Tarig is the franchisee of Muffin Break Macarthur Square, and he has been with the Foodco Group for two years. He and his wife Karla Sellanes have recently taken on the Jamaica Blue store in the same centre. 

1. Why did you decide to buy a franchise?

I was interested in finding a successful business model and was recommended Muffin Break by friends and colleagues.

I found that the consensus was that Muffin Break was one of the best franchise systems around and once I looked into the business further I quickly realised that this was a business I wanted to be a part of.

2. How long have you been in the system?

I have been with the Foodco Group for two years. 

3. How did you come to decide on this brand?

We researched potential businesses for a few years as we wanted to make sure we picked the right brand and model for us and our family.

Through recommendations and research, I found that Muffin Break’s core values were exactly what I was looking for– wholesome, freshly-made and family-friendly. Perfect for a husband and wife business team!

4. How has the franchisor training helped you in business?

The training, support and wealth of resources we receive on a regular basis from the Foodco and Muffin Break head office teams is incredible.

Running a small business would be much more of a struggle if we didn’t have their support and backing.

5. What changes did you have to make to how you run your business when you became a franchisee?

Taking over Muffin Break Macarthur Square was a worthwhile challenge. We have now improved sales by nearly 40% and this has come from building relationships within the community and retail space.

We have tried to make our store a fun, family-friendly environment where customers know that they are appreciated and valued.

Marketing has also been a big focus for us. We know it is important to communicate with our customers but also to provide them with great offers and specials deals so that they keep coming back to us.

6. What have you found the most challenging aspect of being a franchisee?

We are very lucky that we find the business model simple and easy to run. The support of Foodco is extremely helpful and allows us to face the challenge of business head on and in a quick and efficient manner.

7. How are you managing the business with a new baby in tow?

It has been very hard but very rewarding. We have a good team at Muffin Break Macarthur Square and this has been the biggest help in running the business at the moment. We are lucky to have experienced well train team members that want to support us. Foodco training has also play a part with the online training and staff programs available. We can rest assured that our staff (who have done the training) are well prepared to run our business when we need to be away. We are very proud of our team.

8. What plans do you have to expand?

We have taken over the Jamaica Blue store in our centre to build upon the success we have achieved with Muffin Break. We enjoy working within the Foodco model and are confident we will achieve the same success with our new Jamaica Blue store as we have accomplished with our Muffin Break store. 

Tarig is actively involved in his local community, and he recently received the Good Beginnings Australia Local Community Hero Award for support of the national charity.