9 out of every 10 Americans lives within 10 miles of one of our restaurants, making Inspire a source of economic opportunity and professional advancement for millions of people.
People
Our team members are at the heart of Inspire. From the restaurant to the boardroom, we cultivate a culture where every voice matters and every contribution matters. With more than 650,000 company and franchise team members and more than 2,800 franchisees around the world, we're building an environment where talent can thrive—through meaningful collaboration, purposeful career development, and entrepreneurial opportunity that transforms lives and communities.
20,000+
new jobs created in 2024
At Inspire we believe that everyone deserves a seat at the table.
Internal Mobility
and Career Pathing
At Inspire, our strength lies in uniting distinct brands to unlock scale, innovation, and impact beyond individual reach. Our People First approach is guided by the same principle: different perspectives drive better business decisions, stronger performance, and sustainable competitive advantage. This drives a clear progression: empowered teams create superior guest experiences that translate into measurable stakeholder value.
We believe the restaurant industry is one of America’s best career launch pads. From data scientists and financial planners, to supply chain analysts, talent marketers, and restaurant managers. Inspire is powered by a team of hundreds of thousands of people who are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather. Our goal is to help our team members grow and reach their full potential at Inspire—and we’re proud of the programs that help set our teams up for success.
Inspire’s scale and integrated shared services platform create exceptional internal mobility opportunities for our team members. Through structured career pathing programs across our six brands, employees can strategically move between verticals and functions to build diverse, well-rounded experience. This cross-brand framework enables us to design customized career trajectories that align individual growth aspirations with organizational needs—empowering team members to advance their careers while deepening their strategic value to Inspire.
From the job application to the interview process and training, Inspire offers a best-in-class hiring experience, recognized as a winner of Candidate Experience Awards in both 2023 and 2024.
We’re passionate about strengthening our pipeline of qualified talent through our early career programs, including the Inspire Intern Program. While interns are placed across different departments and brands, they remain connected through learning opportunities that reinforce Inspire’s purpose and core behaviors, fostering relationships for the next generation of Mavericks and Good Citizens. Our internship prepares interns to solve real-world challenges through our strategic business case initiative. Interns are presented with a challenge from our business and throughout the course of the internship, they develop an action plan and present their business proposal to leadership. Not only is this project engaging and educational, but it offers interns an opportunity to make a tangible impact. As one example, the Baskin-Robbins Cake in a Box was an idea proposed by an Inspire intern who later joined the culinary team and brought the innovation to life.
InspireU
InspireU is our comprehensive resource for team members, designed to support professional growth at any stage in their careers. InspireU develops skills and behaviors beyond day-to-day job responsibilities — skills like situational leadership, developing talent, and building culture, as well as concepts in areas like finance and marketing.
Inspire development programs continue to evolve to meet the career objectives of team members. Current programs feature field-based leadership development and functional skills series, thoughtfully designed to deliver targeted upskilling and support tailored to various career stages—from emerging managers to senior leaders.
Igniting Dreams
Inspire’s Igniting Dreams grant program is designed to invest in team members' personal and professional growth, helping them take the next step in their development. This goes beyond financial support to empower individuals to achieve their goals and make a long-term investment in their future. The grants enable restaurant team members to pursue their career aspirations by removing financial barriers related to school, childcare, and health.
95+
grants were awarded in 2024
Champions of Hope
Champions of Hope is an employee giving program led by the Inspire Foundation. Through regular contributions from thousands of team members, the program provides critical financial assistance to colleagues facing unexpected hardships—including natural disasters, medical emergencies, and other unforeseen circumstances.
Motivating Training Programs
At Inspire, training isn't a compliance exercise—it's an energizing investment in our people. We design learning experiences that are engaging, relevant, and transformative, equipping team members with skills they can apply both professionally and personally. When we recognize excellence and fuel continuous growth, the results are tangible: elevated guest experiences, stronger organizational performance, and accelerated individual careers.
Gamified training programs including Blazin’ Games, Dr. Pepper SONIC Games, Inspire’s International Barista Competition, and JJ’s Training Games elevate skills, recognize team members, and embrace brand culture.
Our Behind the Counter program bridges the gap between corporate strategy and frontline reality by placing support center team members directly into restaurant operations for hands-on shifts. This isn’t observation from the sidelines—participants work actual positions, taking orders, preparing food, managing rushes. The program creates understanding, builds cross-functional relationships, and ensures that every corporate decision is informed by operational truth.
Supporting Education
Through a special program with Southern New Hampshire University, Dunkin’ team members and their families have access to discounted tuition rates.
Through the Cristo Rey Work Study Program, Inspire supports high school students from underrepresented communities with real world, hands on education to help prepare them for college and beyond. Through the program, students gain valuable real-world job skills, contacts, and experience that cannot be replicated in the classroom. Our team members dedicate their time to working directly with students, mentoring and teaching the next generation.
