Boeing 737 airline pilot jets off on a new path

When the aviation industry went into dire straits during the 2020 global pandemic, Dan Hirschfeld, a Boeing 737 Airline Captain for Virgin Australia, began contemplating alternative career paths.

COVID had a huge impact on the aviation industry, leaving many employees jobless. Dan knew it was an opportunity to start a new career with a better work/life balance, for his benefit and his family who longed for more time with him.

“I’ve always loved the idea of running a restaurant, and I knew that I had a lot of good, transferable skills but I did not have the confidence to start up a new restaurant from scratch. A franchise business seemed like the logical choice for me with all of the support that goes with it”, Dan explains.

Dan grew up in Wellington, just down the road from the very first Burger Wisconsin store in Wadestown, and the brand remained top of mind in regards to operating a franchise. So, when the purchase of Mairangi Bay store in Auckland came up, he jumped at the chance.

“I trust the brand, it’s been around for more than 30 years!”

Now a family affair, Dan’s 16 year old daughter, Riley has recently started working a shift a week. Growing up, Dan’s sister worked in the Wadestown Burger Wisconsin store in the ’90s, and now that he owns his store, it feels special to be able to share this experience with his own family.

Dan believes communication is key in a restaurant business and working as a team. “It’s so important to listen and value your teams’ input as their leader,” says Dan. “The team has great ideas, and they will find efficiencies that aren’t always obvious to me. Ensuring you are an open leader and always available to listen is very important”.

Dan had zero hospitality experience going into a restaurant franchise, so it was really important for him to get hands on with every single aspect of operating the store from day one. From food prep and cooking sides to grilling and assembling the burgers, and cleaning rigorously – you name it, Dan’s all over it. “Having an understanding of all operational aspects makes running the business so much easier, and also shows the team you’re willing to ‘Get Stuck In’ and lead by example” Dan shares.

“Interacting with our customers is my favourite part of the job. It’s so satisfying when you get regulars coming back every week for their burger fix and you start building a rapport with them” Dan says fondly.

Dan is a great example of someone who has successfully transferred valuable management and procedural experience, as well as working under pressure as a pilot, to a completely different career.