“I hate unloading the dishwasher. Which is weird because it’s not that hard. It’s one of the first chores I farmed out to my kids.”
—Betsy Hamm, CEO, Duck Donuts
In her monthly “Grab Bag” column, Editor in Chief Laura Michaels asks the tough questions—What superhero power would you most like to have? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?—to show a side of franchising execs you don’t normally see.
Who would play you in the biopic about your life?
Jennifer Aniston. I’ve loved her since her days as Rachel on ‘Friends,’ and she has this ability to play these nice, girl-next-door characters. I also like her more serious work, like on ‘The Morning Show.’
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Entitlement. A lot of times in social situations or professional situations, there’s this sense of entitlement and people not thinking they have to earn it. People think about it a lot with younger generations and I do try to call it out with my own children, even if it’s just that they think they’re entitled to get Starbucks.
If you could be a member of any TV show family, which would it be?
I would go a little old school: ‘Modern Family.’ The family is all so close. The siblings all have these strong relationships and they’re close with their parents. Plus, it’s a little quirky and a little dysfunctional.
What’s something you would seriously stockpile if you found out it wasn’t going to be sold anymore?
Dry shampoo. It gives you the ability to wash your hair just once or twice a week, which is huge for me and my busy lifestyle. My favorite is Batiste. It’s not even the most expensive—and I’ve tried them all—but it’s the one that works.
What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
I hate unloading the dishwasher. Which is weird because it’s not that hard. It’s one of the first chores I farmed out to my kids. I also hate folding laundry.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
When I was in Chile, I wanted to try the local cuisine, of course. We had this pot of meat and I wasn’t even sure what it was. Later I found out it was, let’s say, an undesirable part of a cow. The texture is what got me; it was so bad I couldn’t finish eating it.
What fictional character do you think would be most interesting to meet in real life?
Katniss from ‘The Hunger Games.’ Just what she endured was so interesting, and the Hunger Games itself was so fascinating, what it was like in that society. She’s the protagonist and had to overcome so many challenges.
What’s something not many people know about you?
Prior to Duck Donuts, I worked for Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, and I worked a lot on the concert series so I’ve met a lot of famous people. Beyonce, Dave Matthews, Justin Timberlake, Willie Nelson. A lot of them were more down to earth than people think. The only time I was turned off was one of the popular boy bands back in the day, a couple members were just rude and obnoxious.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
I love eating chips and salsa and guacamole. So that and maybe binge watching some shows on Netflix. I’ve been watching ‘Suits,’ and I was all into ‘Succession’ and ‘Ted Lasso.’
What’s one restaurant or food trend you wish would disappear?
Probably the plant-based meat. If that’s your dietary need or preference, great, I just think it’s been taken too far. It’s the stuff that’s not natural, it’s grown in a lab.
What superhero power would you most like to have?
The ability to stop time or turn back time. It could also be very dangerous. But if you could just pause time, that would come in handy.
Editor in chief Laura Michaels asks the tough questions—What superhero power would you most like to have? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?—to show a side of franchising execs you don’t normally see. To suggest an industry professional, email lmichaels@franchisetimes.com.