Serving sweet treats may be a new experience for Christine “Danni” Washington, the dynamic franchise owner of The Peach Cobbler Factory in Frisco, Texas, but it isn’t her first taste of success.
“Our store was #1 [in sales] for the first two days we opened out of 92 Peach Cobbler Factory locations,” says the proud businesswoman about her dessert-centric establishment that served 500 customers during its grand opening this past August. The feat was even more amazing given this is Washington’s first foray into the restaurant industry.
A Unique Path
Prior to securing her franchise for The Peach Cobbler Factory, the 32-year-old entrepreneur worked as a behavioral therapist with an ultimate goal of opening a mental health facility. “But, I ended up taking a different route. I got into the finance world and joined the tax industry,” relates Washington, who eventually started 32 multi-state tax office locations, which she continues to own and operate.
“No matter what I did, my passion was mental health,” she admits. With the earnings from her tax companies, Washington made her dream of building a mental health facility a reality. “I ended up opening my own facility last year. Right now, I have two locations,” she shares about her success in the mental wellness field.
Finding Her Way to The Peach Cobbler Factory
Looking to expand her entrepreneurial reach, she turned to a fond memory of working as a Taco Bell cashier during high school. “I was 15 years old, and that job really shaped me. It taught me the importance of customer service. Even though it was my first job, it was the best job I ever had,” recalls Washington, who still visits her former Taco Bell manager whenever she’s back in her hometown of Indianola, Mississippi.
Inspired by that early experience, the budding restauranteur opted to further explore the food industry for her next business adventure.
“I wanted to start with a coffee shop or a dessert shop, something smaller. I didn’t want to start with a full restaurant,” she explains about her plans for entering the restaurant arena. After some research, she came upon The Peach Cobbler Factory and was immediately intrigued with owning her own franchise.
Touting “the world’s most unique offering of desserts under one roof,” the star of The Peach Cobbler Factory menu is its signature peach cobbler (with cherry, blackberry, apple and mango cobblers also available).
In addition, an array of sweet offerings—like banana pudding, cinnamon rolls, “pudding” and “cobbler” shakes, brownies, cookies and waffles (served with a choice of toppings)—round out the made-in-house menu at The Peach Cobbler Factory.
“It so happens I didn’t even have to use my own contractor and project manager because The Peach Cobbler Factory provided everything—they helped me through every single thing,” attests the CEO turned restauranteur about her franchisee experience.
By Jocelyn Amador
