Gateway Shopping Centre: A Gateway to Franchise Success

gateway to suCCess

Located just a 20-minute drive from Darwin’s cBD and suburbs, gateway Shopping centre is an exciting shopping and entertainment precinct attracting more three million customer visits each year.

Home to major stores, indoor and outdoor dining options, cinemas, entertainment precinct and plenty of undercover parking it’s no surprise the centre is a compelling destination to set up a franchise business.

We chat with the owners of two franchise stores in the centre to discover why they became part of the Gateway success story.

interview with Jye thorbjornsen - australian sports nutrition Franchisee

How long have you been working with Australian Sports Nutrition (ASN)? What were you doing prior to franchising?

I’ve been working with ASN since November 2020. Prior to that, I was franchising with Snap Fitness (still am since March 2018). Before franchising, I was working in the family business or for myself in various industries.

What is the ASN brand all about? What makes you unique/different?

ASN is a brand about quality and great customer service. Within ASN there’s an exclusive brand called ‘Evolve’ and Simon Rees [Owner & Founder of ASN], develops and produces that brand himself in Australia. Simon really prides himself on good products, good quality service, stores that are inviting and create a really good atmosphere. That’s why I chose ASN.

Why is Gateway the perfect fit for your store?

The reason why we chose Gateway and why we like it here is the location; the centre is right on each arterial road. Every major road intersects here, you can get here from anywhere and it’s visible from everywhere. We get loads of marketing support which helps us enormously.

What is it like doing business in Darwin?

If you can build relationships and do the right thing by your customers, landlord, contractors, you’ll do well as everyone looks after each other here in this small community.

Have you celebrated any particular achievements in the past 12 months? What’s in store for the future?

I celebrate my achievements once a month, including hitting all-time highs at the gyms, plus new gym openings. In the future, I’d like to secure another five shops as I’d like to build a big retail group here; focussing on health, fitness and beauty.

What do love about your franchise? What are your favourite things about franchising?

What I like about franchising is that you don’t have to figure out a lot of the small stuff that costs money when you make mistakes. You get more support and you’re connected to something that is proven to work.

What are 3 of your top tips for those looking to buy a franchise?

1. Do your due diligence. Research and go out and experience the franchise as a customer. 2. If you can’t see yourself doing it for very long or for any reason besides money, it’s not for you. 3. Get ready for the long haul. Business is a long-term commitment.

interview with nguyet Vu and thi dang - soul origin Franchisee

How long have you been working with Soul Origin? What were you doing prior to franchising?

Soul Origin is our first franchise. We opened the first Soul Origin franchise in Casuarina three years ago, then opened at Gateway and Galleria to follow. Before franchising, we opened our own businesses, including two nail salons and a takeaway shop.

What is the Soul Origin brand all about? What makes you unique/different?

The quality, the displays… it just looks amazing. When we first saw the concept in Sydney, we said to each other, ‘wow’.

Why is Gateway the perfect fit for your store?

It’s the largest sub-regional and one of the busiest shopping centres in Darwin. Soul Origin also wanted to prioritise opening in food courts… it’s fast, it’s convenient. You’re also guaranteed foot traffic at Gateway. There’s a lot of potential and opportunities here.

What is it like doing business in Darwin?

It just made sense to do business here in Darwin. We live here, we grew up here. We have family support, friends and we know a lot of people in town. People have been supporting us throughout all of our businesses, within a small community, it really helps.

Have you celebrated any particular achievements in the past 12 months? What’s in store for the future?

Achievements include opening more new stores at Gateway. Our future plans are to push catering across the three Soul Origin stores and invest more in marketing to get the Soul Origin brand out there.

What do love about your franchise? What are your favourite things about franchising?

It’s a lot easier. With our previous businesses we have started them from scratch ourselves.

With franchising, they do everything. For example, they build the kiosk, and you don’t really have to worry or think about anything else. We’ve been so happy with Soul Origin because of their support.

What are 3 of your top tips for those looking to buy a franchise?

1. Do your research. We visited Sydney two or three times and visited multiple sites. 2. Truly believe in the products you will be selling. 3. Be prepared to work hard. In a franchise, you’ve got to spend at least six months to a year in the store to understand your business and your customers.

To learn more about franchising opportunities at Gateway Shopping Centre visit www.gatewaynt.com.au/franchisee

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