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Buying an Asian food franchise: Noodle Box and the guest experience

Sarah Stowe

With its recent acquisition of Wokinabox in December 2015 and trading under Asian Restaurant Concepts, Noodle Box is one of the leading Australian noodle-based quick service restaurants. Optimising the guest experience is a major driver of franchisee success. Image: Noodlebox

CEO Ian Martin believes that the advantages of the Noodle Box franchise is the higher small business success rate due to a proven system, established brand, network support, and franchisee ability to leverage benefits from scale compared to independent operators.

Franchisees need to have a “passion for providing a guest experience (with a) balance between entrepreneurial spirit and being part of a system,” said Martin.

He says that the common challenges faced by franchisees are managing that balance, understanding the market, and maintaining a team dynamic with the brand owner.

As the ideal location for Noodle Box franchises are in smaller centres, the main competitors are local independent operators, all vying for their share of customers. Although the industry is competitive, consumers flock to the brand due to its reputation.

“Noodle Box has been serving our great Noodle Box meals for 20 years this year and many of our guests have grown up with the brand,” explained Martin.

“The Noodle Box brand is important as it provides our guests with the confidence that the same great experience will be consistency delivered by friendly well trained team members in all restaurants across the country whether in Devonport, Townsville or Perth.”   

Martin said that locations are “deliberately not in New South Wales” as part of selecting a strategically ideal site with ample parking, a variety of other restaurants, away from food courts and shopping centres.

And in a world where restaurants must evolve to cater for changing dietary requirements, Noodle Box is no exception.

“One of the strengths of Noodle Box is the near endless possibilities that our “Build Your Own” menu offers,” said Martin.

“For many years guests have enjoyed the flexibility to choose from a variety of noodles or rice and propriety sauces and fresh vegetables and condiments to create a meal just right for them.”

His advice for potential franchisees considering joining the fast food industry is to opt for the bigger brands whilst keeping with the system in place, and to understand their specific business goals and timeframe.

“Everyone should have an exit strategy,” added Martin.

Although expansion and multi-franchising is encouraged, in his view, the business doesn’t grow for the sake of growing.

“We have great single restaurant franchise partners who are very content successfully running their restaurant and that’s great.”