The Secret to Food Franchise Success

THE SECRET TO Food Franchise SUCCESS

(Hint: Focus on training and merchandising.)

By Janice Charles

Food franchises are a dime a dozen. Many claim to provide the best tasting food, the best service, and the best price. The question then becomes about execution and profitability. Who manages these elements best? Companies that focus on two key elements: training and merchandising.

WATCH AND LEARN

Disney is a great example of a company that does well in the food business. One reason? The Mouse and his pals know how to train. Training is one of the most important facets of a food business. If your staff is not trained, you will struggle with high-turnover, no-shows, and customer complaints.

When evaluating a training program, first consider how the company trains you. After all, training starts at the top, and you can model efficient training for your staff. Perform tasks correctly and avoid cutting corners. Everything you do will be modeled by your staff.

Next, consider accountability. How does your franchisor hold you accountable for your responsibilities? Can you transfer those systems to your staff? Is your training detailed enough so that you can deliver the level of service the brand promises? Do these details answer your questions—and do they provide solutions to situations that an employee may encounter? Training that covers specific—and common—situations is important for your business.

Training may seem like a no-brainer, but how often have you visited a restaurant and found a staff member who had poor customer service skills or didn’t seem to know the business? Think about how that affected your opinion of that restaurant. When customers have low opinions of restaurants, it affects potential business. You’re less likely to tell your friends about an experience, and of course, less likely to go back yourself.

SEND A MESSAGE

Merchandising is crucial to both top- and bottom-line sales. Are prices and descriptions visible to customers? Merchandising messages should trigger a customer response of “I want to buy that, so I can feel like that.” For example, when we wanted to sell more ice cream quarts at Baskin-Robbins, I took 50 quarts and hung them (empty) from the ceiling. We tripled our quart sales the first week, hence driving top-line and ultimately bottom-line sales. People buy what you tell them to buy.

When looking at your menu board, customers should see bundled products with the best food-cost options available. Think of McDonald’s Happy Meals, for example. If you have a specialty or impulse food franchise, bundle with soft drinks. Your goal is to get customers to buy more than they originally planned and to spend as you have planned.

Janice Charles is a 38-year veteran in the franchising and food industry. She was raised in the McDonald’s system with her family where she learned all aspects of the business. Janice has been a franchisee and worked for multiple franchisors. Email her at Janice@TheFranchiseConsultingCompany.com