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Fricker's
Ray Frick
By
Sue LaPointe |
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"I
worked at McDonald’s early on in the restaurant’s
history,” said Ray. “It was a fun place
to work, and I worked hard and learned more about
teamwork and organization.”
“We
control franchise growth,” explained Ray. “We
want only as many Fricker’s as we can manage
well, never more than can be successful, positive
additions to a community.”
With great parents and three fun-loving brothers,
Ray Frick rounded out his pleasant childhood in East
Toledo by developing a work ethic at an early age.
At 11, Ray learned about hard work while weeding rows
of carrots for a local farmer. Later, Ray worked as
a grocery carryout boy and Boys’ Club employee
before eventually working at the local McDonald’s
when he was in high school.
“I worked at McDonald’s early on in the
restaurant’s history,” said Ray. “It
was a fun place to work, and I worked hard and learned
more about teamwork and organization.”
Ray went to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and received
a bachelor’s degree in education. Then, he taught
and coached in Toledo’s public school system.
During this time, Ray completed a master’s in
education at Bowling Green State University.
While coaching and teaching, Ray also had two part-time
jobs to make ends meet. One of his part-time jobs
was crowd control for Dixie Electric Company, a local
nightclub. This job sparked Ray’s interest in
the industry.
“While I was a floorwalker for Dixie, I got
a bright idea that I would like to be in the nightclub
business, so I was able to put the package together
and became a minor shareholder in a Dixie Electric
Company in Dayton; then Charlotte, North Carolina;
and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,” explained
Ray.
By 1985, the Dayton Dixie was going strong, but Ray
was longing to do something different on his own.
At the same time, his brother, Bob, in Florida wanted
him to come down to check out an up-and-coming new
restaurant and bar.
“I went with my brother to visit this establishment—the
very first Hooters,” laughed Ray. “I told
him I liked it, but if we were going to do something,
it was going to be ‘a little different’—extremely
family-friendly, couples-friendly and singles-friendly.
It had to be something for everyone.”
Ray and Bob returned to Dayton and started the first
Fricker’s. Bob eventually went on to work on
other restaurant business ventures, but Ray remained,
ensuring that the Fricker’s name was preserved.
Today, even though there are 14 company stores and
four franchises throughout Ohio, the Fricker’s
philosophy remains unchanged. According to Ray, the
menu has expanded, the kitchen is more efficient,
and the restaurant’s overall approach is more
professional, but the emphasis on customer satisfaction
is still the top priority.
“You’ll find if you spend any time at
Fricker’s that we’ll remember your name,
your friends and your kids. It’s part of Fricker’s,”
said Ray. “You won’t find that at any
of the big chains.”
Still, Ray realizes the competition is stiff when
it comes to independent versus the big national chains,
especially in Toledo.
“The Toledo restaurant industry is a tough market.
We’ll be doing business, and then the national
chains come in and have more money, so they can outlast
the independents,” explained Ray. “We’ve
seen a lot of independents come and go, and we’ve
always tried to do the right things and make good
choices and offer a good value to people every single
day, so people want to come back.”
Another way Ray differentiates his restaurants from
other less successful ones is by carefully choosing
which will become franchisees and where they will
be located. According to Ray, Fricker’s has
turned down a lot of opportunities because he will
not let anyone franchise something he wouldn’t
build himself.
The objective, in Fricker’s case, is not to
spin out as many franchises as quickly as possible.
Fricker’s is very selective to ensure that the
franchisee and the company are both doing everything
possible to ensure success.
“We control franchise growth,” explained
Ray. “We want only as many Fricker’s as
we can manage well, never more than can be successful,
positive additions to a community.” Ray’s
next move is to build a company store in Troy, Ohio,
20 miles north of Dayton. Ray believes the neighborhood-feel
of Troy is a good fit for Fricker’s.
According to Ray, Fricker’s restaurants give
back to the local communities, through school programs,
charities and various local organizations. He said
that the Fricker’s mission is to do more than
just serve food; he also wants the restaurant to be
an active part of the community and neighborhood.
Although Fricker’s has been a success, Ray admits
there have been some mistakes along the way, and he
has learned to avoid the common mistakes of independent
restaurants.
“Many restaurants are undercapitalized and driven
by the owner’s ego,” said Ray. “Not
every owner is the best businessman; instead, many
are afraid to hire people better than they are at
specific duties. We have to admit that we can’t
do it all and accept help when we need it in order
to be successful.”
Ray emphasizes that Fricker’s is not just a
sports bar, but a sports’ restaurant and full-service
bar. He takes pride in its signature dishes, ranging
from Frickin’ Chicken Wings, to Frickin’
Chicken Chunks, to Frickin’ Chicken Pizza and
the Big Frickin’ Burger. Other specialty items
such as Andrews’ Baby Back Ribs and Salads by
Amanda also attract a great deal of attention.
Of course, Ray’s name comes in handy when it
comes to creativity. He makes it easy for patrons
to identify Fricker’s signature items by looking
for anything that reads “Frickin.”
“It is my goal to make sure people leave Fricker’s
saying, ‘Man, what a great Frickin’ place.
I want to come back and bring a friend!’ I have
always believed that if you are good to people and
treat them as special guests, business will survive,”
said Ray.
FRICKER’S
Ray Frick
Email: mail@frickers.com
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