Jennifer Hill was six months pregnant and working as a CPA when her husband, DJ Hill, decided to purchase their first Jet’s Pizza store back in July 2006. The store, located in Walled Lake, MI, was generating around $7,500 in weekly sales at the time of their purchase. DJ had some experience in the industry, working as a delivery driver for years prior, but this was completely uncharted territory for Jennifer. She had to utilize her strong business and tax background to learn the pizza business from the ground up.
During her first years of ownership, Jennifer quickly built a rock star staff, who became a pivotal aspect in creating a thriving workplace environment. Together they were able to build mutual respect amongst one another and establish a close family bond, where everyone took a sense of ownership in “their” store. This type of attitude has aided in boosting their sales to now more than three times the sales they started out with. In addition, they have also been able to open two more locations in Eastpointe and Warren, MI. The Eastpointe location, being one of the more profitable stores in the Jet’s Pizza franchise.
Fourteen years later, Jennifer has been able to retire from the CPA world, allowing her to spend more time with her family and focus solely on their stores. She attributes all of her success to hard work, cultivating positive relationships with vendors, corporate staff, and other franchisees but more importantly by supporting and appreciating her management. She always says, “Be there for your employees and they will be there for you.”