March 14, 2017

Meet Mark Lyso of Ruby’s Diner in Citadel Outlets, Woodland Hills, and Long Beach

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Lyso.

Mark, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been in the restaurant business for over 24 years, starting as a server at Olive Garden back when it was owned by General Mills. I worked my way into management at Olive Garden, and was eventually introduced to Famous Dave’s at their second restaurant and joined their team as General Manager. During my time at Famous Dave’s, I expanded beyond GM, becoming Director of Training, then Director of Management Training and Recruiting and ultimately the Franchise Business Consultant, helping the company to expand their concept from 2 to 175 units over the course of 14 years. After Famous Dave’s, I moved to California to work with the Sizzler team, as Executive Director of Franchise Development for four years. My next Franchise Development position was with PizzaRev, where I assisted in growing the company from 3 to 28 units in just 2.5 years. Finally, I joined Ruby’s as the Chief Operations Officer of Ruby’s Franchise Systems.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve found that working with start-ups and the restructuring of companies is in my DNA, and with that comes some interesting challenges – challenges that I enjoy. I’ve been in the franchising side of business for 17 years and have learned the struggles of a franchisee. In my experience, I’ve seen that many franchisors that decide to pursue the franchise business often do so with the sole intent of making money; whereas I see it more as a way to expand into different markets that I don’t know and to establish market share of the brand. As a franchisor, I’ve found that a 4-pillar approach has proven to be a successful way to tackle the challenges associated with the struggles of the franchise. The franchisor’s 4 pillars consist of the following: To ensure we are doing all we can in the marketing arena to expand the franchisee’s business, that we are controlling the purchasing of products and keeping commodity pricing low, that we are consistently offering solid operational support and that we are committed to testing new products to ensure that we are driving customers into the restaurant to taste new menu innovations.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Ruby’s Diner – what should we know?
Ruby’s Diner is a 34 year old California-based diner specializing in burgers, fries and shakes, but also offers a delicious breakfast menu, is committed to providing quality food offerings and remains extremely family-driven. As a company, Ruby’s Diner is most proud of the fact that we’ve been able to provide quality offerings in family dining for 34 years. I believe that there are three great differentiators that set Ruby’s Diner apart from others in the industry: tried and tested menus that guests love, our ability to morph our physical plant into any format (from a full service 6,500SqFt restaurant, to a food court or an airport), and our unparalleled quality experienced leadership team. Furthermore, we are committed to the pursuit of innovation within our brand – We are taking care of the current franchisee to continue success, expanding within both the traditional and non-traditional domestic franchise arena, and moving into the international franchise arena.

What were you like growing up – personality wise?
Growing up, I was constantly involved in athletics (I loved a challenge) and a true explorer who was never afraid to try something new. I always had a positive regard, which is an outlook that I’m happy to say that I still have on life. I always wanted to learn, to find the answers to any curiosity. Personality-wise, I was outgoing and loved an audience. At a young age I had an innate ability to connect with people, but it wasn’t until I grew up and found myself in a business environment that I started to understand and consequentially exhibit more leadership skills. I believe that my personality and life experience has led me to really cement my life’s purpose and mission: To help people become successful.

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