HispanicBusiness

When Juan Gavilan started his career with Kentucky Fried Chicken as a cook, he couldn't speak a word of English – not even to say "leg, wing, or breast."

Five years later, he was managing nine restaurants in the Miami area. Today, he owns three Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises in the city, and he's looking to buy more – as well as help other Hispanics achieve success.

"My mother thinks I'm as important as President Clinton, because of my style of life," he says with a laugh. "I go to church Sundays, but I thank God every day in each of my restaurants before we start work. My church is my restaurants. I am responsible for 70 lives, and we generate about $8 million in payroll."

Mr. Gavilan was 23 years old when he decided to move from his native Spain to the United States. He had completed high school and one year of college and was working in a warehouse with his father.

"I didn't think I had a good future, so I wanted to come to the United States," Mr. Gavilan says. "I had wanted to come here since I was 7 and I watched John Wayne movies."

As a cook, Mr. Gavilan worked hard enough to earn a promotion to assistant manager, then manager, and finally restaurant manager. He purchased an existing franchise in 1981 and became an American citizen in 1985.
But his big break came in 1990, when the company launched a program to help minorities and offered to finance 80 percent of Mr. Gavilan's investment.

"They have really treated me not just like a Hispanic, but like a member of this planet," he says. "Thanks to them, I have three restaurants. And my three restaurants do over $4 million in sales annually."

Eighty percent of Mr. Gavilan's employees and all his managers are Hispanic. He hires a private tutor to give his managers English lessons twice a week. He also insists that they take either Saturday or Sunday off each week to be with their families, and he often ends up pushing a mop when he visits his restaurants.

"All you need to do is get involved. To learn to cook chicken is very easy. But you must know your people and treat them right – that is the only other quality you need to succeed in this business," he says. "They pay you back with loyalty, and that is what makes you successful."

Mr. Gavilan, who visits his family in Spain once or twice a year, is sending his son to medical school and remains humbled by the opportunities he has been afforded. His current goal is to see one of his longtime managers become a franchise owner as well.

"There should be more opportunities for Hispanics," Mr. Gavilan says. "These are the people who should get opportunities. Just look at me – this is not a losing situation for Kentucky Fried Chicken!"

– Vivienne Heines

Kentucky Fried Chicken

Business: Quick service chicken restaurant

Date established: 1954

Number of franchises: 3,757

Total annual revenues: $4.4 billion

Requirements: Minimum net worth of $1 million, minimum liquid assets of $500,000, and at least five years of restaurant operations

Where available: All states except Montana and Utah

Contact: Nikki L. Weis,(800) 544-5774, ext. 2143.

Web site: www.kfc.com