Established in 1985, Doherty Enterprises owns and operates more than 150 franchise restaurants in New Jersey and New York, including Applebee’s, Chevy’s, and Panera Breads. The company is focused on growing franchise restaurants through partnerships with strong national brands, who are leaders in their restaurant categories and possess strong marketing teams. Inspired by his success with these, Ed Doherty and son Tim decided to launch several restaurant concepts of their own including The Shannon Rose Pubs in Clifton and Ramsey and Spuntino Wine Bar. The biggest challenge the business faced in the early years was finding the right locations for its franchise restaurants. There’s nothing worse than building up an entire enterprise and not seeing the kind of foot traffic than originally anticipated. Over time, it has gotten better at picking locations and then embracing the community so that dining guests keep coming. Through improved operational efficiency, expanded delivery options, and increased average ticket sales via upselling and menu enhancements, the company aims for annual revenue growth of 15%-20%.

Implementing cutting-edge technology like mobile apps, AI-driven customer service tools, and kitchen automation is be a key goal. By improving online ordering and loyalty programs, Doherty ensures that its staff meets the expectations of a tech-savvy customer base.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 12:49 p.m. ET Nov. 6, 2024, to correct the fact that Ed and Tim Doherty are father and son, not brothers as previously stated.