business basics
FRANCHISE MEXICAN:
Is It Right for Your Next Restaurant? | BY ED AVIS | When Steve Harrison began exploring new business opportunities a couple of years ago, the experienced entrepreneur considered various options, but none seemed quite right. Then one day he and his family ate at Bubbakoo’s Burritos, a multiunit known for customized burritos, and his wife asked if he had considered opening a franchise of that restaurant. He spoke with Bubbakoo’s owners, liked what he heard, and opened his first Bubbakoo’s location in Lincoln Park, New Jersey in October 2020. Two more are underway. “What I loved about the opportunity with Bubbakoo’s was that the brand is on a forward trajectory, but you can still get some of the ‘A’ and ‘B’ locations, which you can’t do with the more established brands,” Harrison says. “So, you can get some great locations, it’s in the Mexican genre, which is very hot, and you get brand equity that is already resonating with customers.” Becoming a franchisee is one way to launch or expand a restaurant business, and
many Mexican multi-units are seeking new partners. But is the opportunity right for you? There are many things to consider, from the investment required to your own working preferences.
NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH The overall advantage of opening a franchise versus opening an independent restaurant is that you get a template for the launch and continued management of the restaurant, which eliminates the often tedious and overwhelming decisions you would have to make to launch your own concept. After all, a restaurant typically only begins franchising once the owners have found a successful formula and worked out all the kinks. “When you invest in a franchise you’re coming into a proven concept,” explains Jessica Wescott, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, a multi-unit with nearly 150 locations. “You have access to excellent recipes, design, training, brand awareness and support.”
Bubbakoo’s franchise owner Steve Harrison presents a check from a fundraiser held at his Lincoln Park, N.J. restaurant.
SEPT/OCT 2021
| el restaurante
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