Dave Hood ( iFranchise Group President )
Hood will oversee all production aspects of this engagement, and will have
substantial input on all strategic planning, implementation consulting, and quality control issues. In
addition to all the educational credentials (Master’s and Ph.D.), Hood initially began his franchise
consulting career in 1985 – first working for the Australian government and later in a consulting
environment. Hood currently sits on the Board of Directors of Harris Research (parent company of Chem-
Dry and N-Hance Wood Renewal). Hood brings the unique experience of having actually built a high-
growth franchise company to the engagement. As the former president of Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels,
Hood was largely responsible for the growth of that company from a six-unit operation to a 660-unit
franchise company with over $250 million in system revenues over his nine-year tenure.
During Hood’s tenure at Auntie Anne’s, Entrepreneur Magazine ranked the company among the “best of
the best” four times, ranked it #1 in its Franchise 500 category twice, named it among the 100 Fastest
Growing Franchises three times, and ranked it among the top 100 Global Franchises. The company was
also ranked #150 in the Franchise Times Top 200 list and was listed among America's Top 59 Global Fast
Food Franchises. Restaurants & Institutions ranked it #135 among its Top 400 category and ranked it in
the top ten within the Sweets and Snacks category. Takeout Business ranked it among the top 100
Takeout Leaders and among the Top 50 Quickservice Concepts. The company was also ranked among the
Franchise Gold 100 by Success Magazine, among the Top 50 Growth Chains by Restaurant Business, and
among the Platinum 100 by Income Opportunities magazine. Perhaps most impressively, the company
achieved this growth while being twice ranked as the First-Place Winner in the Franchise Relations
Awards by Income Opportunities magazine. Auntie Anne’s is now among the 200 largest franchises in the
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