Business & Bullsh*t: Franchise Growth, Failing Standards, And The Contract That Nearly Ended His Company (EP #66)

2025-12-22

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The Founderz Lounge Episode #66 with Don Varady and Steve Bon.Don and Steve are back with another round of “Business & Bullsh*t,” where real entrepreneurs talk wins, screwups, and what actually moves the needle in business without the corporate fluff.They kick things off with camping like “homeless men” and wild childhood clubhouse stories, then pivot into why U.S. franchise chains are growing faster internationally than at home and what that really says about brand strategy. From there, they get brutally honest about restaurant standards, why most places lose cu...

The Founderz Lounge Episode #66 with Don Varady and Steve Bon.

Don and Steve are back with another round of “Business & Bullsh*t,” where real entrepreneurs talk wins, screwups, and what actually moves the needle in business without the corporate fluff.

They kick things off with camping like “homeless men” and wild childhood clubhouse stories, then pivot into why U.S. franchise chains are growing faster internationally than at home and what that really says about brand strategy. From there, they get brutally honest about restaurant standards, why most places lose customers to complacency instead of competition, and the consulting contract that almost ended Don’s company and completely changed how he looks at legal protection.

Along the way, they hit everything from DoorDash quietly exploding with Boomers and Gen X to Stiller’s Soda, strange news, and a rapid-fire round of business lessons, bad decisions, and hard-earned perspective.

Hit play for a straight shot of real talk on growth, risk, and what happens when your standards drift before your sales do.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Trailer

[00:50] Founderz Roundup: International franchising

[02:53] DoorDash

[04:16] Pop Culture Bull Sh*t: Stiller’s Soda

[05:21] Social Media Update

[06:41] Strange News: PepsiCo

[07:43] Weekly Mash-Up

[07:46] Netflix and Ring Doorbell

[09:03] Founderz Hot Take

[10:11] Founderz Fast Five

[10:17] Childhood memories

[11:06] Devil’s Night

[11:26] Clubhouse in the woods

[12:21] Business lesson

[13:28] Partnership

[14:56] Strangest things seen while driving

[16:35] Movie title

Key Takeaways:

• 2024, U.S based chains that expanded outside of the U.S. posted a 4.8% cumulative international growth versus 1.4% domestically. ~Don Varady [01:13]

• “Your product isn’t the problem. Your standards are.” ~Don Varady [09:27]

• “Most restaurants don’t lose customers because the food changes. They lose them because of consistency.” ~Don Varady [09:37]

• “Get a good attorney and never sign anything you don’t fully understand.” ~Don Varady [12:28]

• “Sometimes words hold less weight than actions.” ~Steve Bon [13:22]

Connect with Don and Steve…

Don Varady:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/don.varady/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donvarady/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-varady-450896145

Steve Bon:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenbon

Instagram: https://instagram.com/stevebon8