Tag Archives: food franchise

Checkers and Rally’s: Driving Food Franchise Growth

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Though young when compared with Wendy’s and McDonald’s, fast food franchises Checkers and Rally’s have proven that sometimes newer can be better. The two concepts are fueling their growth with frequent menu improvements, intensive franchisee recruitment and training, and a commitment to veterans.

 

Founded in the late 80s, Checkers and Rally’s sell your traditional fast food fare: burgers, fries, cola, milkshakes, hand pies and a bevvy of other American favorites– with a twist. The restaurant franchises often update their menu. New food items include a BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich and a Fry Lover’s Burger, which makes a literal combo out of a burger and fries. Pair either new sandwich with a Banana Milkshake and consider your appetite crushed.

 

While Checkers and Rally’s certainly have their customers’ hunger under control, it’s the franchise duo’s ability to encourage greatness in their franchisees that’s most admirable. The franchise is 800 strong and the established brands have been lauded by numerous franchise industry publications including Entrepreneur Magazine, QSR, and Franchise Times.

 

One of the secrets to Checkers and Rally’s collective success is how deeply involved the brands are in selecting franchisees, franchisee training, keeping product offerings current and maintaining Checkers and Rally’s visibility through concerted public relations, lead generation, marketing and social media efforts.

 

Once approved, new Checkers and Rally’s franchisees undergo a five week intensive training program in an established Checkers or Rally’s location. Pending a successfully completed training program, each franchisee is guided by a business team assigned to his or her location to aid in site selection, provide construction support, and train managers and other personnel. There’s not a single step that Checkers and Rally’s franchisees take alone. There’s a reason why the two concepts have been ranked in Entrepreneur’s “Franchise 500”  as one of the Top 100 franchises in the U.S. and as one of the Top 100 fastest growing franchises in the U.S.

 

The restaurant franchises are also committed to aiding veterans of the armed forces and are active members of VetFran, providing discounts to honorably discharged veterans who qualify.

 

For more information on Checkers and Rally’s or to learn how to become a franchisee, visit http://www.franchisebuy.com/franchise/Checkers-Drive-In-Restaurants-Inc.

Sushi Freak Franchise Banks on Customization

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From rice, fish and occasionally vegetables, the Japanese created sushi: a food that’s become so ubiquitous in American culture it can be found just about anywhere– including gas stations.

 

While gas station sushi might not be the best choice, a new franchise concept, Sushi Freak, is offering its customers as much choice as possible.

 

The permutations are endless at a Sushi Freak franchise. You’re only limited by your imagination. Even if you aren’t a fan of “the raw stuff”, Sushi Freak’s list of available sushi filling ingredients — 51– include many cooked and seafood alternatives.


restaurant franchise

Customers follow a basic four step ordering process to create their own 8-piece sushi rolls: select your wrapper (soy or seaweed), pick your protein, choose your fillings and top it off with the sauce, raw fish or other topping of your choice. In addition, Sushi Freak offers vegetarian, gluten-free soy sauce and rice-free options, too.

 

This dedication to customization stems from Sushi Freak co-founders Michael Broder and Jenifer Duarte, whose previous food and beverage experience “got them rolling.”

 

Before Sushi Freak opened its first location in San Diego, Calif., the dynamic, sushi-loving duo worked for The Pacific Rim Asian Bistro in Albuquerque, New Mexico that boasted a 160 piece sushi menu. Guests of the bistro would often request for certain exclusions or additions to their sushi orders. After the one-millionth, “Can I substitute…” request Michael and Jenifer saw the need for a customizable sushi restaurant franchise.

 

Why It Works

 

A mixture of tighter budgets and greater food knowledge (thanks to the Food Network and television shows Top Chef, Chopped and The Taste) has produced a more discerning consumer: one that knows what they like to eat and how they want it made.