Exemplifying Achiever Behavior
Our team members work hard to develop personal and professional skills to propel their career advancement. Congratulations to the individuals growing with Inspire who are getting it done and having fun doing it.
Michael Alpuin – HR Business Partner, Arby’s
Through Inspire’s partnership with Purdue Global, Michael Alpuin had the opportunity to return to school to pursue a bachelor’s degree in human resource management without paying a penny out of pocket. Through the support of Inspire and Purdue Global’s staff, Michael will complete his second bachelor’s degree in less than 18 months, and it is paying off for his career growth. Within a year of enrolling in the degree program, Michael was promoted from a Talent Acquisition Advisor to an HR Business Partner for Arby’s.
Matt Hannan – District Manager, Jimmy John’s
Matt Hannan started at Jimmy John’s in 2007 as a Delivery Driver, where he went on to become a Shift Manager, Assistant Manager, and General Manager. Each position and market offered an opportunity to develop the way he approached operations, becoming more efficient in building teams, adapting to new environments, and aligning systems and procedures to brand standards along the way. Today, Matt serves as a District Manager across three states.
Kaily Jackson – Assistant Manager, Arby’s
While still in high school, Kaily Jackson joined the Arby’s team with the desire to be cross-trained in every restaurant position. Upon graduation, she met with her District Manager to share her goal of becoming a manager at Arby’s. With her positive attitude and determination, Kaily was promoted to Shift Manager, where she developed critical skills before earning her current position as an Assistant Manager.
Danielle Greer – Restaurant Experience Manager
Starting as a Server at Buffalo Wild Wings in 2012, Danielle Greer quickly discovered a passion for the restaurant industry. Over time, she advanced through the ranks of the sports bar to Certified Training General Manager. While attending a leadership development program in 2023, Danielle gained a deeper understanding of available career opportunities at Inspire and kicked off a new chapter in her career, relocating from North Carolina to pursue a career at the Atlanta Global Support Center as an Operations Integration Associate Manager. She currently serves as Restaurant Experience Manager, supporting the Buffalo Wild Wings brand.
Empowering through Franchising
Inspire is extremely proud to work with more than 2,800 franchisees who bring our brands to life in neighborhoods around the world.
Inspire’s franchisee base is made up of local, regional, and national operators—many of whom have been with Inspire’s brands for several generations. Like Inspire, franchisees are job creators, philanthropists, and long-term investors impacting countless communities, guests, and team members.
Inspire offers competitive franchise opportunities across six brands. Inspire supports franchisee success through best-in-class training and continuous support. Before the ribbon cutting, Inspire equips franchise owners with brand-specific knowledge and robust operational training to ensure they have the skills and confidence needed to own and operate their business. We offer streamlined shared services and industry-leading technology to drive efficiency for all franchisees—whether they own one or one hundred locations.
Advocating for the Franchise Model
Inspire franchise owners play an integral role in the success of our business—amplifying our brands, managing day-to-day operations, and reaching new markets to enable growth. With a vested interest in their success, our Government Affairs team actively advocates for the franchise business model when communicating with government officials.
Our advocacy begins with visibility. We’re proud to share our story with local lawmakers and industry leaders through events such as Open for Opportunity, a collaboration with the International Franchise Association (IFA) that highlights the immense value of franchising. Inspire’s Atlanta Global Support Center hosted six U.S. Members of Congress, franchisees of Inspire, and Inspire executives and team members on May 13th, 2024, prompting the Georgia Governor to declare it “Open for Opportunity Day.” For our franchisees, these experiences extend beyond “Open for Opportunity Day,” and they often welcome local leaders into our restaurants to engage in meaningful conversations, share their experiences and showcase the important role franchisees play in their local communities.
We take every opportunity to recognize and celebrate professional and personal milestones with our franchisees. Once a year, the IFA Franchisee of the Year Awards recognize franchise owners among IFA’s member brands who truly go above and beyond. Nominated by their parent franchisors, award winners are selected based on their contributions to serving their communities, fostering a strong and vibrant workforce, opening the doors for career growth and entrepreneurship, and supporting their fellow franchisees.
Our support for the franchising industry extends beyond our six brands, as evident through our sponsorship of the IFA Ascension program. Inspire serves as a Founding Partner for Franchise Ascension Initiative, an accelerator program that will increase the franchisee talent pipeline by equipping diverse participants with education and hands-on experience, preparing and empowering them to pursue franchise opportunities. Inspire donated $50,000 to kick-off Ascension and remains involved through networking with participants. Since 2024, the first set of graduates have entered the franchise community, and the second set of participants started the accelerator program.
Exemplifying Visionary Behavior
We’re honored to work with the best franchisees in the business who share our passion for bringing our iconic brands to guests around the world. These franchise owners have foresight and imagination to dream big and grow with Inspire.
