QSR magazine:
Last November, Rick Fullarton, a 26-year-old graduate of Miami University of Ohio, found himself without a job, the result of layoffs at a logistics company where he had worked in sales. Rather than pursue a similar post with another firm, Fullarton turned his back on corporate life. Now he is teaming up with his family to open a Toppers Pizza franchise.
With financial support from his father, Bob, Rick and his brother Dave are preparing to introduce Toppers to the Cincinnati market and have plans to open their first store by December. The brothers will be responsible for day-to-day operations, leaning on their dad, a former Procter & Gamble executive, for business expertise.
“I’m not a cubicle man, I’ve done that and I don’t want to do it again,†Fullarton says. “For the most part, we are going to be our own bosses and that’s very exciting.â€
Would-be operators like Fullarton—young, enthusiastic, and vocal about their likes and dislikes—are becoming more common in today’s market. Against the backdrop of record-high levels of unemployment, these Gen Ys and Millennials are finding that a traditional corporate-track career is tougher than ever to pursue.