A healthy takeaway concept with a touch of theatre. That’s the driving force behind Le Wrap, a Sydney based food court franchise that’s on a roll.

Kaan Celik had been looking into the healthy food market when he became inspired by what he saw in his home town of Brisbane. Celik moved to Sydney and created the Le Wrap brand, a fast food service that matches the increasingly healthy-eating requirements of 21st century Australians with a sense of theatre at the store.

Like many fast food outlets, Le Wrap focuses on fresh food preparation, with all the ingredients laid out in front of the customer. The difference, explains Kaan’s wife and business partner, Peri, is the cooking of the meat on a grill while the customer watches.

“It’s like teppanyaki,” she explains. “The chicken breast is cut very fine and flat, it’s picked up raw with tongs and grilled in front of the customer.”

While this is happening, another member of staff is assembling the salad elements on a wrap, the grilled chicken is added, and the whole sandwich toasted.

Le Wrap is all about a healthy offering and great presentation

All this takes just three or four minutes, yet it draws quite a crowd and pleases the customers who can see both the freshness of the ingredients and the health-conscious food handling.

“Of all the takeaway options, we’re the only one made to order and cooked in front of you. We’re high on hygiene and presentation,” says Peri Celik. “We get praised for it. All our workers wear gloves, and handle the food with tongs.”

Not only do customers love the food, the very first franchisee in the network was a customer who became passionate about the business. The former ambulance officer who became a regular patron of the original Parramatta store was first in the door when the system was franchised, and opened his own outlet in Bankstown three years ago.

Expanding the brand

The Celiks built up their business from one store in 2005 to three outlets and the first franchise in 2010. When it came to opening the first franchise, “everyone was keen and passionate, it all happened so quickly”, Peri says.

When the couple began the food chain, franchising was not on their wish-list, in fact they knew nothing about it all, reveals Peri. But as customers clamoured to become involved and the brand’s reputation spread through word of mouth, the Celiks looked at franchising as an expansion option.

They had been lucky from the start with their locations, holding out for a major food court slot at Parramatta’s Westfield shopping centre after being offered a lesser site on another level to fill a void.

Now the store network is across Sydney in prime shopping centre locations – 12 sites from Campbelltown to Penrith, Macquarie Park and Chatswood to Hurstville and Eastgardens.

“The first five years we didn’t franchise. Within two years we’ve added eight stores. By December 2013 we hope to have 20 stores,” says Peri. The plans include interstate, she adds. Victoria is the next target market; in fact the Celiks have an enthusiastic potential franchisee keen to built a multi-unit business.

As well as Greenfield sites, the couple would like to sell off their corporate stores and run a fully franchised chain of outlets. They have broadened the offer to include a kiosk model too so investment costs vary, from $200,000 to $350,000, according to location and size.

They’ve looked at expanding the menu too. While Le Wrap has a predominantly lunch time trade, with a rush on between 11.30 am and 3pm, there are plans to extend the offer to bring in business earlier in the day.

Franchise start-up

Kaan Celik had a hospitality background when he developed the Le Wrap brand. But he’s not looking for anyone with similar experience as a franchisee. Because the model is simple, says Peri, there’s no need for a franchisee to have prior experience in the food or catering industry. Everything can be learned through training, and on-site in the store in the initial phase of business.

“Franchisees have to learn the register, how to make wraps, grilling, paperwork, wages, how to run the store.”

There is four weeks training for new franchisees, and new staff learn the ropes at existing stores. The system requires a minimum staff count of five at busy times.

When the doors open for the first time, franchisees are able to call on head office staff for help.

“The first week is all about admin, there’s so much to learn,” says Peri.

Marketing the message

It’s rare for the franchisor to engage in a marketing campaign for openings; the business has been built on word of mouth, and this has continued as franchisees join the network.

But 2013 is going to be a year of brand communication for the first time for the company, which has targeted magazines, radio, billboards and bus shelters as the vehicles to carry its message. The marketing campaign will focus on Sydney to help boost customer awareness of the brand now that there is an extensive network of outlets for customers to visit.