Joe Giannino, DDIFO Government Relations Specialist
Joseph A. Giannino is the principal and founder of Government Relations Group (GRG), which is based in Boston. Joe serves the DDIFO as the organization’s government relations specialist.
According to DDIFO President Jim Coen, Joe’s expertise helps ensure the interests of Dunkin Donuts franchise owners are protected and enhanced at the legislative and regulatory levels. With more than 20 years of service in government, as well as experience as a small business owner, Joe brings firsthand knowledge and expertise that provide a unique and indispensable perspective together with a myriad of valuable contacts.
Before entering the private sector, Joe spent many years working in government. He served as Legislative Director to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and worked alongside the former Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran. Joe also worked as the Director of Government Relations and Educator Licensure for the Massachusetts Department of Education. In addition, he was elected to two terms as a City Councilor-At-Large for the city of Revere and served as an elected member of Revere’s School Committee for six consecutive years.
In his role with the DDIFO, Joe is making sure that legislators at the state and federal levels understand that Dunkin’ shops are not company stores operated by the Brand; rather they are 100 percent owned and operated by independent franchise owners. At the same time, Joe is communicating important legislative and regulatory information to the DDIFO Board and membership.
Through Joe’s advocacy, lawmakers and policy-setters are coming to realize how vital a role Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owners play in their communities not just economically but also often on a communal level in terms of supporting local activities and charitable organizations. On Beacon Hill, Joe is spreading the word with legislators statewide that because they are small business owners, Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees are essential to the Massachusetts business landscape and they deserve a voice in the decisions impacting their business operations.
With Joe on the DDIFO Team the organization can be more proactive and vigorously involved in legislative and regulatory issues. He works collaboratively with DDIFO President Jim Coen, DDIFO Board members and Robert Branca, Jr. a Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owner who leads the DDIFO’s government relations initiative. Joe is working to ensure that the DDIFO is an active participant in important processes, whether seeking to amend or dispense with legislation and regulations that are detrimental to franchise owners or seeking to file new legislation and regulations that could be beneficial. Joe’s experience allows him to effectively advise the DDIFO and help the organization navigate the system.
“Allowing franchise owners and operators to have their voices heard by decision makers is extremely important,” said Joe, “especially when it comes to legislation and regulations that result in additional costs and operational hardships being borne by these small business owners, not the franchisor.”
Joe said that he cannot stress enough how vital it is to have the franchise owner’s voice present in political meetings to provide legislators with a spot on, bona fide understanding of how issues impact these small business owners. He cited a recent meeting with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) at which Rob Branca presented testimony related to the impact DPH proposed menu labeling regulations would have on fellow franchise owners. Joe said Rob’s presence put a face to the franchise owners and emphasized how a one-size-fits-all approach to menu labeling simply does not work.
“I feel privileged to be able to advocate on behalf of Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owners,” said Joe. “I am grateful to Jim Coen and the DDIFO Board for having the confidence in me to play this role and for giving me the opportunity to do this important work.”
Joe was instrumental in arranging this meeting. We were the only outside group in several weeks that were hosted by the Department. These officials were in the midst of the twin crises of the then newly announced Swine Flu panic (with attendant news media hysteria mobbing their offices) and the state budget process that was an exercise in how rapidly the Department’s funding could be cut from hour to hour.
Due specifically to Joe’s efforts, we secured a private meeting of nearly two hours. We invited Dunkin’ Brands to participate to amplify our joined voices. We were pleased that Steve Caldeira immediately agreed to participate and had Cicely Simpson fly in from Washingon. D.C. to attend. Cicely briefed the BPH on the progerss of federal legislation that will pre-empt state laws and what we franchisees and the franchisor as a Brand believe is best: a unifed, nationwide standard for menu information instead of a bewildering pachwork of different state and city rules.
While I spent the most time talking, it was a truly united front presented to advance our cause. What stood out the most to me were the comments from Department officials such as “I had no idea,” or “How could we know that it cost that much for a shop?”
Through this effort we were able to have government officials focus on the process we as small business owners must undergo to comply with these regulations, the costs associated with them, the conflict with other laws that compliance would bring, and the detrimental effect on our employees and other unintended consequences which are obvious to us, but completely unkown to them.
The other striking element of the meeting was the BPH surprise at our determination as a Brand to provide ALL nutritional information to consumers and our command of the relevant information and ability to better provide for proper decisionmaking in dining choices than their own proposed regulation allowed. The Department officials were appreciative of our desire to provide information in a MORE meaningful way to our guests than a simple number posted on a menuboard would impart. Tthey seemed of the opinion that our biggest concern was loss of doughnut sales. I believe that we succeeded in correcting that misperception.
Joe has helped us realize what an important role we can have in shaping our own destinies as franchisees, and how receptive and welcoming government regualtors are to our voices. We are long overdue to this mission. Even Dunkin’ Brands has waited too long to join in this most important endeavor. We must each make the decision to participate, whether simply by directing political contributions or writing lteerts (even having them generated FOR you through the CFA Votes website when Jim Coen sends you a Legislative Alert), or attending hearings and making your voice count.
I urge all franchisees to make government work for us, and not continue to do things to us. Legislation that is helpful to our position at a pre-emptive federal level is proceeding (known as the LEAN Act), but is being countered with a harmful law of the same power (known as the MEAL Act) that presently has more co-sponsors.
Please, make all efforts to advance our mutual interests.