Franchisee Danni Washington Builds on Sweet Success With The Peach Cobbler Factory

Serving sweet treats may be a new experience for Christine “Danni” Washington, the dynamic franchise owner of The Peach Cobbler Factory in Frisco, Texas, but it isn’t her first taste of success.

“Our store was #1 [in sales] for the first two days we opened out of 92 Peach Cobbler Factory locations,” says the proud businesswoman about her dessert-centric establishment that served 500 customers during its grand opening this past August. The feat was even more amazing given this is Washington’s first foray into the restaurant industry.

Creating Her Own Path Into Franchising

Prior to securing her franchise for The Peach Cobbler Factory, the 32-year-old entrepreneur worked as a behavioral therapist with an ultimate goal of opening a mental health facility. “But, I ended up taking a different route. I got into the finance world and joined the tax industry,” relates Washington, who eventually started 32 multi-state tax office locations, which she continues to own and operate.

“No matter what I did, my passion was mental health,” she admits. With the earnings from her tax companies, Washington made her dream of building a mental health facility a reality. “I ended up opening my own facility last year. Right now, I have two locations,” she shares about her success in the mental wellness field.

Finding Her Way to The Peach Cobbler Factory

Looking to expand her entrepreneurial reach, she turned to a fond memory of working as a Taco Bell cashier during high school. “I was 15 years old, and that job really shaped me. It taught me the importance of customer service. Even though it was my first job, it was the best job I ever had,” recalls Washington, who still visits her former Taco Bell manager whenever she’s back in her hometown of Indianola, Mississippi.

Inspired by that early experience, the budding restauranteur opted to further explore the food industry for her next business adventure.

“I wanted to start with a coffee shop or a dessert shop, something smaller. I didn’t want to start with a full restaurant,” she explains about her plans for entering the restaurant arena. After some research, she came upon The Peach Cobbler Factory and was immediately intrigued with owning her own franchise.

Touting “the world’s most unique offering of desserts under one roof,” the star of The Peach Cobbler Factory menu is its signature peach cobbler (with cherry, blackberry, apple and mango cobblers also available).

In addition, an array of sweet offerings—like banana pudding, cinnamon rolls, “pudding” and “cobbler” shakes, brownies, cookies and waffles (served with a choice of toppings)—round out the made-in-house menu at The Peach Cobbler Factory.

“It so happens I didn’t even have to use my own contractor and project manager because The Peach Cobbler Factory provided everything—they helped me through every single thing,” attests the CEO turned restauranteur about her franchisee experience.

It’s All in the Details

However, Washington couldn’t resist making some adjustments to her Frisco Peach Cobbler Factory location. “I’m so picky about how I want my store to look. So, I got corporate to tweak the plans for me,” she says.

Some of those adjustments included adding three wall monitors (all the better to show off menu selections) and extending The Peach Cobbler Factory logo “wrap” to decorate the walls (for a more colorful decor), as well as installing extra hand sinks. “I’m really big on cleanliness,” notes Washington.

“I ordered extra iPads, and I got them set up in different zone stations,” she continues, explaining how she further customized the Frisco Peach Cobbler Factory store for efficiency. “If someone ordered a cobbler, my employee in the cobbler station will know [via the iPad] and begin making the cobbler. I have someone else maybe fixing waffles or someone else fixing shakes [for that same order]. The order is not coming in at once—that’s how every order comes out to the customer in five minutes…Everybody isn’t looking on one screen [to complete an order] because everyone is in their zone with their iPads.”

Thinking ahead to diners’ overall experiences within her 1,866 square feet space, she also ordered more chairs and tables, built a communal dining “bar” in the store and added extra seating outside.

“I never thought about ‘slow’ days. I thought about rush days,” shares Washington about her mindset for creating great customer service. “I looked at my store when it first opened, and I knew it was going to be a high-volume store,” she affirms.

A New Way to Look at Competition

But perhaps the move that made the biggest impact for the Frisco-based location was this restauranteur’s attitude toward competition. “The Richardson Peach Cobbler Factory location is the #1 store in the Dallas area,” she says about another franchise in a town about 14 miles north of downtown Dallas, Texas.

“You know how people think franchises are competitive? We’re not competitive. So I reached out to the Richardson Peach Cobbler Factory, and I told them I wanted my store to be structured just like theirs. The Richardson staff is actually helping me structure my staff for 90 days, so that’s a big help,” says Washington.

“I wasn’t afraid of paying someone or to ask for help. It’s my first time getting into the restaurant industry and I didn’t want to fail….We came up with an agreement, and that’s how I made my store #1 in sales [on opening day],” relates the businesswoman. “Just because we’re both franchisees doesn’t mean we’re competitors.

The Peach Cobbler Factory corporate office couldn’t help but take notice of their new franchisee’s successful opening. “It really gave the company the idea [that] if there’s a Peach Cobbler Factory store close to you that’s already operating, you might want to ask them to help you the first two weeks [of your new store opening] to make sure your store is structured.”

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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

For Washington, the main ingredient for running a thriving The Peach Cobbler Factory location and operating a successful business overall lies with the people surrounding you.

Beyond engaging with the community and meeting her customers’ needs, she believes teamwork—and knowing when to ask for help—are the keys to any thriving business.

“I’m the kind of person that’s not afraid to give somebody else, even a percentage, to help me manage my companies,” admits the versatile business owner.

“One person can’t do all of this,” she points out about the importance of hiring well when it comes to managers and staff to help run her multiple businesses. “Build a rapport with your team because you need your team more than they need you,” observes Washington.

“If they are comfortable around you, you’re going to have a great team…So happy staff, happy CEO.” Judging from the success and the people surrounding Washington, those are wise words.

You can get more information about The Peach Cobbler Factory online and follow Danni Washington on social media to get the latest on The Peach Cobbler Factory franchise in Frisco, TX.

This story originally appeared in Cuisine Noir Magazine