Opening a restaurant from start to finish brings a lot of challenges. There are many details to manage and tasks to execute, from site selection to team development. When deciding on investing in a franchise, it’s important to consider the support franchisors give to ensure franchisees can open their doors and be successful.
Navigating the laundry list of to-dos can be daunting. If one detail slips through the cracks, it can create a domino effect causing delays and increased costs. Not all franchisors provide the same level of guidance during the development process. Franchisees should always make sure to research and ask questions about the backend support they will be getting as part of the franchise agreement. Will there be help with site selection? What will the training consist of to get up to date on brand protocols and operations? Will support continue well past opening?
Bonchon, a Korean fried chicken franchise with over 400 locations globally and a 76.8% five-year growth rate, has taken all of these issues into consideration and created a detailed roadmap for new franchisees preparing to open their restaurants.
“We have a New Restaurant Opening Concierge role and process where we have one Bonchon team member assigned to a franchise partner from the moment they sign their agreement until they open the doors and hand off to the Operations support team,” said Amanda Millikan, Vice President of Development for Bonchon.
The Concierge acts as a liaison between the franchise partner and the relevant subject matter expert for each phase of the project. For example, during site selection, the Concierge introduces the Bonchon real estate team that supports the franchisee in finding the best possible location.
The Concierge not only provides guidance on the physical store development, they also provide support and advisement on hiring and training best practices to help set up the franchise partner for operational success. Furthermore, they guide the franchisee to all the tools, resources and vendors within the Bonchon system to ensure the franchise partner and the store is well-equipped for all aspects that it takes to run a successful restaurant, including marketing, IT, staffing, operations, training, inventory management and facility maintenance.
One of the many benefits of investing in a franchise is tapping into their years of experience and best practices as opposed to starting from scratch. By having a supportive and knowledgeable team available, there is always someone with an answer or suggestion, so franchisees are not alone. Bonchon ensures that its franchisees are supported throughout every step of the process. To learn more about becoming a Bonchon franchise partner, click here.
This post is sponsored by Bonchon