daily is the little things that create big positive feelings. With the support of my team members, I have earned numerous Domino’s awards over the years and have been selected to serve on and lead many boards of directors, both for Domino’s and the local community.

NN: Throughout your career as an entrepreneur, has any particular bank provided you with financial backing to achieve your goals?

MA: Yes. My partnership with Wintrust originally began 12 years ago when my former partners and I signed an agreement to build 20 new stores and acquire 20 existing stores over a four-year period (2013-2017).

Wintrust provided the financial support to help us reach the 36-store mark in three and a half years. I am currently working with Wintrust to refinance my new Domino’s franchise loan and secure additional funding to build and acquire more stores in the future.

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