After more than 20 years in hospitality, Guy Clark was used to running a business – just not his own.
Managing busy restaurants with full profit and loss accountability, large teams and a 12-page KPI report landing every Monday, he consistently ranked among the top performers. But the hours meant missing almost everything at home. In April 2024, he launched Kitchen Makeovers Birmingham West and, in just over two years, he has built a trusted team around him, won the national Kitchen Makeover of the Year award and, most importantly, become a constant presence in his family’s life.
A career that came at a cost
Guy started working in hospitality at 17 and the next two decades of evenings, weekends and bank holidays were spent at work. His first Christmas and New Year off came only after he launched his Kitchen Makeovers business, and for 15 years his wife had spent most weekends without him.
“I used to miss everything,” said Guy. “Now I think I’ve probably missed two things since I started the business. That’s the biggest change of all.”
When Guy left his previous role, he had offers on the table from other hospitality groups. But after talking it through with his wife, he knew it was time for something different.
“My older daughter is on the spectrum so she needs just a little extra help and my wife was taking a lot of that on herself,” Guy explained. “I’d essentially worked for myself for 10 years running someone else’s business, with a lot of freedom in how I did things. So my wife said, why don’t you look at a franchise?”
Why Kitchen Makeovers stood out
Kitchen Makeovers has established itself as a leader in a market previously lacking a cost-effective and hassle-free solution. With over 40 franchisees and sophisticated branding, systems and operations, the company has filled a critical gap for homeowners. Their commitment to customer satisfaction is reflected in over 1,000 glowing five-star reviews across reputable online platforms and an impressive average score of 4.9 out of 5 on Trustist. This focus on exceeding expectations is what truly sets Kitchen Makeovers apart from the competition.
Guy knew from the start that he needed a business built around people. “A lot of franchises are quite removed from people and I would have struggled with that,” he said. “I have to be busy – I’m one of those people who stands up to watch TV! I needed something where I could speak to people face to face.”
Kitchen Makeovers was the first franchise he looked at. With experience in commercial kitchen design, team training and restaurant openings behind him, it felt like a natural fit. After an initial meeting with co-founder Will Frankling, Guy spent around three weeks exploring other options, including other kitchen brands, but kept coming back to Kitchen Makeovers.
“Will came across as a really solid guy,” said Guy. “I did my homework on the alternatives but, in the end, I just went for it. I remember thinking, how hard can this be? Let me tell you, it was quite a learning curve – but it’s been worth every bit of it.”
Hospitality skills that transfer
While kitchens were new territory, Guy found that much of what he had learned in hospitality translated directly into running his own business, particularly when it comes to looking after customers.
“Twenty years of dealing with the public definitely helped,” he said. “In hospitality you’re always thinking about the customer journey. With Kitchen Makeovers, that journey is a month or two rather than a couple of hours, but the principle is the same. It’s about giving people reassurance and a personal service, rather than just handing them a price.”
That focus on customer experience runs through every project. Guy aims to be on site on the first day of every job and regularly drops in as work progresses. With a compact territory, he is never more than half an hour from any of his customers.
“I think it’s good for customers to see the person who sold them the kitchen actually turn up and care about how it’s going,” he said. “Is everything OK? Any questions? Brilliant, I’ll see you when it’s done.”
Kitchen Makeovers’ approach of championing exceptional customer service is continuing to reap rewards in a sector that has traditionally delivered below-par customer experience. Through recurring income streams, low overheads, an impressive scope for growth and ongoing development, the opportunity for franchisees is huge.
Learning the trade from the ground up
Guy’s leadership philosophy has always been simple. “I always said to my teams, if you can’t do the job of the person you’re working with, or at least have a meaningful conversation about it, you’re not doing it right,” he said.
So, for his first six months, Guy went out on as many fits as he could, learning the practical side of every project: “It was easy enough to sell a kitchen but I needed to understand the nuances – what can be done, what can’t and what needs to happen in between to get to the finished result. I’m not a wing-it kind of guy. There’s no fake it until you make it with me.”
