Entrepreneur • Operator • Change Architect

Mary Pillow
Thompson

Nashville, TN — Available Nationwide

I create the conditions for connection and transformation.

Technology is the means.
Human connection is the end.

I walk in. I listen first. I earn trust.
Then I build something that lasts.

Work With Me The Franchise Playbook
Mary Pillow Thompson
“The best business I’ve ever done happened around a dinner table.”
As Seen In
QSR Magazine Modern Restaurant Management Franchising Magazine QSR Evolution Conference Multi-Unit Franchise Conference

The Approach

The goal was never the technology.
It was always the people.

I’ve co-founded two companies, scaled them, and sold them. I’ve sat across the table from PE firms, franchise operators, overwhelmed owners, and burned-out teams. The through line across all of it is the same:

I walk into a business, earn the trust of the people inside it, find what’s broken, and fix it — without blowing up what’s working.

Before I change anything, I learn everything. I move through every department — from the mailroom to the boardroom — and ask one question: why does this step exist, and is it still serving you?

Then we build. Not off-the-shelf software. Not AI for the sake of AI. We build exactly what’s needed to close the gaps — custom, practical, and designed around the people doing the work.

The result: technology handles the friction. Your people get back to doing what humans do best — connecting, creating, and growing revenue. Nobody loses their seat at the table. They get a better one.

How It Works

01
Listen First Before I change anything, I learn everything. Every department. Every step. Every reason something exists.
02
Earn Trust I work alongside your team, not above them. Change that sticks comes from people who believe in it.
03
Build What’s Needed Custom technology to close the specific gaps we find. No buzzwords. No off-the-shelf shortcuts.
04
Leave It Better Your team owns the change. Your business runs without you holding it together. That’s the goal.
“
No one lost their job. We were able to redeploy labor into revenue-generating activities — increasing job satisfaction and growing revenue at the same time.

— Client, Multi-Unit Operator

Who I Work With

Two kinds of people call me.

The Franchise Operator or Multi-Unit Owner

You built something real — and now you’re buried in it. The business runs you instead of the other way around. You know something is off but can’t see it clearly from the inside. That’s exactly where I do my best work.

The PE Firm or Investor Group

You just acquired a restaurant or franchise operation and need someone to fly in, assess fast, and find the profit that’s already there. I don’t need six months to get up to speed. I’ve been inside these businesses my whole career.

Both get the same thing: someone who walks in without an agenda, listens before acting, and doesn’t leave until the work is done.

Work With Me

One clear next step. No retainer for the sake of a retainer.

I work with a small number of businesses at a time. If there’s a fit, we move fast and we get to work.

Book a Call →
01

Fractional Operator / Change Management

Embedded engagement. I come in, assess what exists, earn the trust of your team, and lead the change from the inside — until it sticks.

02

PE / Post-Acquisition Stabilization

100-day profit optimization for PE-backed franchise and restaurant groups. Find. Fix. Profit.

03

Speaking & Advisory

Conferences, leadership teams, investor groups. Straight talk on operations, technology, and what it actually takes to build something that lasts.

A Practice Area

The Franchise Profit Playbook

For franchise and multi-unit operators who want to see what’s really happening inside their business — and fix it. Content, tools, and straight talk for operators who are doing the work.

Visit the Playbook →

A Way of Life

Throw a Dinner Party

The best business I’ve ever done happened around a dinner table. I’m writing the book on why — and how you can create the same conditions for connection in your own life.

Visit MenuWithUs →

Stay in the Loop

Weekly thinking on operations, technology, and the humans behind the business.

No frameworks. No fluff. Just the stuff that matters to operators who are doing the work.