The Power of Connection: A Dynamic Deal a Decade in the Making

Some people start their empires in a garage, others meet at IFA. Ten years ago Ashley Morris and Jason Smylie met Wing Zone founders Matt Friedman and Adam Scott at an International Franchise Association meeting in Orlando. Morris and Smylie were running a sandwich chain with more than 100 units when the Wing Zone guys helped them get a sense of the complicated franchising industry.

If you went back in time and told the younger versions of Morris and Smylie that they’d meet their mentors at IFA and eventually buy them out they’d probably both be surprised.

Back when sandwich chain owners Ashley Morris and Jason Smylie were newbies, they were wiped out by the heat in Florida and trying to figure out the maze of franchising at IFA’s Annual Convention, franchising’s biggest event for business development and personal growth.

There, they ran into two guys with big smiles, one a little taller than the other, who both had a lot of great advice to offer about franchising in the U.S. Wing Zone founders Matt Friedman and Adam Scott became trustworthy pals. They had years of experience, and challenges they could relay to Morris and Smylie. For years they kept up and kept in touch at IFA and other franchising events.

Capriotti’s Acquisition of Wing Zone

This year at IFA, 10 years after meeting their mentors, the Capriotti’s WingZone blockbuster is expected to boost both brands, according to QSR Magazine. Read more about how they switched from learning to teaching, and the importance of meeting people in the industry at events like IFA.

To be part of IFA 2021 and make these important connections for yourself, register now.