The Chocolate Martini Bar was a hit in Buffalo–but how would it play in Cleveland? The high drama of being a first franchisee.
Taking a local business and scaling it up to a national franchise is a stressful, risky, even ill-advised venture for many entrepreneurs. Being the first franchisee of an unproven concept? That’s the definition of foolhardy. But Joe Novak, Tammy Gunya-Novak and their partner Dominic Fanelli were so impressed by the wildly popular Chocolate Martini Bar in Buffalo, N.Y., they were willing to become the franchise’s guinea pig to bring the concept to their hometown of Cleveland.
Gunya-Novak was smitten by Bill Panzica’s restaurant, which stays open late and serves entrees, 25 to 30 desserts and 23 martinis described as dessert in a glass. “Where else can you get a sundae at 1 in the morning?” she asks. “We liked this concept so much–if Bill was going to franchise, we wanted to be the first.”