About

About Steven Joseph Wolfe

Steven Joseph Wolfe, a retired real estate investor and restaurant franchisee, began investing in 2013. His investments include a 118-unit single-family rental (SFR) housing community, five short-term vacation rentals, new construction apartments, two Marriott hotels, and a medical biotechnology startup. In 2021, he and his partners invested in Steven’s first senior living project in Durango, Colorado, which they sold in the Spring of 2024. Since 2021, he and his partners have also invested in seven additional senior living projects in Minnesota and Iowa as well.

Steven’s expertise is in restaurant and franchise operations, real estate (apartments, hotels, and VRBOs), and, most recently, senior living areas with assisted living and memory care facilities.

A Notable Career as a Panera Bread Franchisee

In 2000, Steven became a franchise owner/operator of Panera Bread, building six franchise locations in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. He built and developed a franchise with more than six cafes in two states and more than 350 employees. He sold his franchise in 2019.

His numerous responsibilities as franchise owner included operations and financial oversight, leadership, management, employee development, marketing, and multi-site management. He consistently achieved year-over-year sales growth while maintaining the quality of the brand. His franchise was in the top five of all national Panera Franchisees in customer satisfaction surveys.

Steven designed and staffed an effective personnel plan, hiring and retaining general managers for each of the six locations; in addition to bringing on board a district manager to assist in strategic planning for the region, he oversaw and managed hundreds of employees, working with both his HR director and his accountant to ensure all hiring actions, benefits, and employee plans complied with local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Steven took great pride in being a visible leader ready to jump in and help serve, greet customers at the store, and connect with employees and the thousands of customers who came through the doors. 

He also oversaw and worked with his regional training manager to ensure consistent training for the onboarding and retention of managers and hourly associates. His management team included salaried general and assistant managers as well as hourly shift managers. The total management team included more than 32 managers. His Panera stores had overnight bakers, and, as a result, Steven also worked with his regional bakery manager to oversee the hiring, training, and successful production of $360k in bakery and bread products every month.

His marketing responsibilities included maintaining the Panera Bread national brand while also considering the local market. He successfully identified a winning approach for the local market by working collaboratively with national corporate marketing staff and isolating effective strategies for the target audience. The results of his efforts were evident in the growth of sales and the expansion of new stores in the region.

Steven opened all six locations from the ground up, continually achieving year-over-year sales growth throughout his ownership and operation of the franchise. In this process, he engaged in all facets of store operations: managing the physical properties, hiring and managing the staff, working in the stores to ensure quality control, coordinating with local property and zoning offices, and maintaining relationships with the national corporate entities. One of the things Steven was most proud of was that he consistently was one of the franchise leaders in the company nationally in terms of the retention of his managers. His 32 managers at Panera had a combined 300+ years of experience working with Panera at the time he sold his franchise.

His Early Career as an Insurance Broker

After graduating from university, Steven Wolfe sold insurance for five years as an independent sales broker for Family Heritage Life, primarily in the western suburbs of Chicago. He was paid 100% commission and made the top five in sales for each year he was an insurance broker, selling more than $1 million in supplemental insurance coverage.

During the summers while in college, Steven sold educational and Christian books. He worked more than 80-plus hours a week and was paid on commission only. He finished in the top 100 sales representatives (out of 3,000 college students) in three of the four summers, honing his cold-calling skills and learning about resilience and perseverance. He spent four summers in South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Alabama. He got to experience living in a different part of the country and was able to meet thousands of families every summer. Through selling books, Steven learned how to deal with rejection, be resilient in the face of everyday adversaries, and persevere to develop his strong work ethic.

His Education

Steven grew up the sixth of ten children in Davenport, Iowa, and graduated from Assumption High School in 1988. He received his Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Business Management and a minor in History from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, in 1992. 

The Importance of Volunteer Work in Steven’s Life

Steven Joseph Wolfe has volunteered for various organizations throughout his life. This includes serving as an active volunteer in the Chair Affair Fundraising event for the Rochester Boys and Girls Club, where he donated his time and auction items.

Through his six Panera franchise locations, he has donated more than $300,000 annually in leftover bread and bakery products to local nonprofits and food banks in their local communities.

As a Panera Bread franchise owner, Steven also sponsored the Salvation Army’s “Taste of the Town” in Rochester for 15 years. This event raises money to support the Salvation Army’s mission of providing support for underserved communities, from housing to medical and dental care and stocking a family’s pantry. Steven also partnered with the Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving Turkey Trot fundraiser race for seven years.

In addition, he participated in the Backpacks for Kids program at the Autumn Ridge Church and supported and volunteered with Next Chapter Ministries. He has also served on the board of PossAbilities, which helps individuals with disabilities. Steven had hired, trained, and worked with numerous PossAbilities employees during his 20+ year tenure.

Steven’s Additional Community Engagement Highlights:

  • Honor Flight Initiative: Over $60,000 raised by a Panera Franchise to enable WWII veterans from Minnesota and Wisconsin to visit the WWII Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
  • Hurricane Katrina Relief: $10,000 was raised towards the purchase of a replacement vehicle for a New Orleans taxi driver who lost their vehicle during Hurricane Katrina.
  • Support for Local Youth: 400 weekly bag lunches provided to the Rochester Boys & Girls Club during building renovations, aiding in evening meals for children.
  • High School Support:
    • Time and food resources were donated for various high school events, including Homeless Awareness activities, mental health fundraising walks, and Homecoming and Prom events.
    • Participated as a judge in providing feedback at local high school DECA competitions.
    • Talks delivered on entrepreneurship to high school and university business classes, sharing insights on running a business.

His Diverse Interests

Steven enjoys riding his road bike, attending sporting events and concerts, and watching movies in his spare time. He also enjoys spending time with his family and friends, hiking, and visiting state and national parks.

Steven Joseph Wolfe Headshot

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Steven Joseph Wolfe