Rohan Davis joined the SumoSalad brand four years ago following a redundancy. He found franchising was a great fit because it offers an existing business model as well as ongoing support and guidance.
“I spent 11 years in hotels, as well as seven years in a management capacity in consumer finance for a holiday timeshare business.
“Faced with the challenge of getting back on my feet [following the redundancy], I looked to where I could apply my acquired skills from hospitality and customer service to begin building a profitable business for my family and myself,” he explains.
A UNIQUE OFFERING
Rohan found the SumoSalad opportunity particularly appealing by virtue of its healthy fast food offering.
“I believed there would be a great chance of success and satisfaction in running an established business with a product that has a point of difference,” he says.
Rohan was also impressed by the brand’s business model, which he believes is both successful and delivers proven results.
“As I was starting from scratch it was important that there would be training programs, ongoing operational support, marketing assistance and constructive advice available. SumoSalad ticked all the boxes – it was the right size to offer support, with a strong potential for future growth,” he adds.
A PACKED SCHEDULE
Rohan was initially surprised by just how much work was required to operate his store. “There is a lot of work behind the scenes, from rosters to profit and loss statements and the pay run. It is one thing to run the store and be on the floor, it is another to make sure everything functions smoothly behind the scenes.”
Thankfully, he managed to pick up all of the skills required to run his franchise rather quickly. “SumoSalad provides amazing support and training, especially in the initial stages. The initial training and support both in store and over the phone was great – it lasted for six weeks at which point I felt confident enough to stand on my own.
“SumoSalad has a great business model in place and the company provides great support in the form of marketing, operations, human resources and IT,” he explains.
It comes as no surprise, then, that he advises potential franchisees be prepared to work hard, particularly in the early stages.
“It sounds clich, but you will need to invest all your time in the beginning to ensure your business is a success.
“Get involved in all aspects of the store, from working on the floor and serving customers, to admin and back of house. This will ensure you have a deep understanding of your business,” Rohan says.
ONGOING TRAINING AND SUPPORT
Rohan values the ongoing support on offer at SumoSalad, and believes the company genuinely cares about its franchisees.
“SumoSalad continues to offer a wide support network which includes marketing, the introduction of new initiatives and in particular product development.
“The company works to ensure that we introduce new products during seasonal lows such as winter, where sales typically drop. The head office team are always looking forward and its franchisees are top of mind,” he says.
“I am also lucky enough to have a great operations manager who is there whenever I need support or advice.”
OVERCOMING THE GFC
Rohan was made redundant as a result of the GFC, and says his SumoSalad business was similarly affected.
“The biggest challenge the business has faced was the GFC and the affect it had on the retail space. As my store is positioned in a shopping centre, the foot traffic dropped significantly. That had a flow on effect, as cash flow almost totally seized up,” he explains.
“In order to overcome this, I had to really learn where I could save on controllable costs in all aspects of the business to save costs where I could.”
On a more positive note, Rohan acquired a wealth of new skills along the way, enabling him to better run his store well into the future and beyond.
“I learned how to run a store efficiently and effectively so when consumer confidence and spending improved, everything was running well, as I had learned how to operate the store at an optimum level,” he says.
A SUCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
Rohan and his wife work in the business together – Rohan is very much involved in the day-to-day operation of the store, meanwhile his wife is predominantly responsible for the administrative side of the business.
“An average day includes opening the doors, prepping the food, stock ordering, banking and assisting during lunch service.
“My wife comes in on Thursdays to help, and she works from home for the rest of the week to ensure all the back of house finance and admin work is up to date,” he says.
LOCAL AREA MARKETING TIPS
Rohan says SumoSalad offers a wealth of marketing support, which has a positive impact on the business on a local level.
He and his wife also:
- Focus on delivering amazing food and customer service to ensure return customers and strong referrals
- Provide catering to their children’s school events
- Regularly engage with local high schools to hire, train and educate teenagers about the SumoSalad brand
THE BENEFITS OF BEING YOUR OWN BOSS
Rohan says franchising has been life changing. “It has enabled me to feel a strong sense of security in my career, and a future I can control by being my own boss.
“I take pride in the fact that it is my own business, so the harder I work, the more rewarding it will be,” he adds.
Rohan has two primary goals for his Gold Coast based franchise:
- Consistently grow the business’s sales and customer base
- Start to work on the business and not in the business
“I would like to begin managing the store a little more, and train more staff to take on more responsibility,” he adds.