A Winning Franchise Opportunity with Walk-On's

The Opportunity
With strong AUVs and a brand that’s gaining momentum, it was a perfect time to capture interest and expand the Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux franchise system. Prospective owners are looking for concepts that balance financial strength with a fantastic experience, and this brand delivers both. Highlighting the growth potential alongside the energy and authenticity of the culture made the opportunity not just compelling, but irresistible.

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Our Approach
Rather than leading with numbers alone, we showcase the franchisee experience. What it feels like to be part of the brand, to serve guests and to build a business backed by a proven system. By weaving financial performance with real stories of ownership, we create communications that are both credible and inspiring. The result is a sales message that appeals to the head and the heart, building confidence while sparking excitement about joining the brand.

FORE! Hitting a Hole In One at a PGA Event 

Opportunity
Walk-On’s Development team sponsored the Zurich Classic and asked Small Potatoes to create invitations and event décor that would capture attention and elevate the brand.

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Our Approach
We designed every element to tell a clear story about the value of becoming a Walk-On’s franchisee. It blended event materials with brand messaging to ensure guests not only enjoyed the experience but also understood the opportunity of joining the team.

Sharing the Stage with Our Clients at Meeting of the Minds Monterey

Opportunity
The California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) asked us to develop, design and co-present their 2023 Meeting of the Minds presentation on the EmployABILITY Business Grant.

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Our Approach
We drew on our knowledge of the grant’s purpose, impact and success plus our presentation expertise to create a concept highlighting its value to small businesses, individuals with disabilities, and the broader California workforce. After pitching and refining the approach with DOR, we developed content, designed the deck and coached on delivery. In September 2023, our team joined DOR in Monterey to co-present the session to attendees.

Brand and Social Media Campaign: “I work because DOR works”

Opportunity
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which celebrates the skills and talent people with disabilities bring to the workforce. California’s Department of Rehabilitation wanted a year-round campaign to honor these contributions. With the theme “I Work Because DOR Works” in place, our task was to design a logo and supporting materials to bring the message to life.
 

Our Approach
We developed three logo concepts aligned with the campaign and DOR’s brand identity, then refined the chosen design to emphasize clarity and accessibility. The final logo kit included primary and secondary logos, a brandmark, and a brand pattern. To extend the campaign, we created social media templates that empowered DOR to share the message consistently with their own photos and content.

Drafting a Winning Franchise Sales Deck

Opportunity
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, known for bringing food, fun, family and sports to every new location, asked us to elevate their franchisee sales pitch with a striking new deck designed to attract the right team players.
 

Our Approach
With an inspiring story rooted in LSU and a proven track record as ESPN’s #1 Sports Bar in America, Walk-On’s had a strong foundation. We built on it by interviewing the Development team, highlighting what makes Walk-On’s a winning investmentand weaving in a game-day mentality throughout the content and design. The result: a powerful sales tool that invites new franchisees to join the roster — and a brand we’ll keep cheering for.

Papa Johns Heritage Month Celebrations

Opportunity
Papa Johns is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, recognizing DEI as both a cultural value and a competitive advantage. As part of this commitment, the brand celebrates heritage months throughout the year. Small Potatoes Communications was asked to create graphics that honored each culture while staying true to the Papa Johns brand.

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Our Approach
We began with research to understand each heritage being celebrated — from history and traditions to colors, symbols and imagery. Those insights informed design choices in palette, iconography and typography, ensuring each set of graphics was both culturally respectful and brand-aligned. The final deliverables reflected Papa Johns’ DEI commitment while celebrating the diversity of its employees, customers and partners.

New HQ? No Problem: Krispy Krunchy Chicken Window Cover Design

Opportunity
Krispy Krunchy Chicken was opening a new corporate headquarters and needed five large window covers that would be eye-catching, showcase their food and reflect the playful KKC brand — while making it clear this was a headquarters, not a restaurant.

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Our Approach
We brainstormed lighthearted taglines and paired them with bold design concepts that mixed colorful illustrations and food photography. Through close collaboration with KKC, the designs evolved into a photography-driven aesthetic that incorporated the brand’s graphic elements, delivering a fun, welcoming look true to KKC’s personality.

