Explore how Front Range Holdings’ multi-skilled teams leverage data-driven insights to deliver exceptional guest experiences 

Front Range Holdings is a restaurant franchise group that is relentlessly striving to curate the most exceptional guest experiences for its valued customers. At the heart of this mission is its dedicated team, whose energy, enthusiasm, and teamwork continue to drive the success of the company’s restaurants. With over 200 restaurants across four brands, Front Range Holdings fosters a collaborative approach, ensuring partnerships deliver exponential value that far exceeds individual contributions. We take a deep dive into the company’s operations with CEO Austin Byrd, who retraces its acquisition history.  

“Front Range Holdings was formed in October of 2022,” he begins. “Prior to that, we operated as three independent companies, the oldest of which was founded in 2019 following numerous early Jimmy John’s acquisitions. Over the years, our business partners, MBN Brands, expanded their portfolio to 61 Jimmy John’s restaurants. In 2021, we completed three separate Burger King acquisitions, marking the start of our Burger King portfolio journey. Within just seven months, we had grown from zero Burger Kings to the 58 that we currently operate – a rapid pace of acquisition. The following year, we acquired two KFC portfolios: one in Reno, Nevada and the other in Tulsa, Oklahoma.   

“From there, it became clear to us that consolidating our three businesses into a single company was the best path forward. As a result, we merged the three brands under a single umbrella, forming Front Range Holdings. We established a shared services group in Denver, Colorado, to support all brands with a unified leadership and operational support team. Since then, our focus has been on integrating the company. In July 2024, we added a fourth brand to our portfolio, with 63 franchise locations of the Great American Cookies Co., which also includes its co-brands with ice cream company Marble Slab Creamery,” he continues.  

Competitive edge 

Considering Front Range Holdings’ remarkable expansion, as exemplified by its staggering 200 new stores since 2019, Austin sheds light on the strategy that has driven such rapid growth. “Although our goal has always been to become a large company, our view is that scale is not just about growing for growth’s sake. For us, scale matters because it enables us to operate more effectively and better serve our customers. Therefore, as we evaluate deals, we strive to prioritize achieving sufficient volume to support hiring highly talented individuals. In line with our focus on scale, we aim to acquire 50 or more locations at a time rather than smaller deals of 15 to 20 locations. This approach allows us to build a more professional and scalable organization,” he reveals.  

While on the topic of locations, Austin tells us more regarding Front Range Holdings’ geographical footprint as well as the brand it operates. “Spanning 23 states, our operations stretch as far west as Nevada and Utah and as far east as the Carolinas. The company name Front Range Holdings pays homage to the Front Range in Colorado, where we have the highest concentration of restaurants, as well as our headquarters. Of our 58 Burger King locations, 55 are in Colorado, making this state our operational hub in terms of density. This concentration gives us a unique competitive edge as I can drive to nearly every one of our Burger Kings within about four hours, allowing for more hands-on management. We also have a strong presence in the Southeast, with Great American Cookie Co. locations in Louisiana and Georgia. Meanwhile, our Jimmy John’s restaurants are prominent in Colorado, primarily in the Denver and Colorado Springs markets,” he continues. 

Robust recruitment strategy 

In order to ensure all these locations are managed to the highest standards, Front Range Holdings heavily prioritizes recruitment and staff retention. Austin shares insights into the company’s variable recruitment strategy. “As CEO, my primary focus over the last few years has been building a team of the best possible talent through a mix of internal retention, promotion of overlooked talent, and recruiting externally. While we have been fortunate to bring in some exceptional people, I believe the most instructive lesson we have learned through this process has been recognizing the untapped potential of our existing staff members. For instance, our current Vice President of Operations for Burger King initially held an operations support role at Jimmy John’s before we merged the companies. After speaking with him and learning about his extensive background – he had spent over ten years in the restaurant industry as a trainer and operations specialist – we gave him the opportunity to run our KFC brand in Tulsa and Reno. When the time came for a leadership transition in our Burger King team, we promoted him to Vice President of Operations for that brand.  

“In terms of external hires, we have brought on a very impressive Vice President of Human Resources, Jason Leffel, with 30 years of experience across both restaurant and non-restaurant industries. This person possesses a deep understanding of the franchise space and how to support a broad-based company operating in nearly half of the US. Equally important is our Chief Operating Officer, whom I personally recruited. He previously worked with me at Tim Hortons in Toronto and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School. His unique blend of business expertise from his MBA and hands-on experience in field operations at

Tim Hortons allows him to bridge both worlds seamlessly, giving him an exceptional grasp of franchise management,” he elaborates. Lastly, we hired David Mora as our CFO last May. He has an excellent background in finance and accounting, as well as an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.”  

Data-driven insights 

Hiring the best available talent has not only facilitated franchise management for Front Range Holdings, but it has also enabled the company to efficiently leverage data insights. “We recently hired a full-time data specialist, Jordan Gania, a move that has transformed how we manage operations. Jordan oversees all data inflows from payroll systems and point-of-sale terminals, enabling us to run everything through custom-built dashboards. These dashboards are designed to support both operational and financial management, which gives leaders at every level access to relevant data for their areas. The dashboards also display key metrics such as average check size, week-over-week changes, hourly labor costs, and customer satisfaction scores. By having these insights depicted both in tables and graphically, our employees gain a clear understanding of the health of their business.  

“To make this data actionable, we have established prescriptive routines where leaders at various levels interact with the data, analyze it, and provide reports to their respective leaders. Subsequently, my Chief Operating Officer and I meet weekly with brand leads to review all the data that they have compiled. We are lucky to have someone as skilled as Jordan leading this effort. Not only is he a trained coder and data specialist, but he also brings previous experience in the restaurant industry and holds a ServSafe certification, a rare and valuable combination,” he ends.  

Fueled by exceptional talent and data-driven insights, Front Range Holdings’ expansion journey promises to continue redefining restaurant franchising.  

www.frholdings.com