From the wrestling mat to restaurant management, Agricultural & Resource Economics (AREC) graduate Charles “Mookie” Golden ’10 knows every inch of the business, because he’s seen it first hand as he rose through the ranks of the popular sub shop, Jersey Mike’s.
“In college, I became friends with a family who was involved in the Domino’s Pizza franchise,” said Golden. “Through that connection, I was given advice to start off at the bottom of any restaurant that you work for. Begin as a crew member, learn it, become an assistant manager, then a general manager, and be the best operator in the country and learn the business thoroughly before you ever own a business.”
And start at the bottom, he did. Golden began his journey in the fast-casual sandwich world as a crew member, learning the day to day of the restaurant. He made sandwiches, cleaned up after customers, and stuck to the grind. He was then promoted to general manager and ran multiple locations for three years. In 2015, he signed a franchise agreement for five locations in southwest Virginia and opened his first store the following year.
Fifteen years after starting with the company, he is now a franchisee, who has helped launch forty-five stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Golden has also become a believer in the power of mentorship, an aspect he believes was instrumental in his success.
“I think the key to my success has always been the mentorship I received and those experiences that I can share with others,” said Golden. “I had that in business, and I also had that on the wrestling mat.”
Some business mentors for Golden included a family friend and restaurant franchisee with McDonald’s, who helped demonstrate that Black business owners can be successful, and AREC professor Bob Chambers, who provided him with a strong mindset for production economics. Golden credits both his sports career and economics background as key to his resilience in the workplace.
As a wrestler at UMD, Golden said those years on the mat prepared him for any challenges ahead. “Being a student athlete, I think it really prepares you to do hard things,” said Golden. “And when it gets tough, you have to keep moving forward. Economics can be challenging, too. A lot of people don’t like economics because it’s hard. But it teaches you to use your brain in a different way: to conceptualize and to be an entrepreneur.”
Now a successful leader with Jersey Mike’s, Golden applies many of his talents as a “culture coach” to help employees by creating a positive work environment.
One particular employee he was able to inspire was an individual named Dominic, a recruit of Golden’s. Reaching an inflection point in his life, Dominic was at a crossroads of joining the military or continuing to work with Golden with hopes of becoming a franchisee. Ultimately, Dominic decided to stay under Golden’s guidance and eventually opened his first location. Through their collaborative partnership, he now owns eight Jersey Mike’s locations.
Despite all of his accomplishments, Golden never forgets how he started from the bottom and climbed to the top, allowing him to make an impact on others’ lives.
“I’m a firm believer that one of the reasons why we’ve been so successful as a company is because we really get to know our workers and people in our community,” said Golden. “I’ve always had the capacity to run a store and always wanted to be a franchisee, but the best leaders understand what their employees go through on a daily basis, and that creates a better experience for our customers as well.”
And when offering advice to future Terp entrepreneurs, he draws from the wisdom that helped guide his own path.
“You have to always try to be cutting edge while looking to others for help,” said Golden. “There’s no golden ticket to success, but you can learn along the way.”
by Andrew Muir
