The sector’s best have been celebrated in style at the Franchise Council of Australia’s (FCA) 2019 Victorian Franchise Excellence Awards.
The ceremony showcased the efforts of small business owners and head office staff, with four award winners taking home accolades.
Roll’d Australia was the big winner on the night, collecting two major gongs.
Victorian Franchise Excellence Award winners
Jenny Rayner was named Franchise Woman of the Year, cementing her place as a leader in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) category.
The first female Roll’d franchisee, Rayner has taken her Chadstone franchises to top of the network, providing a stable platform that promotes empowerment. Rayner employs a team of 25 predominantly female staff, with her latest accolade following previous acknowledgements as Roll’d Franchisee & Store of the Year and Vicinity Food Retailer of the Year.
Fellow Roll’d Australia franchisee Eric Ha, who operates outlets in Victoria Gardens and Malvern Central picked up the award for Multi-Unit Franchisee of the Year. The successful entrepreneur credited his experience working at franchise giant McDonald’s for his personal growth.
Ha said his previous work at McDonald’s provided extensive knowledge on the business model, equipping him with the tools to effectively manage people, customers, sales and unit profitability.
Similarly, it was industry experience that led husband and wife team Ky and Mark O’Shea to success in the Single-Unit Franchisee of the year, two or more staff category.
The pair spent the majority of their careers in the hospitality and tourism sectors, before joining the Quest Apartment Hotels team. The move has proven to be resounding success. The former chef and travel agent started out as property managers, before taking the leap into franchising.
On the head office side of things, Shingle Inn’s Melinda Bowles took out the title of Field Manager of the Year. The hospitality veteran and former franchisee joined the heritage operation in 2016, and has since taken on responsibility for the largest number of stores in the network.
Mary Aldred, FCA CEO said the awards ceremony provided an opportunity for small business owners to take a step back and acknowledge their personal achievements.
“The outstanding effort by the franchisees who took out the awards, and their contribution as successful small to medium business operators, shows the positive impact franchising can have on employment, the economy and community,” Aldred said.
“The businesses run by these franchise owners are fantastic examples of small to medium businesses achieving in a tough environment and setting the benchmark for franchising in Victoria.”
The Victorian state winners have also now qualified as finalists for the MYOB FCA National Excellence in Franchising Awards.