RECOGNIZING DIVERSITY IN FRANCHISING
FRANCHISING FOR ALL
Starting a business always carries some element of risk, but joining a franchise system means having a path to follow and the support of a proven system. That’s why, for people of all backgrounds, franchising is an ideal way to follow the dream of owning your own business. Joining a franchise system has allowed the four franchisees featured here the freedom to work for themselves. For some, it’s been part of making their home as a newcomer to Canada; for others, it means forging a path of representation as a minority in the industry. These thriving franchisees show success comes from passion, hard work, and a supportive franchise system. BY KYM WOLFE
“[Franchising gives you] a much better chance to succeed and expand.” Reza Ardestani, Brioche Dorée
REZA ARDESTANI Reza Ardestani, Brioche Dorée Reza Ardestani always wanted to work for himself, and when he immigrated to Canada in 2008, he found an opportunity to do just that. “When I came to Canada there was a recession, people were being laid off, and newcomers with no Canadian experience were having trouble finding work,” says Ardestani. Rather than work as an engineer as he had in Iran, he decided he would own and run a coffee shop. His initial years were financially successful ones. Then the Parisian bakery café Brioche Dorée arrived in Toronto. “I had seen the franchise in Europe and liked its products,” Ardestani explains. He purchased a franchise in 2018. “They’re an international company, with 40 years of experience, the royalties are reasonable, and they provide good support.” Following two weeks of intensive training, Ardestani opened his Brioche Dorée in an office tower at Yonge St and Finch Ave, near Finch subway station. Initially, a training manager walked him through all aspects of daily operation. “The company is very helpful, and I have access to all of their support,” he says. It was a busy location, sales were steady, and there were no major challenges to deal with—until COVID-19 arrived. The pandemic has hit his businesses hard. “A lot of stores around us are now empty, sales were down 80 per cent at one point, and we’ve been drawing on our savings to keep our doors open,” says Ardestani. “In October and November 2021, people started to come back, and we were very hopeful.” But renewed restrictions imposed in January left him feeling less confident. “I’m not sure that
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there will ever be the numbers working daily in these areas that there were before.” In 2021, a Bay Street storefront that Ardestani owned and rented out to another business was vacated. Rather than let it sit empty (“I had to pay the mortgage anyway,” he notes), Ardestani decided to open a second Brioche Dorée in that space. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Ardestani recommends the franchise route to business ownership. “You definitely reduce the risk of failure and have a much better chance to succeed and expand,” he says. As for his advice to people who are considering a franchise: “Be smart and use the knowledge and experience that other people have gained through the years of establishing a successful chain, and be a part of that success.”
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