Kitchen Makeovers attracts both first-time franchisees and seasoned entrepreneurs looking to move with the times, thanks to an impressive infrastructure designed for scalability and a revitalised approach to customer experience in the home improvement sector. Franchisees are encouraged to fully exploit the success they can achieve within their territories by building a local network of expert tradespeople.
Today, Guy works with a team of four subcontracted fitters – three handling installations and one covering remedial work – alongside a plumber and an electrician who have been with him since the very beginning. The whole team shares a WhatsApp group, so they can coordinate directly between themselves, freeing Guy up to focus on generating sales and growing the business.
“It’s become a lot less hands-on for me,” he said. “If something needs doing, they sort it between themselves. But because I spent that time on the tools early on, I can still spot when something isn’t quite right and have that conversation.”
Alongside kitchens, Guy has also started offering flooring and fitted bedrooms, and he plans to join one of his fitters on several media wall projects in January so he can learn the process first-hand.
Award-winning results
That attention to detail was recognised in June 2026, when Guy was named winner of Kitchen Makeover of the Year at the brand’s annual awards. The winning project, near Alcester, used the contemporary shaker-style Richmond door range alongside carefully chosen finishing touches to deliver a premium look while keeping the existing layout.
“My favourite part of the job is the reaction from customers when they see their finished kitchen for the first time,” said Guy. “A kitchen is the heart of the home – being able to transform a space that families use every day is incredibly rewarding.”
Guy is quick to share the credit, particularly with fitter Phil Duggan, who installed the winning kitchen and has been with him since day one, and James Macdonald of JDM Plumbing & Heating, who has handled all of his plumbing and gas work since the business started.
Smarter systems, smarter days
Having been used to detailed business reporting in hospitality, Guy has welcomed the new technology and CRM systems Kitchen Makeovers has introduced for franchisees.
“When I started, everything was on paper and I was filling in a spreadsheet every Monday trying to work out where I was,” he said. “Now it’s all in one place, which takes away a lot of the room for mistakes!”
Guy has also embraced AI to keep on top of a busy schedule. “I’m not a list guy. I’m more of a shove-it-in-my-head-and-see-what-happens kind of guy,” he laughed. “So I’ve set up an AI briefing that emails me every morning with exactly what needs doing that day, so I don’t miss a lead or a job. Now I have a list – and it’s helped me loads.”
A network that has your back
Beyond his own team, Guy has found real value in the wider Kitchen Makeovers franchisee network. When he was starting out, he was put in touch with fellow former hospitality manager Andy Billage, who runs Kitchen Makeovers Stourbridge just down the road, and the pair have become good friends. He also speaks regularly with Greg Fisher, who runs Kitchen Makeovers Worcester and launched in the same week.
“We’ve been through it all together,” said Guy. “If I need something, I can pick up the phone to Andy and he’ll help, and the same the other way round. Whether it’s advice, a favour or just a chat at the end of a long day, it really helps to have people around you who get it.”
Being there for what matters
Running his own business still means hard work. Some days start at 5am loading vans at his storage unit, plus there are evenings and weekends spent catching up on his laptop. The difference now is that Guy decides when.
“Yes, I have long days, but I’m always available if the kids or my wife need me,” he said. “I can move things around – that’s something I could never do before.”
One fixed point in Guy’s week is Thursday afternoon, when he takes his older daughter swimming. “I don’t work after 4pm on a Thursday – that’s a rule,” he said. “Before, it was half an hour if I didn’t run over at work. Now it’s our time, every week, and I’ve never been able to do that before.”
Family holidays have changed too, with an annual two-week break in Wales filled with biking, climbing, theme parks and trips to the zoo with his wife and two adventure-loving daughters.
“I look at my family and I know I’m able to be here for them,” said Guy. “After so many years of missing out, having that time together means everything.”