The Quiet Architect Behind One of the Most Disruptive Franchise Plays in Sports
How Joe Johnson turned a low-key friendships into a high-impact business model—and why it might just change the game for athlete investors."
Joe Johnson doesn’t crave the spotlight. He builds in the background—quiet, methodical, and committed. As President of Disrupt Foods and a partner in Malcolm Inc., he’s helped scale our franchise holdings from a single pizza franchise to 28 restaurants and counting. But more than that, he’s helped define how we build: with discipline, trust, and a deep commitment to community.
We sat down for a long overdue conversation about legacy, boring businesses, and what it looks like to intentionally grow with your people.
How he got here:
Joe didn’t set out to become a food & beverage entrepreneur. He was planning to be a lawyer. It wasn’t until he took an elective course in college, Wealth in the African American Community, that everything changed. “That class flipped everything,” Joe said. “I had no meaningful understanding of ownership or capital until then.”
Instead of law school, he took a job in tech, then moved into big-box retail, where he cut his teeth on leadership and operations. Along the way, he became obsessed with franchising, inspired by the legacies of Junior Bridgeman and Magic Johnson. “I didn’t have the capital or experience yet,” he told me, “so I had to go get it.”
Friends in business:
Joe and I met in college. He was dating my best friend since kindergarten— now his wife, Ralonda. Over time, we built our own bond. We’ve invested in that relationship intentionally, just like we’ve invested in our businesses.
What makes it work? “Everyone plays their role,” Joe said. “We don’t compete for the same lanes. We master our own.”
On building Disrupt Foods:
Disrupt Foods exists to build impact-driven QSR businesses. Not to be the biggest. Not to make the most money. But to do it differently. “We want to disrupt a legacy industry,” Joe said. “And we do that through how we treat people, how we operate, and how we invest in the community.”
In Newark, that means running a leadership academy for high school students in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club. Teaching them marketing, operations, and business strategy. Helping them organize fundraisers—like the one they’re planning now to break the Guinness World Record for the largest pizza party.
On what athletes get wrong about franchising:
“A lot of guys think it’s passive,” Joe said. “But it’s not. This is a people-intensive, capital-intensive business. If you’re not showing up with operational discipline, it’s going to eat you alive.”
That’s why we started Athlete Franchise Partners—to pair capital with real infrastructure and education. Because the opportunity is massive, especially for local heroes. But the learning curve is real.
On legacy:
Joe’s not in it for clout. He’s in it for continuity. “Legacy isn’t about how many stores we own,” he said. “It’s about who we bring along. How many people we helped get in the game.”
We’ve built our company with friends. With family. With intention. And while Joe might not say it himself, I will: he’s a quiet custodian of an old model for Black wealth. The kind that scales. The kind that sustains. The kind that lasts.
Let’s Talk
If you’re an athlete (current or former) exploring franchise ownership, do it with the right partners, infrastructure, and mindset. DM me or drop a note here if you’d like to learn more about Disrupt Foods and Athlete Franchise Partners. We are committed to making sure as many of us win in this space as possible.