I USED TO WANT A RESTAURANT FRANCHISE
I started out with a name tag and a nervous smile. 16 years old.
CiCi’s Pizza was the first stop—applied on Snagajob, prayed they’d call. They did. I showed up ready to work, not knowing that job would rewrite my whole dream.
From CiCi’s to Wendy’s, Reve Coffee Lab to Plucker’s, I dabbled in quite a few food spots. Each one taught me somethin’. I wasn’t just clockin’ in—I was studyin’. Watchin’ managers who’d been there 20 years, who ran kitchens like kingdoms.
They taught me how to rotate product (FIFO, baby), how to keep food safe, how to lead a crew without losin’ your cool. I learned how to light a pilot, how to dice an onion without cryin’, how to clean a fryer till it look brand new.
I loved it. Young, happy, hopeful. I was excited to be at work. Not just for the check—but for the rhythm, the lessons, the blueprint. I started dreamin’ bigger. Not just a job. A restaurant. A franchise. Somethin’ I could scale.
Baton Rouge to Lafayette.
Lafayette to Atlanta.
Atlanta to wherever the grind took me.
Looked into it and went to work everyday with that to motivate me. Not to own one next year or even in the next 5 years but ONE DAY.
BUT—
A shift happened.
I started seein’ the internet as my new location.
My new storefront. My new franchise.
I ain’t just want a restaurant anymore—I wanted an ecosystem. A digital franchise. A BUSINESS that could live online, scale global.
Now I’m buildin’ TrapDevToolsHQ like it’s my digital kitchen. I rotate content like product. I keep my workflows clean like a prep station. I season my captions like I used to season fries—bold, intentional, unforgettable.
I’m still cookin’. Still cleanin’. Still buildin’.
A digital franchise. An ecosystem. A legacy.
Just online now.
So yeah—my dream got rewritten. Started with a mop wanting a menu, turned into a vision and wanting a domain name. I’m still grateful for every manager, every shift, every fry burn and floor scrub.
They halfway raised me.
Starting out young in the food industry offers a unique perspective on work ethic and leadership that many later translate into entrepreneurial success. The experience at establishments like CiCi’s Pizza, Wendy’s, and local coffee and wing spots provided hands-on lessons in managing inventory efficiently (using FIFO methods), maintaining food safety, and leading teams — skills that are essential in any business setting. What’s interesting is how traditional restaurant experience can evolve into understanding the dynamics of digital business. Just as in a kitchen where workflows must be clean and organized, building a digital franchise like TrapDevToolsHQ requires streamlined processes and intentional content rotation to keep the audience engaged and business scalable. The analogy of seasoning captions like fries underscores the importance of creativity and boldness in digital marketing. Furthermore, the shift from physical to digital storefronts reflects a broader trend in entrepreneurship where scalability and global reach become key motivators. Instead of focusing on a brick-and-mortar location, visionaries now look at creating digital ecosystems — businesses that can operate continuously online without geographical limits. This transition demands the same dedication, but with added considerations around content strategy, online customer engagement, and brand legacy. This journey embodies the evolving nature of work and business in the 21st century. Former restaurant employees bring discipline and operational know-how, but now they apply these lessons to digital platforms, building legacies that go beyond traditional limits. The author’s story is a reminder that every shift worked, every burned fry, and every floor scrub wasn’t just a job but a part of the foundation for a future digital enterprise. The concept of viewing the internet as a 'new location' or 'new franchise' captures the essence of current business innovation. For aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s a call to recognize how skills in any industry can be adapted and amplified in the digital age to create opportunities that are scalable and impactful worldwide. Embracing technology while leveraging foundational skills sets a path for sustainable growth and meaningful legacy building in the modern business landscape.
