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Chocolate business to tempt overseas markets in expansion plan

Sarah Stowe

Chocolatier, cafe and bar franchise Theobroma is taking its sweet treats to the UK as part of its international growth strategy which also includes China, Singapore and India. In the UK store openings are lined up in Birmingham and London for October and November.

 Wayne Wright , Theobroma’s franchise and operations manager, told Franchising “There’s a real lack of the concept in the UK. There is nothing that combines chocolate with coffee and food. That’s the main attraction, to have it all in once concept.

“We’re working on a site in Singapore that will open in 2013 in the new Orchard Gardens complex, and we’ve signed a master franchise for New Delhi and one for Mumbai,” he said.

The UK and Singapore businesses are joint ventures, and a similar deal for China is in the pipeline.

“It’s all about getting the right partners,” said Wright, “and we’ve been working on this for 12 months.”

Wright said the master franchisee for the UK is an ex Gloria Jean’s franchisee from Sydney looking to return home while the master for New Delhi has been in the Salsa’s network here and will open a store in Australia as well as the Indian capital.

Further Australian expansion is planned, with a Perth outlet at Brookfield Place set for an August opening, and the first Queensland store to be unveiled at Southbank in October. Theombroma outlets will also open in Sydney shopping centres Castle Towers and World Square.

Theobroma launched in December 2006 and has 27 stores in Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand.

The development of the business has seen the head office team grow from two to seven in the last year, with recent appointments of full time field officers for Australia and New Zealand (which is managed by head office) to service the existing franchisees.

This will leave Wayne Wright to concentrate on franchise recruitment in the domestic market, and manage the overseas expansion of the brand.

Theobroma Is now looking for interested franchisee’s to join its growing system. Our speed of growth across the globe has been very remarkable said Wright.  Our success has been built on providing customers with the finest quality of food, beverage and chocolate with exceptional service by our franchisees. With sites planed in London and the regions around there are some great opportunities for the right people to get on board a system that is sure to explode into the UK market. If you’re passionate about, Food, Beverage, Chocolate or quality service then Theobroma may be the right choice for you.

Theobroma now offers more than 100 different types of handmade boutique chocolates, including a unique range of colored chocolate..

The stores offer customers chocolate desserts, chocolate drizzled waffles, hot and

cold beverages as well as a full food menu and beverages with the chocolate mainstay. It also offers gourmet coffee and premium teas.