By Charlie Pogacar
Ashley Malik started working in the family business when she was 14 years old. Since then, she’s spent time working about every job across her parents’ four Little Caesars restaurants in Ontario, Canada. Now in her 30s, Malik is on track to take over the family business as her parents prepare to retire.
“I’ve done everything in the stores—stood outside with the sign, washed dishes, cleaned the grease trap,” Malik said. “It gave me an appreciation for the fact that no job is too big or too small. You can’t properly manage something unless you know how to do it.”
Her transition to a leadership role wasn’t always an easy thing to navigate: when she returned from University, there were managers some 10 years older than her that questioned her qualifications. They may have underestimated Malik’s work ethic—she took these slights as a challenge to work even harder.
Related: How One Veteran Little Caesars Franchisee Has Built Up Strong Team Culture
“It took a lot of time to prove that I deserved to be here, that I could do the job just as well as they could,” Malik said. “But I think working alongside them, being on the line and showing that I’m willing to do whatever it takes helped a lot.”
Another challenge Malik faced was building a new type of relationship with her parents, Jon and Cindy. “In the beginning, my parents had all the knowledge, and I followed their lead,” Malik said. “But now, it’s more like [they are in] an advisory role—they’re there if I need guidance, but they trust me to make decisions.”
One of the things the Maliks taught their daughter was to always ensure the team was taken care of. Especially in a high-turnover industry like foodservice, they’ve found that treating employees with respect will help drive better results. Specifically, the Maliks have always organized team building events designed to be fun and engaging for the wide-ranging demographics that make up their teams. Bowling, for example, to allow the team to bond in a relaxed setting. Similarly, the franchisee group has always given out a “Manager of the Year” award to recognize the hard work from its leadership team.
Ashley feels lucky to have had her parents, experienced store owners that they are, as a built-in support network. The same could be said of the Little Caesars’ support network for franchisees, which begins with a Franchise Business Consultant who is assigned to each franchisee in the system. “Even if we’re seasoned franchisees at this point and don’t need day-to-day help,” Malik said, “it’s nice to know that support is there if we need it.”
The Maliks will soon open a fifth store, looking to grow their business. Ashley is excited to take on the new venture and continue to expand her repertoire and areas of expertise. Her focus remains on creating a positive work environment alongside her parents.
“I think everything is in place, and everything is going really well,” Malik said of opening store number five. “My priority now is keeping my team happy because we really can’t do anything without great people—and I’m excited to see where we can go next.”
As she’s proven since she was a teenager, Malik is ready to overcome any challenges standing in her way. “I’ve been doing this since I was 14, and I’m ready for what’s next,” Ashley says. “It’s more than just running a store—it’s about being part of something bigger.”
