Michel’s Patisserie has grown from a small bakery in Hornsby, Sydney in 1988 to a national footprint with almost 300 stores. The chain is now part of the Retail Food Group.
1. How many outlets are there in your Australian network?
About 260.
2. How many franchisees do you have in Australia
Just over 240.
3. How long is a franchise term?
Usually five years.
4. How many different business models are there in your system?
There are three: kiosk, in-line and in-line caf.
5. What is the footprint of your stores?
Depending on store type and location: 28-30 sqm, 50-100 sqm, 75-150sqm.
6. Who finds the location?
Michel’s Patisserie.
7. What is the total cost of a franchise?
The price varies according to location, but Michel’s Patisserie can be $320-400,000 and for Michel’s Patisserie & Caf, $340-$400,000.
8. What deposit is required?
$3,000.
9. Is there financial assistance available to fund the franchisee’s purchase?
Yes, financial assistance is available to suitable approved applicants.
10. What royalties and marketing fees are there?
Franchisees pay seven percent franchise service fee, three percent on marketing.
11. What marketing collateral is available to franchisees?
Michel’s Patisserie runs regular promotions and supplies franchisees with a range of collateral to support national campaigns in store, from counter cards and bunting to posters and localised marketing materials.
12. How many hours training do new franchisees need and how many hours do they need to spend each year on training?
Initial training typically runs for four to five weeks, then franchisees have access to quarterly training workshops.
13. Where is training conducted?
Initial training is at Retail Food Group’s Gold Coast training academy, then ongoing training is conducted in store by business development managers and barista trainers as well as at quarterly workshops held in each state.
14. Is the franchisor a registered training organisation?
No
15. What barista training is available?
Michel’s Patisserie employs a team of barista trainers who conduct regular in store training with franchisees and team members.
16. Does the franchisor source coffee beans from an internal coffee-roaster?
Yes, Michel’s Patisserie’s award winning coffee blend is roasted at Retail Food Group’s roasting facility in Sydney.
17. What are the standard opening hours?
It depends on location but usually in line with the shopping centre or surrounding businesses.
18. Is there a customer loyalty program?
Many franchisees offer a coffee card loyalty program.
19. Can customers order coffee and food online and pick up?
Customers can special order cakes online and pick them up from their local store.
20. How many cups of coffee are served in your network each year?
16 million
What is the biggest challenge for coffee chains?
Alicia Atkinson, managing director, says “Changing the perception that chains can’t make great coffee. Michel’s Patisserie has been raising awareness of the quality of our coffee by highlighting our awards (Roy Morgan’s Coffee Shop of the Year for the last four years in a row) and educating our consumers about the skills of our highly trained baristas through campaigns and by entering competitions.
What is new in the business?
Michel’s Patisserie & Caf is everything a Michel’s Patisserie is, with a little extra touch. Whilst still maintaining a take-away offering, this concept offers an extended dine- in experience, so customers are invited to stay a little longer. The menu offers everything a standard Michel’s does with added breakfast and light meal options. Michel’s Patisserie & Cafs are equipped with an easy to run short order kitchen, an easy to execute menu that doesn’t rely on a fully qualified chef, together with a larger seating area to ensure all customers can be catered to.
- Find out more about buying a Michel’s Patisserie franchise