A simple breakfast conversation was all it took for Mark Lubin to join Celebree School.
Lubin discussed the brand’s franchise model and growth strategies at breakfast with CEO and founder Richie Huffman in 2022. Lubin said it was a no-brainer to get involved with the concept, so he joined the Celebree School Advisory Board of Directors to enhance franchise support and operations.
Appointed as the brand’s chief development officer last November, Lubin is making moves to strengthen franchising efforts.
Celebree started franchising in 2019 and has since opened 29 franchised units, bringing its total to 55 units in 17 states. The early childhood education concept provides schooling programs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in addition to summer camps and before- and after-school care for students from kindergarten through fifth grade.
Lubin’s motivations are driven by a franchising career spanning 25 years. He worked at Taco Bell for 16 years on the franchisor side and nine as a franchisee in addition to a brief stint as a franchisee of The Great Harvest Bread Company.
Mark Lubin
He said experience from both perspectives lends itself to his work as CDO, comprehending the respective roles of franchisor and franchisee regardless of industry.
“Leadership is leadership, whether we’re selling a taco or selling a school,” he added. “Obviously the scale is different, the investment’s different, all those things are different. But the thing I love to do is lead people and engage with teams. I knew I could do that … and it was more about what I could do to build a team and be able to grow a model from a business perspective.”
The school concept expects to open 22 units this year. Lubin finds this goal attainable through a three-pillared strategic plan centered around driving brand awareness and strengthening real estate and construction processes.
“This brand started in the Maryland area. That doesn’t mean everybody around the country knows who Celebree is,” Lubin said. “We need to make sure that people are aware of who we are and what we do, driving awareness of the franchise opportunity.”
Lubin’s team hopes to build an effective real estate pipeline, made possible through refining site selection and developing a detailed preapproval process while growing the real estate team.
Regarding construction, a focus is set on ensuring an “exceptional construction journey” with a thorough playbook laid out. Creating and following this playbook advances the brand’s hopes for national expansion and helps franchisees follow timelines when opening schools.
The brand’s success comes from more than sticking to structure. Lubin said Celebree pushes flexibility, not rigidity, striking a balance between following the franchise system and being willing to adapt when listening to franchisees. This practice coincides with Lubin’s principle: “The client’s experience won’t exceed the team’s experience.”
“As we continue to grow, a lot of our best practices and a lot of our learning are actually coming from our existing franchisee population,” he said. “Even though we have this great offering … we continue to listen, enhance and pivot fast to make sure that the experience is only improving every day. I think there’s an art to that relationship.”
Celebree looks to sign 30 new franchisees this year.
“Our growth strategy, our philosophy and what we’re doing to support these franchisees—it’s not easy, but it makes it easier because I believe in it,” Lubin said. “I believe that we have the right people, the right tools, the right process and discipline to be able to deliver a great product.”