Florida-based Ford’s Garage debuts at No. 287 on the Top 400, with $140 million in sales in 2023 from just 24 units.
“What gets them in there is, without question, the Ford name. They want to see what it’s all about at Ford’s Garage.”
—Dave Ragosa, vice president of franchising and development, Ford’s Garage
At Ford’s Garage, the ambiance is just as important as the food. The walls are lined with Ford memorabilia, guests are greeted with vintage vehicles outside the front doors and servers are dressed as retro mechanics. What customers might not realize, though, is the franchise has incredible bathroom selfie game.
“We say we have the highest rate of Instagram photos in our bathrooms,” said Dave Ragosa, vice president of franchising and development. “It’s kind of weird to say, but if you’ve gone in there, you’ve seen the sinks are old tires, the urinals are old kegs. It’s that experience that really resonates with folks.”
The casual dining restaurants mimic a 1920s service station. Ford’s Garage aims to please kids, their parents and their grandparents. “It’s that 8-year-old that walks in and they’re like, holy cow, this is pretty cool. I see engines and cars and that fun stuff. And it’s that 82-year-old that either owned a Ford, worked at Ford … there was some type of affinity to the brand,” Ragosa said. “That’s what I found has really resonated with our guests.”
Dave Ragosa leads franchise development for Ford's Garage, a brand he says is poised for growth in the casual dining space.
Ford’s Garage, officially licensed by Ford Motor Company, is new to the Top 400 list this year. The franchise makes its debut at No. 287 with $140 million in sales, a 23.7 percent year-over-year increase. That percentage sales growth means it’s the top performer in the casual dining category.
The systemwide sales, meanwhile, are notable as Ford’s Garage generated them with just 24 units open in 2023. The company reported an average unit volume of $6.3 million in 2023 from the 20 franchise and company-owned locations listed in its franchise disclosure document.
Founded in 2012 in Fort Myers, Florida, the flagship location is less than a mile away from Henry Ford’s winter home. Over the past 12 years Ford’s Garage expanded to Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Texas.
Burgers and craft beer are the stars of the Ford’s Garage menu, including a fan-favorite Estate Burger, which comes with cheese, sweet onion marmalade, fried onion straws and a white truffle bacon aioli. The franchise also serves other kinds of sandwiches, such as pulled pork, a handful of salads, plus a variety of appetizers and desserts.
“What gets them in there is, without question, the Ford name. They want to see what it’s all about at Ford’s Garage,” Ragosa said.
Ragosa took on the development role at Ford’s Garage over a year ago, bringing experience from his previous job leading franchising for Arby’s and Sonic Drive-In at Inspire Brands. He’s also worked at Jimmy John’s, Rusty Taco and Buffalo Wild Wings.
“I was so excited to come over, quite honestly,” Ragosa said. “I spent 20 years on the QSR, fast-casual side of it, and no one was really doing casual dining well. There were a few regional players that were good, but no one on a national level was really focused on the right thing.”
As a system, Ford’s Garage is significantly smaller than Ragosa’s previous companies, but for him that was part of the appeal. “I wanted to take a brand on my own and see what I can do with it in supporting the brand, the franchisees and the growth,” he said.
Supporting franchisees starts with finding the right owner-operators, Ragosa said. The right franchisee, in his mind, is willing to put in the work to run the stores successfully and be a team player.
“I’ve been in this for 20 years and I learned from sitting down with my team and having that mindset, saying we’re going to do this together,” he said. “I’ve always said this: Your success is my success, and my success is your success.”
Revving up development
As it is for most franchises right now, one of Ford’s Garage’s challenges is finding real estate at a fair price and in a prime location. The company competes with other casual dining brands for the same property in similar areas, Ragosa said. Ford’s Garage restaurants are typically 6,000 to 9,000 square feet, which further limits its options.
Then there are the labor-related issues every other restaurateur is facing. Ford’s Garage requires 120 to 130 team members to run each restaurant, which adds up in terms of costs and the work that goes into hiring that many people.
The opportunities at Ford’s going forward, however, outweigh any headwinds, Ragosa said. “Our AUVs are so strong and folks really enjoy themselves at the restaurant, whether it’s a team member or guest,” he said.
The company’s had luck finding quality employees, Ragosa said. “If we open a new Ford’s across the street from a competitor, and that restaurant happened to be doing” $3 million or $4 million, and Ford’s is averaging $5.8 million across all restaurants, “where would you go if you were a server, a bartender?” he said. “We’re getting a better-quality team member … which has helped us recruit at that high level.”
Ford’s Garage’s signature burger has bacon, cheese and barbecue sauce on a brioche bun.
New technology, such as more efficient cooking platforms and a switch from flat-top grills to clamshell grills, is helping to improve back-of-house labor, making it more efficient for team members and guests. “When you’re a line cook and some other team members are back there, it gets stressful and it’s not an easy job,” he said. “We can bring technology in that supports them. They’re going to obviously produce at a higher rate, which you can see from the numbers.”
The initial investment range to open a Ford’s Garage location is $2.8 million to $6.5 million, depending on if it’s a new build or a converted restaurant. It opened four stores last year, an increase of 20 percent, three of which are franchised.
Ford’s Garage’s competition includes No. 26 Chili’s, which did $4.46 billion in sales, according to Franchise Times’ estimate, with 1,605 units. Similarly sized Applebee’s, at No. 23, had systemwide sales hit an estimated $4.58 billion last year from 1,642 restaurants. Sales for Chili’s were up 8.4 percent, while Applebee’s saw a drop of 0.2 percent.
The company’s success, Ragosa said, is attributed to Ford’s Garage’s corporate team as much as its franchisees. Everyone from the marketing team to the culinary team are “kicking butt,” Ragosa said. Franchisees are given a comprehensive operating playbook and are tasked with execution.
“How fast and how well you do above the playbook is on you, and they’ve done a great job adopting some of the initiatives we’ve done,” he said.
Menu innovation is another factor. The brand offers quarterly limited-time offerings to drive sales. Ford’s Garage restaurants host watch parties every year for the Kentucky Derby in May, with bourbon-infused menu items. “That helps drive unit sales to the franchisees and … really helps the guests enjoy their time,” Ragosa said.
Preparation for those LTOs and menu updates starts the year prior, involving the marketing, distribution and culinary teams. They come together to brainstorm ideas, ensuring costs aren’t too high for franchisees and the menus are marketable.
‘A proven concept’
Marc Brown’s company, 23 Restaurant Services, is the largest Ford’s Garage’s franchisee with 20 restaurants in Florida, New York and Virginia. His franchisee experience is untraditional as he is one of the founders of Ford’s Garage, alongside Mike McGuigan and Daniel Kearns.
Brown also owns or partners with Capone’s Coal Fired Pizza, Yeoman’s Top Golf Swing Suite and Tiki Docks, among others. “Restaurants have always been in my life,” he said.
Henry Ford’s former estate is now a museum coupled with Thomas Edison’s adjacent former estate, so the Ford name has a major presence in Fort Myers. Brown’s business partners owned another restaurant called The Edison and were looking to open another. “We all got together, we decided to create one: Ford’s Garage,” Brown said.
“We believe in the brand and we’re still continuing to invest heavily,” he said. “We build other restaurant concepts now, too, but we still build more Ford’s than anything else because it’s just a great return on our investment. We have a very proven concept and we’re going to continue to build as many Ford’s in the state of Florida as we can for the next five to 10 years at least.”
Brown emphasized the importance of the ambiance and food at the concept’s outlets. “There’s a lot to look at and see,” Brown said. “We want to activate all five of their senses while they’re on a visit to our restaurant.”