GLOBAL EYE
POWERING UP THE POTENTIAL Brands are fired up to grow and innovate in 2021 and ahead.
NOW YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON A CARL’S JR. FRANCHISE! US brand Carl's Jr. is opening up to brand new franchisees in Australia and plans to open up to 200 restaurants by 2031; 27 new outlets are expected to open within 12 months. Since the brand launched here in 2017 it's been operated under four separate franchise agreements, with each franchisee group building its own mini-empire of outlets. Now the Victorian operator, CJ's QSR, which already owns and operates 11 corporate sites in Victoria, and one in Wetherill Park, Sydney, has been assigned the rights as a master franchisee for Australia to roll out more franchised outlets. CJ's QSR is seeking new franchisees in all states and territories except SA/NT (which is operated under a separate exclusive agreement). Andrew Firn, managing director of CJ's QSR, told Inside Franchise Business the support office is up and running and it is "full steam ahead". "We are passionate about Carl’s Jr. and have been buoyed by the appetite that exists in the Australian market for our Chargrilled Burgers,” he said, predicting the rollout will escalate. n
DOMINO’S SAYS NO TO PLASTIC Domino’s has ended its reliance on single-use plastic straws and spoons in more than 710 stores across the country. The pizza chain estimates the change to biodegradable straws and wooden spoons will remove 2 metric tonnes or up to 2.85 million pieces of plastic from circulation each year. In an industry first, Domino’s is also trialling a recyclable ‘lineless box’, using cutting edge technology to apply an approved food grade lining that will eliminate secondary plastic packaging from the supply chain. If rolled out, the new concept is expected to boost franchisees’ business with reduced wastage and improved food preparation times in stores. n
JAX TYRES LAUNCHES DOUBLE FIRST JAX Tyres & Auto has just opened the doors to its first retail store in South Australia. The new store is also the first to be powered by solar panels. The eco-friendly outlet is company owned and part of the company’s expansion plan to add at least eight new locations to take the total retail footprint to nearly 100. The store has a commitment towards sustainable business practices and will be incorporating other environmentally conscious business programs and retail services. Customers with electric vehicles can use a free electric charging station. The store team will also be involved in the company wide initiative to phase out print invoices and participate in JAX Tyres & Auto’s national tyre recycling program via Tyrecycle. n
LIFT BRANDS TAKES STAKE IN FITSTOP Home-grown functional fitness brand Fitstop is getting backing from US business Lift Brands, the parent company of Snap Fitness and 9Round. The multi-brand business is taking a 30 per cent stake in the fledgling gym chain with the goal of fast-tracking its expansion. The aim is to double the Fitstop footprint in the next financial year. Fitstop founder Peter Hull said “It’s so rewarding to see an international organisation recognise us as the next big player in the fitness industry, not just within Australia but around the world. The next phase of growth will involve looking to introduce Fitstop to the New Zealand market, followed by the UK and US which will be of a larger scale.” n
AUG/OCT 2021 | 12 | WWW.FRANCHISEBUSINESS.COM.AU
