The Coffee Club franchise puts customers first
Training provided: An initial 4 weeks and then ongoing
Marketing support: National, regional and local
Agreement terms: As per lease - average is 5 years
Number of units: 157
Investment required: Over $350K
Business established:1989
Franchising commenced: 1994
John Lazarou, public relations director The Coffee Club
"Your people and the way they treat your customers are the heart of your business, yet finding the right people is one of the most difficult aspects of owning a coffee shop. If can be heartbreaking when someone doesn't work out, especially when you understand how much time and effort goes into training them.
"I would choose someone with common sense over experience any time and, where possible, we hand pick our staff for personality. You can train people to make a good coffee but you can't train for personality and manners. Unfortunately, that combination is not always easy to find and no one gets it right every time, but we do help our (franchisees) to understand what they should be looking for and why. When they open their first store, we help them to put together their first team, explaining why we choose one person over another, particularly if the one we go with doesn't have experience in hospitality.
"If you want your customers to come back, you need to interact with them and to befriend them. The coffee set of today in Australia is very switched on. They know good coffee, but they also know what you can find it in a lot of places. Now they look for a bit of recognition. As with any coffee shop, you're way ahead of the game if you're a people person, if you feel as though you're expecting friends to pop by for a cup of coffee and you treat all of your customers that way.
"I'm proud to say that the Coffee Club's VIP concept was mine, and still think, as a loyalty program, it's second to none. Customers pay just $22 for 12 months and, for that, they can get a free coffee or other hot beverage with every one they buy, plus 10 per cent off everything on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. They also have a chance to win prizes.
"We have over 90,000 members. A lot of those have come from referrals and, we all know that word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising. The VIP card is personalised and identifies the store where you joined, it's fascination to see how people use it when they travel. It's also a great conversation starter. We pride ourselves on consistency and our customers know they will get the same product and service, regardless of the location.
"We constantly strive for perfection but don't believe we can ever achieve it. We are always open to suggestions, feedback and ideas from our franchisees or consultants. That said, franchisees are attracted by our success. We have 157 stores at the moment. While we're totally professional, there is a family atmosphere and franchisees know they can talk to me or either of the other two partners at any time.”
25.07.2007
FCA Member
The Coffee Club Franchising Pty Ltd News
The Coffee Club scoops up three accolades at Excellence in Franchising Awards
8/12/2011 - The FCA Excellence in Franchising Award winners were announced ...
Coffee Club cafe franchise owner impressed by supportive franchise system
21/10/2011 - Owner of the Stockland Townsville and Domain Townsville Coffee ...
Cafe franchise opportunities now exist with The Coffee Club
15/09/2011 - The Coffee Club is now offering those looking to own their ...
The Coffee Club's varying styles of cafe franchises suit a variety of potential franchisees
14/06/2011 - The Coffee Club offer potential franchisees the chance ...
Coffee Club wins Queensland Franchisee of the Year Award
8/09/2009 - The QLD/NT Franchising Awards were held at the Brisbane Marriot ...
The Coffee Club franchise sees overseas boost
26/05/2009 - Coffee shop franchise business, The Coffee Club, is forecasting ...
Contact The Coffee Club Franchising Pty Ltd
Tel: 1300 408 566
Fax: 07 3844 2551
