A Muffin Break cafe is one of Australia’s favourite spots for a barista coffee and a delicious muffin.
In fact Muffin Break has scooped up five customer-voted Roy Morgan Coffee Shop of the Year Awards, an impressive award-winning record that is testament to its popularity around the country.
This high level of consistency reflects the hard work that goes on in every Muffin Break business to ensure customers enjoy their cafe experience.
Matthew Williams, chief development officer at Muffin Break, acknowledges the importance of these awards.
Award-winning Muffin Break
“It is good recognition for franchisees and staff and the hard work they put in. We have plenty of competitors in this space, so to take this award for the fifth time is really pleasing and good validation of our training and the high standards of service customers enjoy,” Matthew says.
The brand’s reputation is built on serving delicious meals and coffee, perfect for a friendly catch-up or a pit stop on a busy day.
“One of the things we try to achieve is for Muffin Break to be a meeting place in communities and this is particularly strong in regional areas,” he says.
“Our regional franchisees are locals who see Muffin Break as a valuable business venture that enables them to build a strong community presence. Muffin Break cafes always have a friendly vibe with great food and coffee, and owners who get to know their regulars,” he explains.
And the brand, which is part of the Foodco business, is growing its presence in regional towns as well as in major capital cities. There will be further growth in Victoria, says Matthew.
The next stores to open are in Munno Para, South Australia, and at Frankston and Knox City in Melbourne. These follow recent openings in Sydney’s Castle Towers, and Lismore, which both reported great results in their first few weeks.
Keys to business success at Muffin Break
“Business success starts with getting the right site in a good location, with a design and layout that is attractive to customers,” says Matthew. “Then it’s down to the franchisees and how well they recruit and train their staff, with our help, and how they execute and build awareness in the local community which is a massive part of business.
“We provide the template, tools and ingredients; they bring the magic to the mix and our franchisees do a great job.”
While franchisees come from diverse backgrounds, from construction work to teaching, from nursing to business ownership, they share the dream of owning a cafe, backed by robust training and support that gives them the best start.
Training and support
The learning and support start at the Foodco training facility – the CORE (Centre Of Retail Excellence). The initial training equips franchisees to produce high-quality products, establish and maintain a great-looking cafe, and ensure they are delivering a premium service.
Once franchisees are in their businesses, support continues through field teams who manage a number of franchisees across a region.
Muffin Break’s award-winning field manager
Muffin Break’s bulging trophy cabinet includes more than premium cafe service accolades. The Foodco field support team was thrilled to see one of its own achieve national recognition at the Franchise Council of Australia awards last year. Victoria-based James Wadsworth scooped the Field Manager of the Year award for his exceptional franchisee support.
Matthew reveals the award win reflects all-round excellence, which includes evaluating franchisee engagement and stores’ performance to a top-down performance review.
“Franchisees are very proud that James won this award, against an impressive line-up of national brands. He’s very switched on and like many of our other field managers, is in demand for his areas of expertise.
“Franchisees who want to focus on their profitability or labour control, can request a session with James,” Matthew explains.
Fresh ideas, new tech
The collaboration between the support team and franchisees is just one element of Muffin Break’s success. Networking with fellow franchisees, the franchisor team and suppliers is a real bonus. This year about 500 franchisees, and suppliers, will attend the Foodco Gold Coast Conference in October.
The annual conference is an opportunity for franchisees to discover exciting additions and developments coming up in the business, and this year will be no exception.
“We have a new store design underway and we will be unveiling a pop-up store at the conference for franchisees to get a preview,” Matthew says.
Foodco has also invested in tech innovations that improve in-store efficiencies: a self-ordering kiosk, digital menu boards and equipment, and technology that speeds up delivery of, and enhances the quality of, the coffee.
“The next big new product for Muffin Break is the December launch of the Duffin, a cross between a croissant and muffin, with lots of new flavours,” Matthew reveals.
“In retail food, we are always innovating with new products or limited time offers. We are renowned for muffins and coffee and now capitalising on the lunchtime day part with savoury offerings. This ensures we have an offer to span the whole day,” he says.
The brand that introduced The Legend Lamington and the Champion Mitey-Cheese muffins backs up its brilliant product innovation and classic favourites with great franchise support.
Muffin Break is an award-winning brand, with a nationally recognised award-winning field manager, and big plans to leverage its successes with further growth around Australia.