The Grill’d franchise has announced its intention to franchise. Grill’d, which has tapped into a niche market for a healthy burger offering, was founded by Simon Crowe, a former international brand manager with Foster’s, in early 2004.
Crowe says although the original business plan did not include a restaurant franchise model, the fact that four stores have opened in quick succession in Hawthorn, Malvern, Windsor and St.Kilda, prompted a re-evaluation of the concept.
“Franchising was not part of our initial plan. Grill’d is built on passion, a great culture, hard work and a fantastic team and it took some time to realise that welcoming franchisees into the Grill’d family will help, not hinder, the culture and ultimately the business,” Crowe says. “I’m surprised by the initial level of interest, with franchisees from other systems already approaching us with a desire to get on board early. The decision to franchise is an exciting one and will allow Grill’d to reach the next stages in its development.”
Crowe hopes to have 25 outlets opened by the end of 2006 and 80 in the next five years. The intention is to have 30 percent company-owned stores, with the balance owned by franchisees.
Set-up and establishment costs for a Grill’d franchise will be between $300,000 and $400,000, with exact figures dependent on the site.
According to Crowe, annualised sales for each of the four existing stores currently exceed $1 million.
19-May-2006