Third-generation Dunkin’ Franchisee
Anthony D’Amore grew up with Dunkin’—his parents opened one of the first New Jersey Dunkin’ locations in 1968, the same year he was born. Anthony’s first job at his parents’ Dunkin’ was in high school as a Porter. He went on to learn donut finishing and baking skills, later becoming a Shift Leader and then a Manager. Inspired by his parents’ passion and drive, he became a franchise owner in 1997. 22 years later, Anthony’s own son Nicholas became a franchisee, and together the father and son duo own and operate 20 Dunkin’s throughout New Jersey.
Fulfilling the American Dream
For Benny Omid, becoming a Dunkin’ franchisee was his American dream. Benny left Iran when he was just 14, encouraged by his parents to escape a violent revolution and the antisemitism he experienced to pursue a better life in America. His new life began in Massachusetts, where he started working at Dunkin’ by sweeping the parking lot and cleaning bathrooms. The franchise owners welcomed Benny, helping him learn English and inviting him to their home for holidays. Dedicated to learning the kitchen and office operations, Benny received on-the-job training, including a seven-week course for store managers. Just 10 years after he fled Iran, Benny entered a partnership as a franchise owner, and, only 5 years later, he became an independent franchisee. Now he is a busy franchise owner of two locations who is extremely proud of his journey, saying, “I [can] wake up feeling great that I [have] a business.”
Your Seat at the Table
Business Resource Groups
Inspire’s Business Resource Groups (BRGs) are team member-formed and led with a mission to strengthen the leadership skills of their members, provide networking opportunities, and serve as resources to empower individuals. All team members are welcome to join and participate in BRGs.
Black Voices @ Inspire
Offers development opportunities, peer and mentoring education programs, and support for the recruitment of highly qualified talent from an expansive talent pool
Champions of Women Leaders
Strengthens the leadership skills of its members, facilitates networking opportunities, and provides resources that support the needs of women in the workplace
Emerging Leaders
Fosters a community of Inspire team members who are invested in the pursuit of their personal and professional growth
¡Inspirate!
Fosters the cultural richness and professional development of its members, while celebrating a shared heritage and cultivating a supportive environment for the Latino/Hispanic community that contributes to the success of Inspire’s mission
Inspire Pride
Strives to foster a supportive environment for LGBTQ+ team members and allies, while encouraging a wide range of perspectives and ideas throughout Inspire
InspirAsians
Supports and empowers professionals by building a community that fosters growth and promotes leadership
Inspired Vets
Supports veterans of all branches within the armed forces by sharing resources and providing networking opportunities
Memorial Day
The Inspired Vets BRG built an annual tradition of volunteering alongside the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 10822, local law enforcement, and Dunwoody City Council members to place flags on the graves of veterans at North Atlanta Memorial Park for Memorial Day. In 2023, they raised funds at the Inspire Open for Team Red, White & Blue (RWB), a health and wellness community for veterans, and in 2024, team members raised money to support United Through Reading, creating video story-time recordings for military families. The Inspired Vets go beyond commemorative holidays to support our troops year-round by sending thank you cards and food from our brands to deployed troops.
Women’s History Month
Throughout March, team members celebrate Women’s History Month with women-led panels, social events, and our annual #WomenWhoInspire campaign. Led by the Champions of Women Leaders BRG, team members recognize inspirational female colleagues.
Leaders Inspiring Good Citizens
Inspire leaders are committed to serving the industry, their communities, and beyond as we know that visible, meaningful leadership creates a multiplier effect—inspiring colleagues, guests, and neighbors to drive positive change.
Paul Brown, Chief Executive Officer, serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country, managing more than one million patient visits annually whose mission is to make kids better today and healthier tomorrow through more than 60 pediatric specialties and programs, access to top healthcare professionals, and leading research and technology. This leadership aligns with Inspire’s broader partnership with CHOA, including programs with our foundations in addition to volunteering support from Inspire team members. Paul also signed on to No Kid Hungry’s CEO pledge to end summer hunger.
Kate Jaspon, Chief Financial Officer, serves as the Chair of the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) Board of Directors, working alongside other influential industry leaders to cultivate opportunities that accelerate the advancement of women and the entire industry, ensuring a robust talent pool and competitive advantage across all segments of the foodservice industry. Through our partnership, hundreds of Inspire team members have attended events and received support from WFF.
Joel Blanchard, Chief Supply Officer, serves on the board of the Chattahoochee Nature Center, a grassroots environmental learning center in Georgia that touches the lives of more than 150,000 children and adults each year.
Members of Inspire’s leadership team also hold board seats on several impactful community organizations including Big Brothers Big Sister of Metro Atlanta, Impact100 Atlanta, No Kid Hungry DINE, Ron Clark Academy, Scouting America, Women in Restaurant Leadership, and National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
Your Seat
at the
Table
We take pride in being a company that unites distinctive brands, strengthening them through the power of wide-ranging perspectives and experiences to drive our shared vision. Fostering a People First work environment that empowers individuals from all backgrounds is essential to attracting and retaining top talent. By doing so, we support the delivery of exceptional service to our guests, a positive workplace for our team members, and outstanding results for our stakeholders.