The Franchise Co offers opportunities for food entrepreneurs
The Franchise Co has some of South Africa's leading food brands in its stable and now has set its sights on developing a whole new category of entrepreneurs by offering the country's first franchised mobile restaurant.
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The travelling restaurant will give entrepreneurs an affordable opportunity to break into the food franchising sector, without the often-prohibitive costs of setting up a fixed site restaurant.
The company’s Nyamalicious offering includes a fully equipped, branded mobile restaurant, which allows franchisees to offer their customers a moveable feast of braaied meat and flame grilled chicken, and physically taking their business to where the people are.
Marcel Strauss, group chief operating officer at the Franchise Co, says that innovation and developing entrepreneurship have always been the underpinning ethos of the group’s business. “Covid expedited our plans to manufacture and roll out a unique concept that would allow entrepreneurs access to an affordable food franchise model, while meeting the rapidly changing needs of customers and the market.”
“Consumer behaviour and purchasing habits have completely changed the world over. A year ago, before the advent of the coronavirus, people frequented restaurants, pubs, clubs, and congested malls without concern and as part of a regular social outing with friends and family. With the Covid infection rates still concerningly high and people being more conscious of potential health risks, purchasing decisions are now being driven by the most basic needs. Online shopping, connected learning, and embracing digital commerce, is more popular and profitable than ever before. Consumers have become accustomed to their favourite products coming to them, adds Wandile Cindi, spokesperson of Nyamalicious.
Cindi says it is not just consumers who have had a eureka moment, but businesses have had to adapt fast to ensure their own survival.
“Millions of South Africans have lost their jobs due to Covid and are either drawing UIF while battling to find another job, or they are trying a side-hustle to put food on the table. Some have been fortunate enough to receive a redundancy or retrenchment package, which they will live off until the bank account runs dry, or they can pick a smarter option and invest it into a business that will continue to provide them with a return,” Cindi continues.
A Nyamalicious mobile restaurant that is fully equipped to make money from the first day of operations, costs a mere, once off fee of R170,000. After the initial payment to buy into the franchise business, Nyamalicious charges franchisees a fee of R5,500 per month, which allows them the usage rights of the transportable restaurant. In support of the entrepreneur, the franchisor will receive training on how to operate the business, set menus, effective stock control, staff management, site locations, as well as marketing support to set the business apart from its competitors.
“The beauty of the Nyamalicious model is that franchisees can select or develop their own menus, source their own produce, and adapt their offering to suit local tastes in their particular trading area. For instance, an entrepreneur in Diepsloot might want to include runners (chicken feet) and pap on the menu, while a franchisee in Cape Town might prefer to offer fish and chips, instead.
“Whether you want to position your Nyamalicious mobile restaurant at a taxi rank, a busy construction site, soccer matches, and even private celebrations and funerals, the choice is yours. Nyamalicious will help you to select your preferred site but will also manage geographical locations carefully to ensure that you don’t infringe on a fellow franchisee’s area,” continues Cindi.
The Franchise Co. believes that it is projects such as these that can do much to help the economy recover.
For more, go to www.nyamalicious.com.
