Shane and Leah Forde own the Michel’s Patisserie in Carousel, Western Australia.
How did you get into franchising?
Business was always something that I wanted to get into but was not necessarily my wife’s first choice. A friend of mine had started in his own franchise with Subway and I thought this would be a good way to get into being my own boss. I contacted Michel’s and thought it was a great opportunity to start off at a ground level with the company that was not a familiar name in Western Australia.
What are the benefits of being a franchisee?
The main benefit is the support. Retail Food Group is a very large company that is the support network for Michel’s, Brumby’s, bb’s Caf and Donut King. We have a marketing team, a product development team, business development manager and many other departments that can assist in growing our business. Although we also do a lot of this ourselves, this support allows us to concentrate on the business and its customers.
How have you made your mark in the business?
We have been commended on our customer service and we pride ourselves on this. We have gone back to the old values and do the little things such as walking cakes out to the car for customers, checking with them to make sure that everything is up to standard and being friendly and helpful.
What is the best part of your day?
My best part of the day is when I have the opportunity to interact with the customers. We have many regular customers come into the store and I love to have a chat with them and listen to their stories or jokes they have for me. The staff running joke is that I am the social director of our store!
Why do you love your job?
I meet many different people throughout the day and I love seeing different people’s reactions, such as the surprise when the specialty cake is shown to them or when we present them with a coffee with a pattern on it. Both my wife Leah and I love being our own bosses. What we do in the store and how we run it is up to us. It also allows for a lot of flexibility for us both.