Based in Rochester, Minnesota, Steven Joseph Wolfe is a retired investor and former restaurant franchise owner with a real estate, hospitality, and senior living development career. His investment journey began in 2013, and since then, he has developed a diverse portfolio that includes a 118-unit single-family rental community, several short-term vacation rentals, new apartment constructions, two Marriott-branded hotels, and involvement in a medical biotechnology startup.

Steven’s entry into senior living projects started in 2021 with a development in Durango, Colorado, which he and his partners successfully sold in the spring of 2024. They expanded their investment footprint by acquiring seven additional senior living properties in Minnesota and Iowa. His areas of expertise now cover restaurant and franchise operations, real estate, including apartments and hotels, and assisted living and memory care facilities in the senior living sector.

Steven’s earlier career highlights include his Panera Bread franchise owner role, which began in 2000. He developed six Panera Bread locations across southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, managing a workforce exceeding 350 employees. After nearly two decades of ownership, he sold the franchise in 2019.

Running a multi-site franchise required Steven to oversee various responsibilities such as operational management, financial control, employee leadership and development, marketing, and ensuring compliance across all locations. His Panera Bread franchise consistently showed year-over-year sales increases while maintaining the high standards of the Panera brand. Nationally, his franchise ranked among the top five for customer satisfaction.

Staffing and personnel management were critical components of Steven’s leadership. He hired general managers for each store and brought on a district manager to support regional strategy. Managing hundreds of employees, he worked closely with his HR director and accounting team to ensure all hiring and benefits complied with applicable laws. He was known for being a hands-on leader, regularly engaging with staff and customers directly.

Steve Wolfe collaborated with a regional training manager to provide consistent training and development for managerial staff and hourly employees. His management team comprised more than 32 individuals across general, assistant, and shift manager roles. Given the stores’ overnight bakery operations, he also coordinated hiring and training with the bakery manager to produce approximately $360,000 worth of bakery products monthly.

Marketing efforts balanced adherence to Panera Bread’s national brand guidelines with strategies tailored to local markets. Steven worked alongside corporate marketing teams to identify effective tactics for his target customers, contributing to increased sales and store expansion.

Before becoming a franchisee, Steven spent five years as an independent insurance broker after college. Operating on a commission-only basis in the western Chicago suburbs, he consistently ranked among the top five salespeople, selling over $1 million in supplemental insurance. During college summers, he sold educational and Christian books throughout the southern United States, building his resilience, perseverance, and salesmanship skills.

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

Throughout his career, Steven has actively contributed to his community. He volunteered with the Rochester Boys and Girls Club and donated over $300,000 in leftover bakery goods annually through his franchises to local food banks and nonprofits. He supported the Salvation Army’s fundraising events for many years and participated in multiple charitable initiatives. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, attending sporting events and concerts, hiking, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Steven Wolfe’s career illustrates a consistent dedication to business growth, leadership, and community involvement, which has positively impacted his professional and personal endeavors.

Portfolio 1: https://stevenjosephwolfe.com/

Portfolio 2: https://stevenjosephwolfemn.com/