Get in Contact For multi-unit owners looking to sell their business: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/    Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise    Get in touch with the host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-buckley-%F0%9F%8C%AD-89539499/    Get in touch with Jack and Jake:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-foster-098030a8/    https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-mclaughlin-8a67a4126/  Description Jack Foster and Jake McLaughlin left careers in investment banking and private equity to build one of the fastest-growing Meineke platforms in the country. In this episode, we break down: Why they chose Meineke and auto repair over flashier franchises The real unit economics and margins of a Meineke location How they scaled from 3 stores to 25 through small, disciplined acquisitions Why people, culture, and operator excellence mattered more than financial engineering What they’re building next beyond Meineke This is a rare, transparent look at what it actually takes to scale a blue-collar, brick-and-mortar business.   Timestamps 00:00 – Leaving investment banking & private equity for entrepreneurship 02:40 – How prepared were they really to own franchise locations 05:00 – Why they chose partnership instead of going solo 08:10 – Why franchising (and why auto services specifically) 10:20 – Why Meineke stood out vs other auto concepts 11:05 – Meineke unit economics & margins breakdown 13:45 – Why these margins surprised most people 15:00 – How they sourced their very first Meineke acquisition 17:40 – Paying cash vs SBA financing for early deals 18:55 – What makes a Meineke location a “deal killer” 21:00 – The importance of car count & rent discipline 23:10 – Hiring a COO who changed everything 26:00 – Why they moved into their markets after acquisitions 29:30 – Scaling from 5 to 25 locations without breaking operations 32:00 – Buying single stores vs large portfolios 35:10 – How relationships drive their acquisition pipeline 37:30 – What Jack & Jake actually work on day-to-day 40:00 – Are they enjoying the journey? (honest answer) 42:30 – Exit strategy and long-term vision 44:00 – What’s next beyond Meineke