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Remodeling franchise steps up to help Illinois teens as part of giving back to the communities DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen franchises serve

Tim-Bucci-DM Chef Timothy Bucci, center, from the culinary arts program at Joliet Junior College, and a student conduct a culinary class for The Bridge Teen Center using the working kitchen at DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen in Orland Park.

Sometimes, the support DreamMaker franchisees provide to the communities they serve extends beyond their customer base. As DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen continues to experience double-digit growth, our independently owned and operated franchises are still making time to assist those in need.

For the past five years, The Bridge Teen Center in Orland Park, Illinois, has provided a safe place for teens to meet and hang out with their peers. The center, led by Rob and Priscilla Steinmetz, offers free after-school programs that include a culinary class. Unfortunately, the center was limited in kitchen equipment — they had only a small cart and a hot plate — until owners of the area’s DreamMaker remodeling franchise stepped in.

Denise and Glen Borkowski offered the teen center access to the fully functional kitchen that’s part of their franchise’s design center. In true DreamMaker spirit, the Borkowskis went one step further, offering to help build the teen center a kitchen of its own as part of the center’s expansion. Their gesture is helping transform the teen center’s culinary classes into something truly extraordinary.

Glen Borkowski DreamMaker franchise owners Glen and Denise Borkowski granted The Bridge Teen Center access to their own design center kitchen so the teens can attend cooking classes in a fully functioning kitchen.

Communities benefit from DreamMaker’s presence

"One of our first tenets is we believe in superior service to our customers, our community, and to each other as members of the DreamMaker team,” Denise says. “As we were able to build out our design center, it was always our intention to have a working kitchen to offer to local groups for demos and meetings.”

The Borkowskis partnered with other businesses to help create the The Bridge Teen Center’s new kitchen. When it is complete, the new kitchen space will accommodate about 12 students, compared to the current classes that only allow eight to 10 attendees.

"Since The Bridge is a not-for-profit and a terrific community resource, Glen called in a few favors and asked for discounts on goods and services from our vendors," Denise says.

The Borkowskis’ efforts help The Bridge Teen Center remain a safe haven for teens and will help those teens acquire skills they can use throughout their lives.

"We want The Bridge to be a safe place where kids have a place not just to BE but to BECOME," Rob says. DreamMaker is helping The Bridge Teen Center fulfill that wish.

A smart franchise option for remodelers

Much like the support our franchisees are able to provide to their respective communities, the DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen franchise company provides support and training for our franchisees. The remodeling industry is growing quickly, and DreamMaker provides remodelers with systems and tools to help capture the demand.

Our close-knit family of franchisees helps one another improve their businesses by sharing tips and advice on day-to-day operations and on how to attract (and keep) customers. DreamMaker's systems help remodelers grow an impressive business without suffering burnout.

“We’ve helped existing remodelers take their operations to the next level by providing training and systems to run a stronger remodeling business,” says DreamMaker President and Chief Stewarding Officer Doug Dwyer. “Those same systems and resources have helped entrepreneurs launch brand new remodeling businesses that are among DreamMaker's top performers.”

“A big draw for me joining DreamMaker was to have a business that did not entirely rely on me personally,” says Steve Miller, a DreamMaker franchise owner in Mansfield, Ohio. “I want to work, but I don’t want to have to work constantly — I want to be able to put in 40 to 50 hours a week. The previous 10 years had been a lot more 70-hour weeks, and I was on the verge of burnout before I joined DreamMaker and started using its systems.”

DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen is a remodeling franchise that helps entrepreneurs and remodelers earn strong financial numbers while having a focus on improving their quality of life. Our franchise owners enjoy much stronger margins than most remodelers — and their customers report much, much higher satisfaction. DreamMaker's business practices are guided by biblical principles of service, respect, and integrity — and they are key to our success.

Learn more about DreamMaker

For in-depth details about the DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen franchise opportunity, download our free franchise report. You can also learn more by visiting our research pages.

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