Pilot of ill-fated flight ‘hardworking,’ ‘generous’

TAMPA, Fla. – Dan Dorsch, the fast-food entrepreneur who died this week when the private plane he was piloting crashed, was known to send employees e-mails at 2 a.m.

He was a hard-working man who demanded as much as he gave, former employees say.

A self-made millionaire, he constantly pushed people to do more at JNE Inc. – his company named for sons Jordan, Nick and Elliott. JNE oversaw Dorsch’s 60,000-square-foot motor sports dealership in Lakeland, Fla., Papa John’s stores spread across six counties and a new wings, burgers and beer restaurant concept he developed called MoJo’s.

Accountants donned aprons and learned to make pizzas. Restaurant managers fixed motorcycles.

“He really wanted people to have an appreciation of what everybody’s job was,” recalled Holly Bennett, a former accounting manager at JNE. “I can tell you I have never worked harder for any organization. Dan was unflinchingly demanding.”

But those who persevered and rose to the challenge were handsomely rewarded with lavish ceremonies where Dorsch and his wife, Cyndie, who also was killed in the crash, handed out plaques. He gave away tickets to Cher and Tina Turner concerts; and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Devil Rays and Lightning games. There were company-paid cruises, cars, even down payments on houses.

“He was a truly giving and generous person who loved to shower people with extravagance, appreciations and in celebrations,” said Bennett, 48, of Clearwater, Fla.

Although she hasn’t worked for Dorsch in nearly a decade, Bennett still cherishes her silver engraved “presidential” award.

“A loss of life of this nature is heart-wrenching,” she said.

On Sunday, Dorsch’s Pilatus PC-12 single-engine plane crashed in Rockbridge County, killing him, his wife and two friends. Dorsch was 56; Cyndie Dorsch, 55.

In the days since the accident, former employees have shared stories of Dorsch’s incredible generosity.

“Worked for Mr. Dorsch over 10 years,” posted a reader on TBO.com, the Tampa Tribune’s Web site. “Working for him is a life experience. He paid for 5 awesome Carnival cruises for me and my wife. … Paid for a couple great trips to Vegas. Rewarded me and my wife with a beautiful memorable week in Jamaica. Rewarded our family with a sizeable down payment on our first home.

“He was a true inspiration in my life and many others.”

Such extravagance was first noted when Dorsch took over as chief executive officer of the debt-laden Checkers Drive-In Restaurants in 1999. He shut down an ineffective toll-free complaint line, saving about $1 million. He used the money instead to reward top-producing managers with Caribbean vacations and cars.

It worked. Checkers rebounded, much to the surprise of the business world, landing Dorsch in Chain Leader magazine in July 2001 as the “turnaround artist.” Two years later, he left unexpectedly. Dorsch told the Tribune he resigned to spend more time with his family.

“Dan and Cyndie were truly wonderful people,” a reader named Shillady posted on TBO.com. “I never realized what a huge impact Mr. Dorsch had on my life until I heard that he was gone. I would have never met my wife and had 4 great sons if it weren’t for the opportunities that Dan had given me.”

Dorsch knew what it was like to work for someone else. He started at the bottom at age 15, sweeping the parking lot and toiling in the kitchen of a Kentucky Fried Chicken. Four years later, he was a franchise partner. At 21, Dorsch owned his own store.

It was the beginning of a brilliant career that would have Dorsch growing his fortune to include more than 1,000 franchises, including KFC, Taco Bell, H-Salt Fish & Chips, ERA Real Estate, Papa John’s Pizza, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha.

Dorsch came to Florida in 1989 to develop the Taco Bell chain, which eventually mushroomed to 93 stores before he sold them in 1993. That year, he opened the Fun Bike Center in Lakeland and his first Papa John’s, eventually amassing 24 of the pizza restaurants by 2007.

Running a business was his life.

“He just loved it,” Bennett said. “It was so much fun for him.”

Sherri Ackerman is a staff writer at the Tampa Tribune. Researcher Buddy Jaudon and reporter Laura Kinsler contributed to this report, which included information from The Ledger in Lakeland, Fla.