Karen Bawden has been involved with The Cheesecake Shop for nearly 15 years. Initially employed as a cake decorator, Karen later moved up the ranks to become a store manager and purchased her own franchise in 2007.
During her time as a Cheesecake Shop employee, Karen, who is the brand’s 2013 Franchisee of the Year, developed a fondness for many aspects of the business.
“I saw how effective the branding for The Cheesecake Shop was, and I loved the product and the fact that it is baked on premises, which is a real point of difference to other systems I have seen,” she says.
“I’ve worked in the food industry for a long time and this is the first time I’ve had people come in and sing the jingle to me.”
While Karen and her husband jointly own the business, she devotes the majority of her time to the store.
“He only helps out in a handy man sort of role when needed. It’s really my baby and I enjoy all aspects of the business.”
QUALITY STAFF
Staff turnover is often high in the food and hospitality industries, however Karen says her employees are incredibly loyal and have stuck by her over the years.
“They are all awesome and do a fantastic job. After working in a few food retail areas I noticed one of the main issues you face day-to-day is staff turnover, particularly in front of house.
“I’m lucky to have a crew that treat the store like their own!”
THE DAY-TO-DAY
Karen’s average day is spent in the store, both serving customers and assisting in the kitchen, and she dedicates a portion of her time to paperwork.
“I spend a few hours a day on paperwork, which is necessary but I prefer to be hands on in store. I float between the shop front, cook and decorator,” she says.
“The hard work can eat you alive if you’re not careful, but I am now enjoying a slightly more relaxed role where I can just float around the daily roles. I still do all my own paperwork as I feel I need to in order to keep the business on track.”
HEAD OFFICE SUPORT
Karen notes The Cheesecake Shop’s Queensland based field team is particularly helpful in providing franchisees with the relevant advice and support they require to better run their stores.
“[They] work with us to help better our business… through store visits, Q&A’s and our quarterly Brisbane based meetings.
“Our marketing and IT departments work wonderfully with us to help provide us with those areas of expertise we need to keep the business moving forward,” she adds.
LOCAL AREA MARKETING
Karen has established mutually beneficial relationships with a number of local organisations to raise awareness of her business in the community.
“I am a Delta Therapy Dog volunteer – we try to help raise awareness of the Delta Society and in turn they raise awareness of my store and our sponsorship of them.
“We also work closely with a Hope ambassador Korie Lietch by fundraising for cancer awareness, which raises our profile especially when we can sponsor the cause with some of our own yummy products.”
The store supports local sporting teams and school events, and Karen has a refrigerated van which is emblazoned with The Cheesecake Shop logo. Not only is it used for deliveries, the van can be loaned to schools and other organisations.
“We do a fair amount of advertising in our community and online – we even have our own Facebook page,” she adds.
THE FUTURE
Karen is of the belief that slow and steady wins the race when it comes to expansion, and she has considered the prospect of taking on additional sites.
“Ideally I’d like the business to continue to steadily grow, [and] perhaps down the track become a multi store owner.”
All in all, the franchising model has enabled her to enjoy the best of both worlds. “[It] has given me a platform on which to have my own business, without the inherent risk associated with a new start up business,” Karen explains.
Images: The Cheesecake Shop