 

The beauty of Sushi Freak is that it allows customers to order exactly what they want without sacrificing the traditional sushi experience. Jenifer and Michael made sure to consult one of the best master sushi chefs they knew (the kind that isn’t allowed to touch rice until after a one-year apprenticeship) to refine the sushi making process at Sushi Freak.

 

The Nitty Gritty

 

While a definitive initial investment can’t be given for legal reasons, the estimated initial investment for a Sushi Freak franchise is $179,900 – $297,000.

 

Franchise term is 20 years with an option to renew for another 20 years.

 

Typical Sushi Freak restaurant franchise is 1200-1500 square feet.

 

100,000 minimum cash required.

 

An ideal Sushi Freak franchisee has a strong background in business management with a passion for serving people and very intrinsically motivated.

 

Sushi Freak is seeking franchisees in all 50 states and international locations.

 

One owner or designated manager must be involved in the Sushi Freak franchise on a full-time basis and be held responsible for the daily operations and management of said Sushi Freak location.

 

Owning and operating a Sushi freak includes: use of Sushi Freak’s brand name, trademarks, recipes, operational systems, methods and décor. Support is provided in:

 

  • Facility planning
  • Fixture, equipment and leasehold improvements
  • Lease negotiation
  • Site selection
  • Corporate training for owner/operator and general managers
  • Kitchen workflow design
  • Ongoing support from training/operations team
  • Ongoing updates for increasing profitability
  • Products
  • System efficiency
  • Favorable national contracts with suppliers of goods and services

The Top 10 Fastest-Growing Industries in the United States and What That Means for Franchising

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The Top 10 Fastest-Growing Industries in the United States:

 

1. Generic pharmaceuticals

2. Solar panel manufacturing

3. For-profit universities

4. Pilates and yoga studios

5. Self-tanning product manufacturing

6. 3-D printer manufacturing

7. Social network game development

8. Hot sauce production

9. Green and sustainable building construction

10. Online eyeglasses sales

 

If the above list, found on Wonkblog, is any indication, the way out of the recession is  hot sauce, green construction and whole lot of downward facing dogs. If that’s the case, then the franchise industry, which predicted a 5% growth margin for 2012, is poised for an even better end of year report.

 

Why Hot Sauce?

It seems as though not some, but most, like it hot. As a nation, our tastes are changing. The growing number of immigrants and morphing demographics of our melting pot country are causing a desire for spicy, ethnic foods.  For the past decade, the hot sauce manufacturing industry has grown at a rate of 9.3 percent per year.

 

While there aren’t any hot sauce franchises (to our knowledge) this taste for spicier food is sure to carry over in ways other than the bottle of Tobasco on your table. Mexican-inspired franchise restaurants are seeing an increase in their popularity across the country, too.

 

Green, Mean Money Machines

Solar manufacturing and sustainable building construction, the two green industries on IBIS World’s list, can attribute part of their growth to various government subsidies. Though these subsidies are beginning to wind down, the growth rate for green industries is predicted to continue in 2012 with Solar Panel Manufacturing and Sustainable Green Building growing at a rate of 8.2 percent and 9.4 percent respectively.

 

For the environmentally conscientious interested in becoming a franchise owners there are quite a few options available:

 

Say Om

Pilates and yoga studios were highly resistant to the recession and have continued to grow as the U.S.’ economy strengthens. From 2002 to 2012, the industry grew an average of 12.1 percent per year. In 2012, yoga and Pilates studios are projected to experience a 5.1 percent growth rate.

 

A number of yoga and/or Pilates franchises are available to those interested in helping others improve their strength, flexibility and fitness levels. Though they’re not mentioned explicitly in IBIS’ report, I would imagine similar health and fitness concepts like gyms and massage franchises have experienced an uptick in their growth rates and are ripe for expansion as well.

 

  • IMX Pilates
  • Wundabar Pilates
  • Sunstone Yoga
  • Open Doors Yoga
  • Innergy Yoga
  • Bikram Yoga