Even a veteran franchisee makes rookie mistakes. Dave Baumgartner opened his 100th Dunkin’ location this spring, capping off a goal he’d been chasing for 16 years. His surprising advice to anyone starting out? Don’t follow his example.
Baumgartner signed his first Dunkin’ franchisee agreement in 2009 for four stores with an option for 17 more, jumping in fast despite having no restaurant experience. Looking back, he says that was too aggressive. “If I were going to give anyone advice, it would be to start with just one store,” he says. “You need that year or two to learn what you don’t know.”
The early years were bumpy. But a college friend with franchise experience warned him that companies fail when they scale faster than their staffing and infrastructure can support. That conversation reshaped how Baumgartner built his team, and Bluemont Group has since added 37 new stores in the past four years alone, spreading across seven states with 74 locations in Tennessee.
Along the way, Baumgartner also turned a simple donut fundraiser with local Rotary Clubs into something bigger. Under the motto “service above self,” the effort has raised nearly $9 million for polio research over eight years.
Now nearing retirement, Baumgartner is focused on succession, planning to stay on as CEO through 2027 before moving to the board. “It is very gratifying to look back on it,” he says, “and think of how far we have come as a company.”