Mark and Fiona Drinkwater are the happy owners of the new Quest Campbelltown franchise, comprising 81 serviced apartments.

Fiona has a long history in the accommodation and hospitality industry, some of which has been spent working at Quest Royal Gardens and Quest Docklands in Melbourne, and while the pair have previously co-managed Quest Singleton, the move to becoming franchisees was a little more daunting for Mark, who had worked in the Australian Army before joining the Melbourne Police Force.

“Mark was very happy in the police, but seeing the success of the people [at Quest] and what a Quest franchise can offer in terms of lifestyle — although it is hard work — financially and from a personal point of view, it ticked all those boxes for us,” says Fiona.

Mark was able to take a period of three yearsÕ leave without pay from the police force, but he says he wonÕt be going back.

“I will resign from the job. I wonÕt be going back to it. This is our future now,” he says. “The opportunity to work for ourselves and for me to work with my wife and best friend is priceless.”

The Quest Campbelltown franchise opened its doors in September last year and while running their own business is a juggling act for Mark and Fiona, who also have a two and a half year old daughter Lily, they say the support and guidance offered by Quest makes all the difference.

“It is a wonderful group to be a part of because of the passion, the commitment to the brand, to the franchisees and to the people as well,” says Mark.

“ThatÕs something we treasure, being a part of that network. The people are fantastic, not just the other franchisees but all the staff and everything they do on a corporate level as well.”

In 2008 Quest introduced Quest for a Cause, an initiative which encourages franchisees to select a charity in their local area and support them wherever possible; something that Mark and Fiona have embraced whole-heartedly.

“The Right Start is a new organisation developed by some young mums whose goal is to have a dedicated centre that will provide support, relationships and resources for parents of Down Syndrome children. Our involvement is just being there where we can, so raising funds or just helping to raise awareness,” says Fiona.

Mark and Fiona are open to supporting the organisation in a number of different ways, whether it be donating a Quest room to be auctioned off at events or showing their support by attending certain events.

The Campbelltown Quest team also did its bit for MS recently, taking part in a 24 hour mega-swim charity event, and Mark is keen to help out his mates in the police force in the not too distant future.

“Because weÕre only new we canÕt do everything at once, but where we can we get involved. IÕve just created a bit of a relationship with the local police and weÕre looking to sponsor some of their events and getting involved with them,” he says.

“ItÕs not so much a commercial decision for us. ItÕs not about what we can get from it. ItÕs more about being in line with our principles and values and in line with the values of Quest.”

“There are benefits, and I think that being such a new business, one of them is that the community gets to know us as well, so just building that relationship,” adds Fiona.

“One of our core values is to immerse ourselves in the community and partner with other businesses and programs. WeÕre moving to the community, and our family lives here as well, not just our business. ThatÕs paramount, being part of the local community.”