Amin Dhanani, 40, has worked in the franchise business since he was 15. He is Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen’s largest franchisee, with 270 units, and also owns 26 La Madeleine French Bakery & Café franchise units. The youngest of 11 children, Amin, who was born in Pakistan, grew up in Houston observing his late father and family members build The Dhanani Group, a hugely successful multi-unit Burger King franchisee that got started in the gas and convenience store business, which it still operates.
The last of 11 children, Amin Dhanani never really considered anything other than going into the family business. His first job, working on the Whopper line at Burger, King, was followed by various stints of working in the family business as a youth. After graduating from Southern Methodist university with a degree in business and accounting, the ambitious young entrepreneur joined the family business “for real” in 2000.
“I spent the first 10 years learning the business and the restaurant industry, he says. “I’d always wanted to be a businessman and run a corporation. So in 2010, I ventured out on my own under the umbrella of The Dhanani Group.” He remains a general partner of The Dhanani Group, which owns 510 Burger Kings and 150 convenience stores. — Debbie Selinsky, Multi-Unit Franchisee, p. 12
Amin told Multi-Unit Franchisee that his best business decision was “To learn the QSR business from the ground up in the stores,” and that the best advice he ever received was “From my father, who died in 2016. He always said, ‘Work from your heart and passion, and success will follow. But always stay humble.’”
Source: Buying a Franchise