Having just 14 stores in Melbourne and Sydney is not holding back the
Trios brand from international expansion as it plans to add up to 15 more outlets to the two already established in the Middle East and has its sights set on the US and China.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Dubai are next on the list for the Laffe wrap, the hero product in this Lebanese-inspired healthy
fast food franchise.
While the expected profit from the Middle Eastern investment is promising, managing director David Elia said the company faced some minor challenges in its transition from national to international status.
"Before diving head first into this project we conducted intensive market research to determine what would work, and what wouldn't work, in our Middle Eastern stores," he said. "The research concluded we needed to convert our signage into Arabic and adapt our menu to suit the tastes and preferences of the local market, such as increasing the spice levels in some of our sauces."
The focus is not entirely on overseas trade, however. The intensive market research also recommended an overhaul of Trio’s existing stores in Australia to keep abreast of changing market trends.
“We have enhanced our signage, invested more money in product development, increased our menu range to include both toasted and grilled wraps, and improved the overall store layout,” Elia said.
“There are also plans to change the structure of the business by developing stand alone store formats that offer more opportunities to also target the breakfast and dinner market. We anticipate the changes to lift sales levels in the stores by 15-20 percent.”
Local growth is expected to come in South-East Queensland, Sydney and Western Australia with plans to open between six and 10 stores this financial year.
Thsi article appears courtesy of Franchising Magazine.
15-Jan-2008