Kentucky Entrepreneur Becomes 2nd Largest Donatos Operator

Bill Aseere and his Space Cowboys Restaurant Group have just become the second largest franchisee in the Donatos system courtesy of his purchase of 15 of the pizza restaurants in the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky area. The Space Cowboys Restaurant Group portfolio now has 17 locations.

Aseere and his business partners Mike Ash and Mark Halpin began franchising with Donatos in 2018 when they opened their first location in Independence, Kentucky and then added a second location in 2020 in Highland Heights, Kentucky.

“I have always wanted to be a business owner,” says Aseere. “My grandpa, Tom Aseere, took me under his wing at a young age and taught me about what it takes to be an entrepreneur.  He started two different pool companies in the Cincinnati market that are still successful to this day.”

Aseere says he first learned the restaurant business at LaRosa’s Pizza, where he started out as a 14-year-old dishwasher before moving on to district manager and spending 17 years in leadership.

He’s never looked back since becoming a franchisee with Donatos and has always desired to grow on a larger scale. So when Titan Restaurant Group’s Mike Simon began thinking about retiring recently, Aseere knew it was the perfect time to take over those locations in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky markets.

“Our main focus will be to continue investing in our staff and ensuring we have the right people in the right places to offer a work environment people want to work at,” says Aseere. “We also want to be even more visible in the community as we find creative and fun ways to be engaged with the communities we live in and care for.  I’ve always wanted to make a difference with my business opportunity, so being able to give back is something that fulfills my investment in the brand.”