Aerial view of a small American town with tree-lined streets, colorful autumn foliage, historic buildings, and an American flag in the foreground.

WHO WE ARE

Fifth and Broad Partners was founded to carry forward the values that began with Dave Thomas at the original Wendy’s restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. We are a next-generation restaurant platform led by Sean Thomas, Dave’s grandson, and a team of industry-leading operators, builders, and brand stewards.

We’re not just franchisees—we’re founders. And we bring deep experience scaling emerging restaurant concepts with a commitment to quality, people, and purpose.

Rooted in History

The Fifth & Broad name pays homage to the iconic location where Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy's restaurant. It’s where the commitment to quality, integrity, and hospitality was first put into action—and it’s the foundation that continues to guide how we lead and operate today.

We’re operators who’ve been in the trenches—building, scaling, and leading restaurant brands firsthand. That experience shapes how we make decisions, solve problems, and support the teams that power our business every day.

Led by Founders

A platform built for sustained growth, with operational excellence and brand stewardship at the center of everything we do. We take a long-term view—investing in systems, people, and performance to build something enduring.

Built to Scale

OUR TEAM

SEAN THOMAS

Sean Thomas is a Founding Partner of Fifth & Broad Partners and Co-Founder of Minnie Bird. His roots in the food industry run deep—his grandfather founded Wendy’s, inspiring a lifelong passion for hospitality and restaurant operations. Sean brings years of experience across all segments of the industry, including QSR, fast casual, and full-service dining.

Previously, he served as Co-Founder and COO of Sipp Brands, a nationally recognized wine company. Sean holds a degree from Auburn University and earned his Culinary Arts diploma from Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago.
FRANKLIN BUCHANAN

Franklin is the co-founder of Venture Kitchen, Taqueria INVICTO, and nonprofit One Feeds Two USA. He is also a board member and partner at Blackwood BBQ and NaanSense. Formerly the COO of Naf Naf Grill he held accountability for profitability, infrastructure, and operational excellence. With a focus on strategy, operations, and branding he executed a strategy that grew the company from 3 – 38 locations across 7 states and from 25 employees to over 700. Franklin is a graduate of Tulane University and Vanderbilt University Law School.
STEPHANIE SIMPSON

Stephanie is one of the founding partners of Blackwood BBQ and a board member. Previously the Head of Operations & Marketing for PerkSpot/Spotlite - two industry leading technology brands - one that they grew and sold to United Healthcare and the other to Susquehanna Growth Equity. Prior to that, Stephanie spent ten years at Kraft foods, running iconic brands, such as Kraft Jell-o and A-1. Stephanie has a BBA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
DAVID SLOAN

David Sloan is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Venture Kitchen, a creator and accelerator of innovative restaurant chains. He is a Board Member and Managing Partner of fast casual concepts Blackwood BBQ, NaanSense, and INVICTO. David is also the former CEO of Roark Capital Group’s Naf Naf Grill. David was ranked in Nation’s Restaurant News “Power 50” as one of the leading restaurateurs in America and led the company to win Nation’s Restaurant News 2016 Hottest Concept Award. David graduated from Austin Peay University and has his MBA from Loyola University Chicago.
BRAD BLANKENSHIP

OPERATING PARTNER
Brad is a 2nd Generation Wendy’s franchisee and member of Fifth & Broad Partners. With over 14 years in the Wendy’s System, he brings knowledge and experience in operating quick service restaurants at a high level. He was an original member of the Wendy’s Next Gen sub-committee and served time on the WFA Operations committee. Brad has a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University.