Why does a couple who run their own cafe re-badge the business as a franchise? We asked Jamaica Blue’s Kingaroy franchisees, Donna and Malcolm Ryan, to share their story.
1. How long have you been in business?
“We have been operating as Jamaica Blue for two months, however we have been in business at this site for three and a half years.”
2. Why did you decide to change to franchising for your business model?
“We liked the idea of having tried and tested systems in place, as well as the opportunity to have consistency in the meals and drinks we serve. Customers like to know that each time that they order a meal at a caf it will be the same as the last time they visited.
“With our previous caf, we found that each chef had their own interpretation of the meals, which made it difficult for us to maintain consistency.
“We also wanted our business to stand out which meant we needed a total new look, uniforms, branding and training. As we are a busy family with two small children, we couldn’t go past the opportunity to open a franchise as it covered everything.
“The other major draw card to open a Jamaica Blue franchise was the opportunity to have a support team. When you have an independent business it is not always easy to get support or to find a mentor able and willing to help with those questions you just can’t find answers for. A franchise has a network of support and with one phone call you can have you HR or IT question answered immediately.”
3. What made you choose this brand?
“Jamaica Blue gave us the flexibility to build a menu to suit our area. They understood that products that are popular sellers in the city may not sell as well in a rural town. We were also able to set our own prices, which we really appreciated.
“Having previously owned an independent business we still want to feel as if we have control over our business and the Jamaica Blue franchise model allows this.
“Also, the Jamaica Blue brand celebrated its 20th anniversary last month and we feel it is a business that is really moving forward. They have a great new look and we wanted to be a part of a company with an exciting future.”
4. How much research did you do beforehand?
“We had been looking at our options since we took over our original business. We spoke to many different franchise companies, including other Jamaica Blue store owners who provided us with extensive feedback. Jamaica Blue was the perfect choice for us as we have the support provided by a franchisor, however we still have control over our business.
5. What changes did you have to make to how you run your business when you became a franchisee?
“It is a totally different business now. We retained three employees from our previous business and hired new staff for the remaining positions. We were all trained together from experienced Jamaica Blue consultants and once we got through the initial two weeks after opening, everything fell into place.
“We’ve only been open two months but it already feels like we have always done things this way.”
6. What difference has the franchise brand made to your business?
“The brand has made a huge positive difference to our business, both in the sales and the perception of the business. We have retained a lot of our old customers but have also gained a whole new customer base.
“We’re operating in a rural area, the brand has been accepted well and our customers like that we are offering the same brand, with the same quality coffee and freshly-prepared food that they can find in the city.
7. What plans do you have to expand?
“None at the moment, but if all continues to go well we would consider opening a second Jamaica Blue caf.”