Economic Impact Awards Entrepreneur Finalist: JT Restaurant Group

“I absolutely love to own businesses and operate businesses,” Dapp said. “Startups are the hardest. There are many unknowns, but after a while, you start to see what you’ve created, literally from just an idea, start working.”

Dapp has started and sold numerous businesses, including the Springfield franchise of New Horizons Computer Learning Center. He’s also served as a consultant under Business Financing Solutions and T.P. Dapp and Associates, and hosted the “It’s Your Business” radio show, which began on KWTO in July 2006.

As much as he enjoyed those tasks, he’s leaving them behind him. He sold off all of his businesses and aired his last radio show June 25 to set his sights on sandwiches.

Through the JT Restaurant Group, Dapp and his wife, JoAnn, are taking a bite out of Clearwater, Fla.-based Dagwood’s Sandwich Shoppes as market partners who will open roughly 65 new Dagwood’s sites in the Midwest. Their territory stretches from Branson to Kansas City.

“Market partners are a very important source of information and communications,” Berry said. “More than a franchisee, a true partner is someone who markets the brand. He’s not just a salesman selling franchises.”

Based on “Blondie” comic-strip character Dagwood Bumstead, Dagwood’s Sandwich Shoppes feature more than 20 sandwich varieties, soups and salads. The chain’s signature sandwich, the Dagwood, features three slices of deli bread and 12 toppings.

When the Dagwood’s chain was founded in May 2006, Berry was looking for the right kind of entrepreneurs to build the company, and Dapp was searching for a new opportunity. Out of thousands of letters that came in from potential market partners, Berry tapped Dapp for the job.

“He really did appear (to be) the kind of individual who would be perfect to take our baton and lead the charge representing the brand out in a territory,” Berry said, noting that the decision wasn’t one-sided. “They were very intent on making sure they were making the right decision, too.”

Tom Dapp said he was attracted to the corporate culture of Dagwood’s and the openness of the franchisor/franchisee relationship. He said he likes the idea of seeing people train up through the franchise, and also helping a new crop of business owners.

“The neat thing about the name Dagwood is that everybody can relate to it,” Dapp said. “It is instant recognition. A lot of the battle is in getting your name out there so people can understand what it is and what you are doing. This is the only food franchise that I saw that target markets baby boomers.”

Dapp’s store at 1111 E. Republic Road, in Gallery Eleven retail center, will be among the first six Dagwood’s to open nationwide.

“We are currently working on our flagship shop,” Dapp said. “That is where everyone will train as they open one of our franchise shops. We can also own our own additional shops at the same time we are selling these franchises to others.”

JT Restaurant Group

Address: 3030-C E. Battlefield Road, Springfield, MO 65804

Phone: (417) 882-3247

Web site: www.dagwoods.com

Employees: 3[[In-content Ad]]