Franchisee Spotlight: Chris White & Derrick Crandall

Chris White was born and raised in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. At the age of 16, he started working as a dishwasher for IHOP and worked his way up to become the general manager. He has worked with IHOP for 16 years.

Derrick Crandall started working for his brother, Chris White, at an IHOP and quickly moved his way up to an assistant manager position. He also worked for Cracker Barrel in Tennessee before returning to IHOP in Florida to work as a general manager.

Together, Chris and Derrick have a total of 28 years of experience in the food industry.

How did you learn about the brand?

For the past five years my brother and I had been looking for a business we could open together. We did a lot of research, and after my brother had tried Lenny’s in Fort Walton, he was instantly hooked. He told me about the restaurant and we knew this was an opportunity we’d be interested in.

What was appealing to you about choosing an opportunity with Lenny’s?

The support and backing of Lenny’s corporate is very helpful and unmatched in the industry. Since we both come from the restaurantbusiness, we know how important having leverage on contracts can be, and being a part of a franchise system definitely gives us that leverage. Lenny’s has been like a family to us and we couldn’t be happier working with them.

What makes your business different?

The Lenny’s product and the customer service we provide are unrivaled in the area. Also, with the experience my brother and I share, we have what it takes to be very successful with the concept.

What challenges have you overcome to get where you are now?

Acquiring the business has been a lot harder than we thought it would be. It took us about a year and a half to get bank approval with the way the economy is. We have also had a lot of construction issues as well. It’s just important to stay positive and we’re excited to open and serve the community.

What are your expansion or development plans?

We plan on opening five stores in the next five years. We would like to purchase more locations in Georgia and would love to be able to eventually open up to 15-20 locations total.

Do you have any other interesting hobbies or passions?

We both love to be outdoors and play sports – we love golf!