Eric Schlosser: Success

In this Chapter, titled "Success" Eric Schlosser gives a modern example of running a fast food chain from start to finish. He chooses one man, Dave Feamster, as his primary topic of discussion. Dave attended college at the University of Colorado Springs and received a degree in Business. Dave was involved in sports in college and ended up ruining his back, leaving him unable to play his favorite games. He one day, after college, decided to open up a Little Caesars in Pueblo. In order to open up a chain restaurant, the company has to give you a loan to pay for the building of the restaurant and to get the restaurant everything it needs. By the time his first Little Caesars was opened and running, Dave was already over $200,000 in debt with the company. It took him three years to pay that money off. He also has to contribute a certain percentage of his annual revenue to the company every year. Dave did the hiring for his store, hiring all different eligible workers, some in which other companies simply wouldn't hire. Dave opens his store every morning, makes pizzas, and closes up the store every night. He has a family to support now and has opened a total of five Little Caesars food chain restaurants in the neighboring areas of Pueblo. The problem now, is that other chain restaurants, such as Papa Johns, are acting as Little Caesars's competition. The only thing that is going to keep Dave Feamster profitable, is if his employees treat every customer with respect, politeness, and keeps them satisfied. If a competition runs a franchisee out of business, then all profits for that franchisee are lost. This is something that we see every day, with thousands of new restaurants opening up in all areas. Everyday, we go to work for someone else; to see someone else thrive above you. Concluding this chapter, Dave takes his employees to a sold out "Success" workshop. He wants his employees to see, "there's a world out there, a whole world beyond the South side of Pueblo."

Schlosser, Eric. "Success." Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001. 104.