5 minute read
MOST TRUSTED, GROWING STRONG
New CEO and new franchisees excited by growth plans for Kitchen Studio
Readers Digest asked. Consumers responded. And, as they have been for the past eight years, Kitchen Studio was voted the most trusted kitchen brand in New Zealand.
Responsible for creating feelings of confidence and security, trust is the five-letter word that speaks volumes to a potential Kitchen Studio franchisee or client. Further reinforcing trust in Kitchen Studio, Dawn Engelbrecht, one of the country’s most successful franchisors, was last year appointed Kitchen Studio CEO. Dawn took up this position after having been a Kitchen Studio independent director since 2021.
More than just enrolling her two young children in sKids (Safe Kids in Daily Supervision), in 2000, Dawn invested in a sKids franchise. Six years on, she became co-owner of the sKids franchise system.
When Dawn left in 2019, her business acumen and entrepreneurial drive were acknowledged for growing sKids into the country’s leading before/ after school care and holiday programme provider for primary aged children. Somehow, Dawn also found time to join the boards of several organisations, including the Franchise Association of New Zealand.
Exciting changes
‘We are making exciting changes at Kitchen Studio,’ says Dawn. ‘And although the economy has slowed, we are poised for growth.
‘Historically, an economic downturn sees many homeowners preferring to invest in improvements rather than overseas holidays, which means even more business for Kitchen Studio franchisees. And who better to trust with their hard-earned money than Kitchen Studio? It’s something New Zealanders have been doing for 40 years.’
Kitchen Studio now has four highly reputable manufacturers in the North and South Islands, which Dawn says provide the capacity and quality controls to ensure franchisees have continuity of supply for fast, efficient delivery of kitchens, where no two are the same.
Exciting developments sit on top of strong foundations, however.
‘Kitchen Studio’s core competitive benefits and values are unchanged,’ says Dawn. ‘Every new franchisee continues to automatically become a Kitchen Studio shareholder. The better our franchisees do, the better we do and the higher their shareholder returns
‘The requirement for each franchisee to employ or contract qualified designers, or to earn their own design qualifications, shows Kitchen Studio’s commitment to designing and professionally installing bespoke kitchens that exactly fit the client’s brief. Fixtures and fittings are always from trusted brand partners, and this further underscores our ability to provide the Kitchen Studio 10 Years Total Trust Guarantee.’
Kitchen industry legend
Taking Kitchen Studio into a new era of growth, Mark Bruce has been employed as operations and franchise manager. Mark began his career as a cabinet maker and is recognised as one of New Zealand’s most respected kitchen designers. The recipient of many awards, Mark has tutored kitchen design and run his own successful kitchen business.
Jo and Scott Tozer, of Kitchen Studio Christchurch North, are among the most recent franchisees. They don’t hesitate rating Mark as a unique Kitchen Studio asset.
‘What Mark doesn’t know about kitchen design, manufacture and installation isn’t worth knowing,’ says Jo. ‘As well as design contribution on our showroom kitchens, he rolled up his sleeves to help us for our opening date in October 2023, when CEOs and national managers of leading supply companies attended, along with fellow franchisees. That was our first taste of franchisee support – it was terrific!’
Scott and Jo had more than 25 years in the hospitality and entertainment industries before Jo moved into sales and marketing and Scott into promotions and business analysis.
Trust factor
‘Kitchen Studio has that all-important trust factor and, as Jo and I are all about our client experience, we particularly appreciated that Kitchen Studio provides clients with deposit protection,’ explains Scott.
‘Being a positive cashflow business, no requirement for stockholding and the focus on kitchen renovations and replacements were also pluses. Ours is a greenfields territory and, wanting to be in a retail area rather than commercial, we secured what we knew would be the ideal location in Merivale, opposite St George’s Hospital.
‘It’s really working for us. So too, is opening on Saturday and Sunday. For many couples, Sunday is the only time they can get together to talk to us about their kitchen aspirations.’
Six kitchens in the couple’s 250m2 showroom are there to inspire, give clients options for cabinet finishes, benchtop options, demonstrate organisation and space savings systems and display the quality of components supplied as the Kitchen Studio standard.
‘We both share the goal of building our franchise through ensuring our clients get a genuinely bespoke kitchen,’ says Jo. ‘We provide a seamless wrap-around experience from in-home design consultation through to cooking the first meal. It’s only early days and already we have two designers on staff, an operations co-ordinator and a contract design detailer.’
Income has tracked well since opening, and is six months ahead of projections. The pair’s investment was a $250,000 fee, which includes an exclusive territory. They secured additional funding for premises, showroom fit out and start-up capital. ‘With Kitchen Studio’s reputation, there was no trouble with finance,’ says Jo.
‘Trust us, for a couple or like-minded friends or family, kitchen renovation and replacement is big business. Kitchen Studio is your first and only franchisor choice. Call Dawn today.’
Advertiser Info
Kitchen Studio
Contact Dawn Engelbrecht
027 291 9904
