Sandwich Course

Vietnamese buns, baguettes, bao, wraps, salads and sandwiches. Bun Mee Kiwi – because “Life’s too short for s#!t food”

Travelling the world in her 30s, Saphron Moore discovered banh mi popping up all over the place. The fresh, vibrant Vietnamese sandwich was on offer everywhere from street carts through Asia to Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant in New York – but wasn’t yet a mainstay in New Zealand. She knew Kiwis were missing out on a unique and affordable product in a market often dominated by the fast and fatty.

‘I wanted to bring Vietnamese street-style food home with a fun, local twist, and the idea for Bun Mee Kiwi was born,’ she says. ‘The name’s a memorable bit of fun, but our focus is on creating fresh, healthy and cost-effective food to nourish our communities. I learned a lot about health and nutrition through raising kids, so Bun Mee Kiwi is also an awesome sandwich.’

Saphron paired up with her partner Mark Isaaka, an experienced chef, to create Bun Mee Kiwi’s signature menu. With years of business and speciality food experience, the duo were confident that they could create their dream. ‘It’s a simple concept – a bunch of good quick-service sandwiches, wraps and salads, informed by real-world experience and what New Zealanders from all walks of life enjoy. Alongside classic Vietnamese flavours, you’ll also find our take on a Kiwi ‘boil up’ and the Pacific-inspired ‘Islander’ sandwich, with gluten-free options, too.

Bun Mee Kiwi’s unique menu combined with cheeky marketing and a strong social media presence quickly captured attention around its West Auckland base, and now they want to offer other Kiwis the opportunity to share in what has proven a popular, resilient, high-reward business. ‘

Right from the start, this was planned as a franchise and, after five years of development and fine-tuning – not to mention Covid – we know we’ve got it right and the franchise is ready to grow.’

Online reputation

Since 2016, Bun Mee Kiwi has built a loyal customer base and, thanks to their online savvy, has already become a destination eatery. The brand is honest, upfront and cheeky, with the memorable slogan, "Life’s too short for s#!t food!"

‘We thrive on engagement. By getting customers involved even when they’re not at the store, it keeps us top of mind when they’re making decisions about where to eat. As well as people we see every day, we have customers travel from all over Auckland. We’ve even had visitors from Melbourne who said they’d seen us on TikTok and had to visit Bun Mee Kiwi on their holiday!’

Saphron Moore (left) with daughter Nova and Coralee of Bun Mee Kiwi

Community spirit

As a female, Maori entrepreneur, Saphron particularly wants to help other women and families. ‘But Bun Mee Kiwi is for everyone who wants to start a profitable business which actually contributes to the health and prosperity of their local community. What we offer is something everyone can understand – good food made well, and an experience that welcomes all.

‘Franchisees will own their own local destination store, and enjoy a second income stream from offering flexible catering options for events. They can expand by adding a food truck, and multi-unit operation is also an option.

‘This is a lucrative opportunity to enter the booming business of convenient and healthy quick-service food with a vibrant brand that customers love,’ says Saphron. ‘Total investment starts from $150,000, including store fit-out. Much of this can be financed, making it a low-cost entry into the hospitality sector.’

Your prosperity is our priority

Low cost doesn’t mean low quality. The franchise offers wraparound support, with at least a month of training to start including customer service, business and technology training, and of course, making a great sandwich.

‘At Bun Mee Kiwi, we operate like a family,’ Mark says. ‘Our franchise model is simple, straightforward and profitable, supporting the development of the brand as well as each individual business to ensure long-term success. Your prosperity is our priority. From our extensive training to intensive support, we are passionate about guiding you throughout your growth. You don’t need experience – whatever your background, we’re here to fill in the gaps and help you grow a thriving business.’

Flexible approach with high returns

Bun Mee Kiwi prides itself on flexibility, enabling families to build their own business in a way that works for them. ‘Each franchisee can customise their hours and theme of their store to meet the needs of their customers and local community,’ Saphron says. ‘Whether that’s a full-store fitout, holein-the-wall kiosk or a food truck, we offer high returns. We’ve learned how important it is to be flexible – when we opened in 2016, click-and-collect wasn’t a thing, but now it’s an important part of our business. Through innovation we grow.’

Saphron and Mark are looking for hard-working franchisees with a drive to succeed for new locations throughout the country, with Auckland offering immediate opportunities.

‘Everyone deserves their own unique success story, and we want Bun Mee Kiwi to be the place where new franchisees can craft theirs. It’s unique, affordable, fresh and healthy – and the opportunity is in front of you right now. Download a detailed prospectus from our website, or call us today to find out more.’

Advertiser Info

Bun Mee Kiwi

www.bunmeekiwi.co.nz

Contact Mark Isaaka

M 027 265 8444

mark@bunmeekiwi.co.nz