Featured image: Rajiv Lala (right) and partner Asheesh Seth (left)
Rajiv Lala grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. After graduating from high school, Lala immediately knew he wanted to go down the business route, so he headed off to Western Illinois University to study finance.
“I had a knack for business. I knew I wanted to do something along the lines of business, but I wasn’t sure exactly what that was. I knew studying finance would open some doors for me, and my family encouraged me to go down that route,” said Lala.
Lala earned his bachelor’s degree and started his career. After working in corporate America for about 10 years, Lala decided he was ready to try his own hand at business. Since then, he’s joined several franchisee networks including Chicagoland Wing Kings, a franchisee of Wingstop, and most recently, Chicago Pizza Pilots LLC, a franchisee of Jet’s Pizza.
Lala’s favorite part of being a franchisee is getting to provide brands to people that they love even when they’re away from their hometowns.
“A lot of people in Northwest Indiana come from all over the place--certain restaurants in Chicagoland and Indianapolis and even some places in Michigan are very nostalgic for them. When they walk in the door people get excited you know. One of the best things about being a franchisee is spreading the brands people love,” said Lala.
What Lala has especially enjoyed, though, is being in Northwest Indiana. Chicago Pizza Pilots recently opened a Jet's Pizza location in Hobart. The mayor welcomed Lala and his team to Hobart and the Region with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony early this past March.
“I go around Hobart and everybody is just so kind and polite. We did a chamber of commerce ribbon cutting with the mayor, and everybody was so welcoming to us coming into the city and starting the business - it's just a nice feeling being here. It's definitely a big attraction for us to keep growing here in Northwest Indiana,” said Lala.
Speaking of continuing to grow, Lala and the Chicago Pizza Pilots team already have plans to open several more Jet's Pizza locations in Northwest Indiana.
“We just want to continue to grow the Jet’s Pizza brand here in Northwest Indiana. We want to branch out to the other cities around us and help people understand what Detroit-style pizza is all about,” said Lala.
If Lala could give anyone who’s thinking about becoming a franchisee a piece of advice, he’d encourage them to choose a franchise they love. Don’t just pick something to pick something--you have to have passion and believe in the franchise’s products.
“Go out and find something that you truly enjoy. When we were looking for a new brand that’s exactly what we did. We went around and tried different restaurants, and we landed on the one that we enjoyed the most and knew we could stand behind,” said Lala.
There are many people that Lala looks up to, but he’s especially grateful for his Chicago Pizza Pilots team. Lala explained that since he’s one of the youngest guys on the team and is constantly learning and growing, his teammates are always there to support him.
“I'm part of a team that has probably over a combined 40 years of experience in the food industry, so I've got a lot of good role models. We’re a very family-oriented group--I almost see them as older brothers. I look to them for guidance on every little thing, ask for advice on every issue, and it’s just been super great to have those kinds of role models in my life,” said Lala.
In his free time, Lala likes to spend time with his wife and three young boys. Balancing work and family can be a bit tough sometimes, but Lala loves every second of it.
“I love having young kids, watching them grow, playing with them, and teaching them what I know,” said Lala.
Lala’s life ultimately gives us an interesting behind-the-scenes look into some of the popular franchises we all know and love. His hard work and passion are one of the many things that have helped the Region continue to grow and thrive.