Former taxi driver Harpreet (Happy) Singh embraced an exciting new career with Pastacup and now he owns four franchise stores.

“Everyone says I have a happy personality. I have one child, and we are expecting another, and my business is going well. There is a lot to be happy about,” he says.

So how did Happy get to build his franchise success?

“I was driving taxis for a long time and when the taxi service deregulated in 2012 I joined Pastacup as a team member,” he explains.

After working with the Western Australian brand for a few years he was convinced buying a franchise was a brilliant business opportunity.

“When you get into something new, you don’t always see the potential. Over time I got to see the potential first hand, and could see customers love the brand.

“Pastacup is not just fast food, it’s a restaurant making home made meals from scratch. We make everything in the store and people love this kind of meal when it’s made fresh.”

Buying and scaling a franchise

Confident in the brand’s potential, Happy bought an existing store in 2016. It has proved just the beginning of his dream journey with the Pastacup business that’s brought home-made Italian meals to a fast-food setting.

This year he added three more Perth stores, at Mandurah, Swan View and Innaloo.

Happy used savings, lender finance and accessed some shopping centre incentives to buy and set up the stores. He’s mastered scaling the business by ensuring he has a well-trained team.

“I’ve got good family support, my brother is looking after one restaurant and I have an excellent manager,” he says. “My team looks after the stock, the store and staff. I do the finance, and trouble-shooting!” he says.

He admits starting his first store in the middle of a declining mining economy was hard but the business has survived and thrived, even through Covid.

One of the benefits of owning a franchise that comes with a robust reputation is ongoing support. When the market tightens, as it has this year, regular customers remain loyal.

“I think the customer is the most important person in our business. Customer service and food quality are vital in this business. Pastacup customers are satisfied customers, and that’s why I’m doing well.”

The ongoing success of his restaurants is encouraging Happy to capitalise on this winning brand. With four stores under his wing he is primed to add to his portfolio, if he can find top locations for the stores. He will even consider buying interstate for the right opportunity.

Fulfilling the business dream with Pastacup

“When I jumped into business ownership in 2016 I never thought there would be so much ahead of me,” Happy says. “Our success is through the hard work and the franchisor, Courtney’s, support.”

He is very positive about the team approach that Courtney brings to the franchise.

“We work together, sharing plans and ideas. This is a collaboration between us.”

And there is always something new for customers, says Happy. Regular menu updates include special limited time meals and deals for special calendar events like Mothers’ Day and Halloween. Popular innovations transfer on to the regular menu.

And Pastacup provides marketing campaign material which is shared across social media platforms and print to help boost business.

Happy is thriving in his multi-site franchisee role.

“I enjoy running four restaurants. When you have wide range of staff, it keeps you busy, and I’m enjoying managing the staff. Managing is the fun part.”

It’s a family affair; Happy’s wife Amanpreet is the main chef.

“We work part-time and keep a lean time,” Happy says.

“It’s making me who I am, it’s made my dream come true, achieving it is a great experience. It was always my goal to run multiple businesses,” he reveals.

“I’m from Rajasthan where my father is a farmer. Farming is like a small business and it is hard work. It teaches you how to do work hard; in the cold, the rain, when it’s stormy, you have to work.

“This is what I learned from my family. Always keep your head up and do your thing, never give up. This is why my Pastacup business dream is flourishing,” he says.