Day In The Life

My husband was deployed all over the world as an engineer in Marine Corps for almost 28 years. As he made it to retirement, we decided we wanted to do something new, and something where our family could work as a unit, together, for the first time. So, when the time came, we did our research and felt that HoneyBaked Ham would work for us and work well in our market.

HoneyBaked Ham has allowed us and our entire family to truly enjoy all of the benefits and rewards of owning a franchise. The hours are perfect for our lifestyle, the support from the Franchisor has been superb, and the local community involvement is absolutely incredible. Not only do we enjoy the freedom to have our own business, it has challenged us to become better leaders, listeners, and hopefully better people from the experience. We couldn't have made a better decision.

Franchising with HoneyBaked has been the best thing in the world for me because it helped me get my family life back. As a manager, you're not your own boss, you put in a lot of hours but as an owner – while my oldest son was in high school, I never missed a basketball game, never missed a baseball game. All four years of high school I was able to do that. It means so much and goes so much further than any paycheck. The money will come, but you're able to make the most of your time with your family.

The field support team is tremendous. My field consultant cares about where I’m going as an individual franchisee. My consultant is hands-on, provides great support and helps to resolve any issues. They recognize my strengths as an independent owner. They have a consultative approach and want to help me grow my business.

Something that’s really unique to HoneyBaked versus a traditional quick-service restaurant is the retail season. At our store, in November and December, we’re really a retailer that also does catering. The rest of the year, we’re a caterer that sells retail. That combination is unique – there’s more than one way to be successful.

Honey Baked Ham is a quality product. We wanted people to know how special the product was. We tell people that eat other sandwich chain products – that’s fine, all of them are good at what they do. But if you taste our sandwich one time, trust and believe you will come back. Because of the taste and quality of our meat and the quality of the experience.

I love that HoneyBaked Ham has many ways to generate revenue besides their premium hams. They offer a variety of premium proteins along with desserts, sides, lunch, and catering that all helps with the bottom line. The strength of HoneyBaked Brand cannot be denied. The products, leadership, support, and systems are outstanding! 

Franchising made sense because everything was in place. Honey Baked Ham is already there for you and they’re going to be there for you.

HoneyBaked’s corporate leadership knows what they’re doing and they want you to succeed. If at any point in the ownership process you feel you’re struggling, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The leadership team has a heart for people and really cares about their franchisees and employees, and they’re always available.

The holidays are hectic at our stores, but they are also wonderful. We have loyal customers that return year after year. We feel like we are part of their family. They share with us who is joining the family celebration and that they have to have a HoneyBaked Ham. It’s only a matter of who is going to pick up the ham that’s in question, not whether a HoneyBaked Ham is going to be at the table!