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!
