Market Focus
What appealed to you about Cafe2U? I chose a Cafe2U franchise opportunity because I liked the way they came across. They didn’t even back down with their answers either as I was keen to ask them a lot of questions! I was shown around a van and was able to contact a current franchise partner to talk over queries I had – getting first-hand feedback. The franchise was in my price range as a very affordable option. It took me about two months to decide to buy a franchise with Cafe2U and, funded by my personal savings, it finally became a reality in November 2011 with the Rochester territory. In the build up to my launch I had five days’ training at the head office in Leeds and then my franchise development manager worked with me shoulder-to-shoulder for 10 days supporting me in the opening weeks.
What advice would you give to anyone else who is considering buying a franchise?
For anyone who is planning to buy their own franchise, my advice would be to ensure that you are financially sound before you start. This will give you the best chance of making a serious go of it. For the future, I’m going to stick with the current plan and see how things progress. I will strongly consider buying another Cafe2U franchise once I’ve given my current business time to develop so I know how successful it can be and the returns produced.
Southern Fried Chicken
times and when we saw how popular it was, it occurred to us that it would be a good idea to open a restaurant or takeaway business of our own. We both had backgrounds working in the catering industry, I had worked in Indian takeaway and restaurants for 19 years, and so it seemed like the next logical step. When we returned home, we looked into different food franchises, and found that we liked the way the Southern Fried Chicken system worked.
How much support did you receive from your franchisor in the beginning? We initially went on a training day at the head office and we were shown around the factory. A sales manager provided us with a lot of information with regards to setting up the franchise and we also received plenty of ongoing help and support from a training manager called Tony Maskell who was very, very good. He taught us how to prepare the food in the correct manner and oversee the whole operation.
How did your previous experience help? We both already had extensive knowledge about the food industry, and knew about the rules and regulations when it came to safety and hygiene. This knowledge really did prove invaluable in the beginning stages. One thing we had to learn on the job was how to market the business – this was something that was crucial to bringing in the customers in the first place. It wasn’t until after six months of running the franchise that we could really focus on this.
What are your future plans for the business? I want to make it grow until I’m at a level where I’m comfortable and then I can open another franchise in a different area. I really want to focus on the marketing and advertising side of things now and drive the business forward.
Subway
After 19 years of working in the catering industry, Abdul Hay set up his Southern Fried Chicken franchise in Washington, Tyne and Wear, less than a year ago, with business partner Masum Bakth. He says his previous experience in the catering sector has proved invaluable in helping him to get his business off the ground.
What made you decide to invest in a Southern Fried Chicken franchise? The original idea actually came to Masum and I while we were away on holiday. There was a snack bar there that we ate in a few
in his Glasgow-based Spar store. The simple operations, alongside minimal space and equipment requirements, mean that Subway stores are suited for non-traditional sites such as convenience stores. Unlike traditional food outlets, there is no need to install grills or fryers in a Subway store.
Why did you decide to open a Subway franchise in your Spar?
I first noticed the Subway brand on a visit to the US and thought at the time that it seemed like a great investment opportunity that could work well in the UK market. I have been a Spar retailer for the past 26 years and was looking for something to help draw customers into the store and complement the offering that we already had. After careful research, I decided that a Subway store was perfect and would fit exceptionally well into my Spar.
What are the pros and cons of operating a Subway franchise from a non- traditional site? The outlets are simple and efficient and do not require grills or fryers, which means that they can easily be adapted to non-traditional locations such as my Spar store. The controls are extremely good so you can keep the wastage to an absolute minimum. The store also helps drive footfall into the Spar shop, which is exactly what we hoped it would do.
What have been your achievements since opening your franchise? I have been particularly pleased with how quickly my staff have picked up the operational side of the Subway store. The Subway brand offers excellent training and support for staff at all levels of the business. The operations involved in running the Subway store are relatively simple and my staff have taken to them very quickly. This has been reflected in our customer service record. I am extremely proud of the fact that our store had ranked extremely highly in the Subway brand mystery shopper programme. n
After owning a Spar franchise for the past 26 years, local businessman Jay Gill decided to open a Subway franchise
July/August 2012 |
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