Brad and Sarah Ness have gone from strength to strength as a multi-site franchise success story.
After purchasing their first
Bakers Delight in Burleigh Town Market Place in 2001, the Ness’ now own three bakeries throughout southeast Queensland.
Bakers Delight was one of the first franchised businesses to start in Queensland in 1993, and fourteen years on, now boasts 72 franchises across the state.
According to Brad, the Bakers Delight business model and strength of the brand, along with the opportunity to own their own business was very appealing.
“Sarah and I didn’t have a background in baking, but we did have solid management experience gained from working in management roles at McDonalds.”
After leaving McDonalds and working in operations for a bakery chain in Brisbane, Brad joined Bakers Delight, where he spent 12 months in a business consulting role. This proved to be invaluable experience.
“Working closely with franchisees at Bakers Delight allowed me to get first-hand experience in franchise ownership. It also gave me terrific insight into the systems and support that would be available to me as a franchisee.
“We could see real potential in owning a Bakers Delight franchise in Queensland and decided to research the possibility of purchasing our own.
“It was a big decision to make, but we were confident we could develop our own success as part of Bakers Delight’s network. With the help of a business partner, we opened our first store in 2001.
“The Bakers Delight franchise system provides ongoing operational support which enabled us to build on our initial success. Our first 12 months in the business was demanding, but we managed to build our bakery to one of the highest performing bakeries in Queensland.
“It was reassuring to know that although we were starting our own business, we weren’t alone - we could always tap into the support offered by head office and share successes with fellow franchisees.
“The support and advice we receive in the areas of marketing, PR, advertising, IT and finance is invaluable, and allows us to concentrate on customer service and delivering a high quality product for our customers,” says Brad.
Brad now manages the operations of their three
retail franchise stores, while Sarah is responsible for managing staff and ensuring customer services standards are high.
Sarah explains, “At any one time, we may have up to 80 staff to manage over four bakeries. This can be challenging but very rewarding to see our employees develop their skills and careers.
“For example, baking competitions that Bakers Delight conducts for its franchisees and their employees, is a great way to inspire our staff and lift key areas of quality and service. It helps promote a healthy rivalry too!”
Brad and Sarah also manage a young family, and while the long hours can sometimes be demanding, the very nature of a
food & beverage franchise with strong systems, helps ensure the couple can grow their business and manage their family.
The couple’s immediate goals are to focus on developing their bakeries, located in Helensvale Plaza, Oxenford and Victoria Point, to ensure the business realises its full potential, and to continue staff training and development.
“Without doubt, the stronger the franchisees, the stronger the franchise,” says Brad, “and vice versa.”
“It makes a real difference when running your own business to know you are fully supported by a proven system. One day, we hope some of our staff may also have the opportunity to open their own bakery - this would certainly give Sarah and I a real buzz!”
About Bakers Delight:
Bakers Delight, the world’s most successful franchise bakery, was established in 1980 as a single bakery on Glenferrie Road in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn. An Australian owned company, Bakers Delight boasts over 700 bakeries employing more than 15,000 people, serving 2.5 million regular customers per week throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Bakers Delight has been a major corporate partner of the Breast Cancer Network Australia for eight years, raising almost $2.7 million within this time. Through its bakery network, the company donates approximately $143 million in bread to charities each year.16-Sep-2008