When Bill Naylor landed his first job at McDonald’s as a teen, he may not have envisioned his entrepreneurial career operating multiple burger restaurants. But that’s exactly where Naylor’s life led him. After college, he accepted a position with PepsiCo and worked his way up to director of foodservice, Southwest Region. He moved from his home state of Utah to Arizona and subsequently discovered the brand that would change his life.
“When I moved to Arizona, I had a hard time finding burgers as good as we had in Utah,” Naylor said. “Then my job took me to Lennys Burger. I fell in love with the concept the minute I walked through the door. You smell the smoke and see the fire that lets you know you’re getting an authentic char-broiled burger, and the 1950s décor, with its chrome, checkerboard and neon signs, offers a sense of nostalgia that just makes you feel good.”
It makes families feel so good that some of them visit the restaurant multiple times a week, Naylor shared. It resonates with his own family so strongly that both of his sons work at Lennys and his wife, Jana, left her well-established medical career to join the Lennys team full-time. She has helped Bill grow the business from one location to five, with plans to take that number to 10 within five years.
Jana’s first job was in foodservice, too. “I worked at a family-owned pizza joint when I was 13. Then I worked my way through college at a small brewpub. I admired how the owners expanded that business and thought it would be cool to do the same,” she said. “I have an entrepreneurial spirit by nature, love the Lennys concept, and enjoy customer service, so this is a great fit for me. Plus, Bill and I work well together because we bring different gifts to the table.”
Bill shared some thoughts about Lennys Burger and his experiences as an entrepreneur.
How Did You Feel Making the Decision To Buy Into Lennys Burger?
I’d always thought about becoming an entrepreneur, but the idea of leaving my corporate job and that nice, steady paycheck to start up an independent business was a little scary. It took a lot of hard thinking. I felt well-equipped to take on the challenge, yet, even after 18 years of doing this, I continue to learn something new every day. When you start up a business, it can be like taking a drink from a firehose, but as long as you stay calm and focused, and make well-thought-out decisions, things will work out in the end.
To What Do You Attribute Your Company’s Success?
We have been successful because we have amazing, committed employees and extremely loyal customers. Some employees have worked with us since day 1, and some have been with Lennys Burger well over 20 years. We’re incredibly lucky to have these veterans on our team; their contributions have had a tremendous impact on the company’s growth.
In fact, all our employees make a positive difference to the business every day. We give them the autonomy to make decisions on the spot with customers to ensure they’re delivering the highest level of service, and they follow our company standards so that customers enjoy a consistent experience no matter which Lennys location they visit. This is why we’re seeing generations of families coming in — sometimes two or three times a week!
How Do You Attract Younger Generations To Your Restaurants?
The 1950s theme is cool and catchy, but we’ve found that we also need to address what the next generation of customers wants in terms of engagement and convenience. We have created a loyalty program that our younger customers love, and we offer curbside pickup, online ordering and electronic gift cards. We also saturate social media with fun, interactive advertising. We’re old school in look, but we’re constantly evolving to meet the needs and preferences of customers of all ages.
Does Having a Dedicated Business Banker Benefit Your Company?
Absolutely. When we acquired two stores a few years ago, our PNC business banker understood that we had never applied for an SBA loan before (we had previously leased buildings), so he walked us through the entire process and kept it moving forward. He has also helped us streamline our financial operations, including moving us to an ACH payment system, which has cut our billing time in half! I feel like I can call anytime, any day and get the support I need. We love going to the branch, too — they know us by name and always provide excellent service.
What Advice Would You Offer Aspiring Entrepreneurs?
Make a plan. Leaving that corporate job wasn’t easy for me, but I tell anyone who is serious about being a business owner to go for it. Work hard, stay true to yourself, believe in what you’re doing, and offer a service or product people want. In my case, I knew that people love burgers, so I just had to figure out how to separate ourselves out: Why would customers want our burger versus someone else’s? Believe in yourself and enjoy being an entrepreneur. It’s a lot of hard work but also a lot of fun!
