When Arnie Seyden and his wife wanted to do something different with their careers that tied directly back to their local community, they turned to franchising. In 2019, their family opened their first Your Pie location in Canton, Georgia, and now have a second restaurant in Woodstock. Three out of their five children decided to join the family business helping run the two stores, eventually to make them their own one day.
He and his wife didn’t have any restaurant experience the time, so a franchise seemed like a natural fit. They chose Your Pie because it was a Georgia company, well known in the state, but missing in their area.
Arnie says one of the most important things about being a local restaurant is giving back to the community where you operate. “We live in this community, we raised our family in this community, so we give back.”
Their two stores host several fundraisers a month for local charities – including schools, sports teams, and the little league. They also make an extra effort to support their law enforcement, especially for fallen officers. He says, “We have the ability to that. We have a store where we can bring people in and bring people together.” They also work with a local boys’ home for children waiting for foster care – feeding the entire home at least once a month.
He is not only very active in community service, but also passionate about helping the young people who work for him, saying they are an extension of their family. He says, “These kids understand how important it is to be involved in the community, and it gives them a sense of fulfillment to be part of things that are going on here…To provide that for kids who work here is one of my favorite things.”
Arnie is committed to the franchise system because of the support it provides them – “there is a lot they bring to the table that we need.” In turn, they volunteer to serve as a test kitchen and training location for new franchise owners. He says they like to be that store with the cutting edge and do their part to give other aspiring entrepreneurs the same opportunities they have had.
Arnie Seyden is a local business owner, and he is Open for Opportunity.
