Food Feature Articles

Food Feature Articles

Franchise Sector Showcase

Informative Food franchise articles to support business buyers, franchisees, and franchisors.

One common thread linking this year's group of multi-unit dominators is how none planned a career in franchising.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 5,262 Reads
Wisconsin-based Topper's Pizza just launched its first-ever "mobile pizza store" this past July. The brand is one of many testing the waters of mobile food delivery vehicles.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 9,405 Reads 840 Shares
John Scharnweber grew up in the restaurant business, starting at the bottom as a dishwasher and busboy growing up in Minneapolis.
  • John Carroll
  • 7,269 Reads 3 Shares
In this issue's glimpse into a franchise start-up, I'll share the challenges and the victories I've encountered in attempting to differentiate our emerging EarthFruits Yogurt brand within its red-hot category and the resultant commoditization occurring within the space.
  • Keith Gerson
  • 4,377 Reads 60 Shares
In this sluggish economy, home-based franchises--or businesses you can run out of a home office--are some of the fastest moving franchise opportunities out there.
  • Susan Morris
  • 6,130 Reads 107 Shares
Former U.S. Marine Sergeant Steve Brevitz always dreamed of having his own business.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 7,419 Reads 1,023 Shares
Many franchisors lust for experienced multi-unit franchisees to buy their concepts.
  • Steve Olson
  • 5,377 Reads 613 Shares
Having survived five decades, including eight recessions, a bankruptcy, the closing of nearly half its restaurants, a reputation-killing E. coli outbreak, and multiple ownership changes, Sizzler, the original "American Family Steakhouse," was on the mend as it celebrated its 50th anniversary in January 2008.
  • Michael Branigan
  • 3,993 Reads 1 Shares
As we've seen in high-definition in the past few months--from the natural and man-made disasters in Japan, to the rolling upheavals across North Africa and the Middle East, to the volatile whipsaws in food and energy prices--the factors that must be accounted for while structuring financial affairs are much more complicated than ever before.
  • Carol Clark
  • 7,399 Reads 1,023 Shares
Kevin Hatton is honest enough to admit that when he became an EMT at age 18, he came to the job with no noble or lofty motives.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 7,268 Reads
As savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in a changing economy, FUSR continues to bring you good news each month, highlighting brands that are adding units, increasing comp store sales, striking deals with investors, innovating, and continuing to grow, whether domestically or overseas.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 5,685 Reads 195 Shares
Potbelly Sandwich Works
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Forecasting is a tricky business, involving equal amounts of data crunching, interpreting economic and general news events, common sense, and guessing.
  • Darrell Johnson
  • 7,096 Reads
John Scharnweber grew up in the restaurant business, starting at the bottom as a dishwasher and busboy growing up in Minneapolis.
  • John Carroll
  • 6,153 Reads
The inspiration for Randy Elias's expansion into a new franchise concept came from a restaurant he'd been frequenting for years.
  • Tracy Staton
  • 6,650 Reads 84 Shares
Last month I discussed three steps for businesses to get started in social media.
  • Erica McClenny
  • 8,986 Reads 2,317 Shares
The stagnant economy. Sustained unemployment. Rising food and gas prices. It's no wonder consumers are more value-conscious than ever before.
  • Denise Lee Yohn
  • 5,602 Reads 30 Shares
Access to capital has been a bane to franchise growth for nearly three years. Much of the blame has been placed on lenders, who have been notoriously gun-shy since the September 2008 financial debacle.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 5,499 Reads 57 Shares
As savvy franchise companies continue to flourish in a changing economy, FUSR continues to bring you good news each month, highlighting brands that are adding units, increasing comp store sales, striking deals with investors, innovating, and continuing to grow, whether domestically or overseas.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 6,989 Reads 1 Shares
Mobile applications allow customers to choose location, menu, and to select from the menu.
  • James Stewart
  • 3,334 Reads 110 Shares
For years, Jeff Orlando has read with fascination the articles in franchise and business magazines about super-successful entrepreneurs. "It's amazing to read about these guys who have 87 Burger Kings and 92 Wendy's units and these unbelievable homes and lifestyles," says the Killeen, Tex., resident. However, he adds, it's also nice to read about "regular guys like me," who choose to define their success in a different way.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 6,245 Reads
Kevin Hatton is honest enough to admit that when he became an EMT at age 18, he came to the job with no noble or lofty motives.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 7,888 Reads
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As multi-unit franchisees with 24 Sizzler restaurants, Gary and Sally Myers spend a lot of time together at work, where he is president and CEO of their Temecula, Calif.-based company, and she is vice president of marketing.
  • Debbie Selinsky
  • 14,866 Reads 2 Shares
In early 2008, Moe's Southwest Grill was still something of a newcomer in Mexican fast-casual segment. But in the eight years since it had been founded, not much new work had been done on either the restaurant prototype or its menu. So when Focus Brands acquired the franchisor in August 2007, then CEO Steve Romaniello reached out to Paul Damico to see if he was interested in not just running the brand, but freshening it up and reenergizing it.
  • John Carroll
  • 19,629 Reads 2 Shares
You might not know it from reading the news, but there's a lot of money out there looking for a good home, and high-performing multi-unit franchise companies have become targets for private equity investors. Estimates of available private equity peg the pent-up funds at about $500 billion, more than enough pie for most multi-unit franchisees to get a slice--if they have what it take to appeal to investors.
  • Eddy Goldberg
  • 9,180 Reads 634 Shares
Many retailers are interested in building up new business by offering a deeply discounted "Groupon-like" gift certificate program. These programs market to local residents that, for example, for $25 they can get $50 worth of food at Fred's Pub. To be effective, the discounted certificate almost always has a short expiration date, a few weeks or months.
  • Judith Rinearson
  • 2,151 Reads
Today's customers are omnipotent. It really is the consumer--customer or guest, however you name them--who owns your brand. They make the rules now. Then they sit in judgment and deliver the verdict to their friends and family, often with their opinions amplified on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Yelp!
  • Jack Mackey
  • 3,354 Reads 1,023 Shares
Andy Lanz got started in franchising right out of the University of Wisconsin in Madison. With the help of his parents, the newly minted economics graduate purchased a Cousins Subs franchise in nearby Verona. Then he added a Figaro's Italian Pizza franchise as well as a Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream operation, and put them all together inside his first 2,500-square-foot store.
  • John Carroll
  • 7,396 Reads 1,014 Shares
The Great Recession has shifted the thinking and behavior of consumers, forcing franchise brands to respond with changes of their own as they try to keep up with the new normal. Indeed, no discussion of franchise trends in 2011 and multi-unit operators' favorite brands can begin without a nod to the recent economic turmoil and its residual short and long-term effects.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 6,769 Reads 4 Shares
Mobile applications and technologies provide the ability to significantly improve customer experience shopping at franchise stores. The mobile device provides many opportunities for advertising, customer engagement, and most important, sales. Franchises will uniquely benefit from these capabilities along the entire spectrum, from brand marketing to closing the sale.
  • Conrad Sheehan
  • 3,696 Reads 75 Shares
Consumer marketing has emerged as a sizzling-hot topic in franchise circles. Reaching customers efficiently and cost-effectively is front and center right now. Strategies and tools are rapidly changing and those brands not keeping up will undoubtedly suffer at the hands of their competition.
  • Kerry Pipes
  • 3,910 Reads 1 Shares
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