Ashley Morris is CEO of Capriotti’s, which has 160 sandwich shops nationwide with plans to have as many as 500 by 2025. He and college roommate Jason Smylie were devoted customers of the shop during their time at UNLV, and they opened a franchise together five years after graduation. Before long, they bought the company.
Any recent news or updates you want to share?
Along with my 10-year wedding anniversary, my wife and I will be celebrating our 10-year anniversary of owning the Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop Inc. Recently, we brought on our first chief development officer for Capriotti’s, David Bloom, and in his short time with the company, he has completely transformed our franchise sales process and we are seeing game-changing results because of it. Additionally, Capriotti’s has recently brought on a trio of high-level franchise investors to help expand the brand.
What’s the best business advice you’ve received?
Aim to be the dumbest guy on your senior leadership team. If you surround yourself with people who are much smarter than you, then you will have a team that can be creative to the organization and provide value and insight that you could not provide on your own. If you wind up being the smartest person on the team, then you will find that you can only rely on yourself, which is the worst place to be in business.
What is your favorite sandwich?
My favorite sandwich is the mushroom cheese steak with fried onions and hot peppers. The flavors are amazing together and with the steamed roll, it makes the perfect sandwich.
Is there anything new we can expect to see on the Capriotti’s menu in the near future?
You can expect a summer limited-time-offer called the chipotle chicken crunch. It’s a chicken cheesesteak with chipotle ranch, lettuce, tomatoes and crispy cheddar onions.
If you could change one thing in Southern Nevada, what would it be?
I would improve our public school systems through the privatization of the schools, and I would add a finance/monetary focus throughout the K-12 curriculum. I would also disallow smoking in all public venues, including casinos.
What’s the company’s most exciting project?
Two years ago, I led the initiative to raise additional growth capital for the company. It took 18 months to complete and we successfully raised over $10 million.
What’s your favorite place to have fun in Las Vegas?
I like to play golf at Red Rock Golf Course or Bears Best. They are both well-kept courses that are close to my house.
Describe your management style.
My management style is participative. I find that group thinking is always more productive than individual thought. When participating in group think, I like to absorb as much data as possible before making a final decision. I have a lot of visions that allow me to constantly be thinking about new ideas to bring to the table.
I like to have healthy debates with my colleagues and will hear all sides of the story before making the decision. As a leader, I try to get to know everyone personally, more than a surface-level relationship. And I want everyone to know me personally as well. You have to make the time to get to know your employees — whether that means having lunch with them, saying hello and starting a dialogue or hosting events at my house. It takes time to build these relationships. You need to want to work at it.
What is your dream job outside of your field?
Being a real estate developer. I have always had a passion for real estate, and building really cool buildings in Las Vegas would be awesome. Either that or a professional race car driver.
Whom do you admire?
Elon Musk is doing great things. I also admire Ray Kurzweil and Peter Diamandis. Last but not least, Victor Morris, my dad.
My dad is a completely self-made person. He lost his father when he was a baby and grew up with no male role model. Despite that challenge, he persevered. He is an entrepreneurial person and showed me that it’s possible to live your dreams no matter how big they are. He has always helped me think through any ideas I have in different ways to see them from new angles.
What is your funniest or most embarrassing work story?
When we opened our first location in Washington, D.C., I was behind the counter taking orders. Our first customer was Vice President Joe Biden. There was a lot of press and paparazzi all over the store. After taking his order, I told the former vice president the total and he didn’t have enough cash to pay the bill. When he came up short, he had to borrow $10 from one of his aides. The whole restaurant erupted in laughter but I was standing there very awkwardly, not knowing if I should offer him a discount or let him borrow the money. The story actually went viral and wound up on Jay Leno and various other media outlets.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would change my physique. Ever since I was a kid, I battled with my weight. There have been long periods where I have maintained a healthy weight but as the years progress, I am going in the other direction.
Tell us something people might not know about you.
I have extraordinary vision — 20/05. It has gotten better over the years. It’s my superpower.
Anything else you want to share?
I’ve lived in Las Vegas since I was 10 years old. I went to college in Las Vegas. I love this city and want to retire here one day. I have two amazing boys — Landon, age 6, and Oliver, age 3 — and a beautiful and supporting wife, Valerin. They are my true inspiration and motivation.
I love playing sports, snowboarding, being outside and doing things athletic. I am interested in technology and biology. I love learning about space and the cosmos, as well as what technology will look like for the world and how it will change the landscape in the future. I love reading books about the future and listening to podcasts on the subject.