Chris Caldwell believes the local chicken shop can offer something more than the traditional menu and he has backed himself with the Melbourne launch of Love Pollo. The former Bakers Delight general manager has established two outlets and is now poised to franchise the business.

Why chicken?

“I’ve always been a massive eater of chicken. Roast chicken was my favourite meal for a birthday treat,” explains Caldwell.

“That combined with my time spent looking at bakeries in retail strips and I was just amazed how many chicken shops there are, about 9000, and how poor standards are in a high proportion of the stores.

“There are some good stores out there, and 95 percent make good chicken or do good burgers, but don’t have a contemporary menu and environment.”

Love Pollo was created to meet the more discerning needs of consumers, he says.

That means catering for different tastes and menu requirements – plenty of salads for the healthy eater, and affirming strict processes and gaining credibility through membership of the Coeliac Society in Victoria, for instance.

“The environment is something we’ve designed to be more upmarket, making it more conducive to dine in.”  Love Pollo store design harks back to the idea of farmyard chickens with a barn feel, big doors and a nice bright light.

The premium products puts the menu pricing at a fraction less than some more contemporary high end franchise food outlets, but more expensive than the average chicken shop, he says.

For now the sites are firmly suburban strips: Camberwell is 120 sq m including the back of house, Brighton is 90 sq m. Caldwell believes there are plenty of opportunities on strip sites and there’s no need to risk locating in shopping centres just yet.

Both stores are heavily engaged in local junior sport clubs. “It’s a quick way to make kids and families award of the brand,” he says.

Sponsorship of local charities, letterbox drops and promotions through school newsletters are also helping to boost brand awareness.

“We’ve got quite a bit of interest in franchising. One staff member is opening a franchise before Christmas,” he says.  In 2015 he hopes to take the brand to Sydney and to have 20 stores within four years.

“We want franchisees who have a passion for healthy food options for families.”

“What I learned at Bakers Delight was that having a very constant dialogue with franchisees is the lynchpin of good business. It’s us together growing the brand and the business.”

Images: Love Pollo