HOW LONG HAS THE BUSINESS BEEN OPERATING?
Schnitz opened its first store in 2007 and started franchising in July 2009.
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE BUSINESS?
Having built and operated 13 successful restaurants since 1974, Roman Dyduk (director) saw an opportunity to build a business around the best selling menu item – his traditional, pan-cooked schnitzels. The overwhelming volume of praise he received for his schnitzels and his passion and dedication to satisfying his customers ultimately led to the creation of Schnitz – Pan Cooked Schnitzels.
WHAT IS THE VISION FOR THE BUSINESS?
To pioneer the development of a pan-cooked schnitzel franchise model and to carve a niche in the crowded fast food market. Our vision is to become a globally recognised brand that is synonymous with quality, taste and value.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO ENTER THE ALREADY COMPETITIVE FAST FOOD MARKET?
After the creation of our first store, we knew we had created a monster. Our customers couldn’t stop raving about how good our food was so the next logical progression was to build more stores and refine our systems and processes.
HOW DO YOU TRY TO STAND OUT IN THE CROWD?
We do one thing really well – we make the best pan-cooked schnitzels in Australia. Unlike our competitors that deep fry their processed, pre-made frozen schnitzels, Schnitz uses real meat that we tenderise, crumb and cook fresh daily. We cook our schnitzels in 100 percent cholesterol-free vegetable oil and use only the freshest, gourmet ingredients in all our Wrapz and Rollz.
WHAT DO POTENTIAL FRANCHISEES NEED TO CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN YOUR BRAND?
You will need to have the right attitude, a penchant for hard work and a willingness to learn. You will need to demonstrate a passion for the hospitality industry, a love of schnitzels and the energy and enthusiasm to commit the time required to build your business.
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IN THE FAST FOOD ARENA?
All you need to do is deliver the three pinnacles of fast food – quality, speed and price – and you have a recipe for success.
WHO ARE YOUR COMPETITORS?
Any business that offers fast, healthy food options in the $5 to $15 price bracket is considered a competitor, however we have a huge advantage in the fact that we are the only dedicated schnitzel franchise in Australia.
WHAT SKILLS DO YOU BRING TO THE BUSINESS?
Roman Dyduk is responsible for overseeing site selection, store design and store fitout. Tom Dyduk is in charge of operations management, training and HR and I manage franchise sales, franchise and store marketing, IT systems and the administration of our franchisee stores.
HOW ARE YOU BUILDING BRAND AWARENESS?
We’re starting a fan club called Schnitzaholics which will have a presence on Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare with direct feeds to and from our website.
HOW IMPORTANT IS LOCATION?
Location is critical. Schnitz engages specialist analysts to assess the local demographics, foot traffic, competitors and average lease rates for the local area to determine the suitability of available sites. Our stores are located in busy, high-density CBD locations and high-traffic precincts. Future sites will be in prominent shopping centre food courts and other well-researched locations. We have both dine-in and take-away options.
WHO IS YOUR CUSTOMER?
We attract a very broad customer demographic. We have food options for kids, teenagers, students, busy professionals, tradesman, health-conscious men and women, couples, gym junkies, groups of friends, families and even seniors. Our diverse range of schnitzels caters for vegetarians, fish lovers, Muslims (our chicken is Halal) and we even have options for coeliacs and customers that don’t want a crumbed-schnitzel.
TURN-KEY COST?
$250,000 to $400,000.
MARKETING LEVY?
Two percent.
ROYALTY COSTS?
Five percent.
HOW MANY FRANCHISEES ARE IN THE SYSTEM?
We currently have two stores which are independently run and two that are company-owned.
HOW MANY STORES DO YOU PLAN TO OPEN IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS?
Six stores by the end of 2011.
WHICH AREAS ARE YOU LOOKING TO EXPAND IN?
Our focus for the next 12 to 24 months is expanding our presence in Melbourne. Once we establish 10 to 15 stores we’ll be looking at expanding our operations interstate.