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How a McDonald's Owner-Operator Almost Lost the Deal That Made His Career
Lanny Sumpter was recruited into McDonald's franchising with no family history in business and no hands-on experience running one. What he had instead was a Kelly+Partners FRS advisor pushing him toward deals he almost passed on.
Year It All Began
Lanny bought his first Lakeland stores in 1996 and has been growing there ever since.
Stores Sold
Lanny sold four Tampa stores before buying two in Lakeland.
Trusted Advisors
Lanny has worked with both Claudia Straw and Anna Herron at Kelly+Partners FRS.
Client Description
Early in his time as a franchisee, Lanny was introduced to Claudia Straw, who was just starting her own career with her CPA license at the time. The two connected immediately — Lanny describes her as candid, upfront, and deeply knowledgeable about the McDonald's system, exactly the kind of partner he needed as he built his business in Lakeland after selling four stores in Tampa and buying two in Lakeland in 1996.
The Challenge
Buying additional stores comes with real financial strain — cash flow ratios and financial scores often take a hit when a franchisee borrows to grow. Lanny needed guidance not just on managing that impact, but on recovering from it, a conversation he's had as recently as with his current accountant, Anna Herron.
Beyond the numbers, Lanny also faced a harder challenge: trusting his own judgment on deals. More than once, he evaluated an offer and didn't see the value in it — only to have his accountant push him to reconsider.
"She said, 'No, no, no — this is a deal you want to do.' And I'm like, really? I'm not seeing it. She said, 'Trust me.' Turns out they were right."
— Lanny Sumpter, McDonald's Owner-Operator, Lakeland, FL
The Kelly+Partners Approach
Every offer Lanny received, he brought to his accountant — they'd each evaluate it independently, then compare notes to understand where and why their views differed. That process paid off in ways Lanny didn't always expect: several times, his accountant saw value in a deal he was ready to walk away from, and pushed him to reconsider. Every time, she was right.
That trust has run deep enough that Lanny has personally referred friends and fellow franchisees to Kelly+Partners FRS over the years — several of whom switched accountants specifically because of Claudia's reputation and expertise. Word spread, and Lanny says he's since seen the firm grow into working with a large number of McDonald's franchisees, something he considers a genuinely good thing for the McDonald's franchise system.
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