On February 17th, the Indo-US Chamber of Commerce met at the HCI group to hear from Vik Patel, franchise owner of Dunkin’ Donuts and CEO of Purple Square Management. Originally from England, Vik started working in New Jersey as a manager at a trust bank in the mortgage industry. Then he decided to make some big changes in his career.

Vik spoke about his journey with Dunkin’ Donuts and how he came to be one of the largest franchise owners in Tampa Bay. He talked about the struggles he faced when he and his wife first started. He said that there was a time when he had to use his own personal savings to make sure that every one of his employees got paid during the recession of 2008. Eventually, his businesses took off again and he is now looking not only to open more Dunkin’ Donuts stores, but to expand his horizons with the openings of The Brass Tap stores here in Tampa and in South Carolina.

Vik Patel is a passionate businessman who is not afraid to take on new challenges. He believes that hard work and a good attitude can take you in the world of business. He is proud of his Dunkin’ Donuts family and always takes care of the people he has working for him. One of his employees who started at minimum wage excelled so rapidly that Vik has now put him in charge of a handful of stores. It’s success stories like that that inspire Vik to press on.

Mr. Patel also believes in donating and giving back and he has inspired his employees to give back as well. All the charity and donations Vik’s stores raise goes to causes of the employee’s choice. Vik Patel is grateful for the opportunities he has been given and looks forward to enjoying his success with his family and colleagues in this future.