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Cooking up something amazing in the restaurant industry
You could say fast-casual dining is in Chris Gannon's blood — his father founded the Outback Steakhouse chain.
So when Gannon wanted to make his own deals to grow his own restaurant chain, Bolay Restaurant Partners in West Palm Beach, he wanted a bank that understood his entrepreneurial needs.
Gannon founded Bolay in 2016 — where customers can build their "bols" of food with fresh vegetables, grains, and proteins — and he's banked with Synovus for almost that long.
His relationship with the bank has been invaluable, he says, because of the wealth of industry insight his banker brings to them.
"My banker pulls some insights we don't have access to," Gannon says, like trading data, publicly available financial statements, competitor values, and industry financial benchmarks, all of which give Gannon a bird's eye view of the industry at a time when he has to focus on the weeds of day-to-day operations. It's a view he likely wouldn't otherwise have.
"At the end of the day, it's not the bank you're doing business with, it's the people. The people make the difference."
"It helps when you have concrete data on your competitors to benchmark you as you grow your business," Gannon says.
As of spring 2019, Bolay has 10 restaurants and 477 employees across Florida, with plans to add about another 20 locations by the end of 2020 — and to grow even faster after that. Gannon owns the chain, and there are no franchises.
As Bolay continues to expand, Gannon prides himself on maintaining a business that supports its employees, looking out for their well-being and finances. That's why he keeps his focus on growing slowly enough to establish his company for the long haul instead of racing to the top, without caring what happens to those under his leadership.
His bank puts people first too, and that customer service has also inspired Gannon to keep his personal banking accounts with Synovus as well — and encourage his employees to do the same.
"At the end of the day, it's not the bank you're doing business with, it's the people," Gannon says. "The people make the difference."
Are you looking for a bank that makes a difference? Synovus is here for you. Give us a call at 1-888-SYNOVUS (1-888-796-6887) or find a location near you.