Celebrating EmployABILTY Business Grant Recipients at Palm Springs Event

Opportunity
After awarding all 33 EmployABILITY Business Grants, the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) asked us to spotlight and celebrate the small business recipients. One initiative was an event featuring two Palm Springs-based EmployABILITY Champions.

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Our Approach
We interviewed the recipients — Roadrunner Print & Ship and Frisky Business Cat Café — and explored the Palm Springs small business community to understand its connections with local government, nonprofits and residents. From there, we planned a celebration event highlighting how both businesses were using their grant funds to create community impact. We developed accessible posters, a social media campaign and press kits to extend the reach. The EmployABILITY Champions of Palm Springs Celebration drew more than 40 attendees, including business owners, city officials, state leaders and  representatives from Governor Gavin Newsom’s office — generating meaningful recognition and media interest.

Creating Meaningful Executive Communications

Opportunity
The client wanted support with executive messages that honored holidays in a way that felt fresh, sincere and aligned with the company’s values and voice.

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Our Approach
We developed email content that was readable, meaningful and tied each holiday back to company values. To match the executive’s voice, we reviewed past messages, studied the company’s style and researched each holiday for unique facts and quotes. Early drafts were refined with client feedback until the tone was a perfect fit — resulting in authentic, engaging communications employees looked forward to receiving.

Open Enrollment and Employee Benefits Communications for Valued Team Members

Opportunity
Each year, Papa Johns’ ~16,000 employees across corporate offices, restaurants, and the field participate in open enrollment. Clear and accessible benefits communications are critical to ensure team members understand their options and make informed decisions for themselves and their families. Papa Johns turned to Small Potatoes Communications to deliver detailed yet easy-to-follow communications to support this process.
 

Our Approach
We designed a multi-channel strategy — spanning email, the company intranet, printed materials and information sessions — to make benefits information clear, engaging and accessible to all employees. Content highlighted key options, changes, and processes in a way that was user-friendly and easy to act on. By pairing clear messaging with consistent evaluation and feedback, we helped Papa Johns empower employees to confidently choose benefits that support their health, well-being and future.

Using Social Media to Expand Awareness of the EmployABILITY Business Grant

Opportunity
The California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) asked us to create fresh, eye-catching and informative social media content to spotlight the EmployABILITY Business Grant and its recipients.

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Our Approach
We developed graphics and captions highlighting the grant’s benefits and the business value of hiring individuals with disabilities. Once recipients were announced, the campaign shifted to showcase how small businesses were using funds to grow and create jobs. By refreshing DOR’s brand elements and prioritizing accessibility, we built a campaign that stood out and connected with a broad California audience — generating more than 250 applications and 600 inquiries.

CKE Restaurants Employee Town Hall

Opportunity
CKE Restaurants needed a memorable employee town hall to introduce their new CEO and set the stage for the company’s future.

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Our Approach
We created a compelling presentation that paired key facts with dynamic visuals, ensuring employees not only absorbed the information but also felt energized about what’s ahead. The result was a clear, engaging experience that built excitement and confidence in the company’s direction.

Employee Engagement Survey Support

Opportunity
Papa Johns wanted to maximize participation in its employee engagement survey — ensuring team members across restaurants, corporate offices and the field felt informed, encouraged and motivated to share their feedback.

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Our Approach
We built a communications strategy focused on awareness and excitement. Through clear, engaging messages and creative campaign elements, we highlighted the importance of every employee’s voice and made the survey feel simple, accessible and worthwhile. The result: stronger participation and a culture of feedback that reinforced Papa Johns’ commitment to listening to and supporting its people.

Employee Engagement Survey Support

Opportunity
When a client faced a leadership gap, Small Potatoes stepped in as interim head of internal communications to provide stability and continuity during the transition.

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Our Approach
We focused on strengthening the team, building a clear communications strategy and offering steady support while the search for a new leader was underway ensuring continued momentum, alignment and communications effectiveness.

Awards Nominations Support

Opportunity
A healthcare provider wanted to recognize and elevate its direct service staff through industry awards. Small Potatoes was asked to support the submission process to showcase the incredible impact of these employees.

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Our Approach
We ensured that compelling content highlighting the tremendous work staff members do to enhance lives every day was shared with the nominations committee. By telling their stories with clarity and care, we helped ensure many deserving service providers were celebrated.