Opening a new store is one of the most exciting milestones in any business owner’s journey — and an important moment for customers eager to walk through the doors. It’s a clear, tangible marker of all the hard work, dedication and vision that’s gone on behind the scenes, as Jodie Pantaleo, director at Pinjarra Bakery, knows better than anyone.
“People assume business growth is opening another store but it’s so much more. Growth is exciting but it doesn’t magically happen. It happens in the people, systems and standards behind the brand. It’s the very important, unglamorous work behind the scenes that no-one sees that builds the foundation for growth,” Jodie explains.
The family-owned Pinjarra Bakery in Western Australia has for nearly 30 years grown organically, at a slow and steady pace.
“We started with a big goal of a flagship store, then opening another store, and another. It got to the point where we knew it would be difficult to further expand without restructuring the business model,” Jodie says.
Balancing growth with brand consistency
The experience of turning the family firm into a franchise-ready operation highlighted the biggest challenge: balancing growth with brand consistency.
It’s important that Pinjarra’s award-winning pies, pastries and sweet treats are served up with the same passion, care and eye for quality in every single store, not just the flagship.
“We are proud of our quality and being able to deliver the same experience every day across every location is crucial,” Jodie says.
“When a customer buys a pie, they don’t see the hundreds of decisions and quality checks that have gone into the product before it hits the pie warmer.
“Maintaining quality at scale requires constant vigilance. We are now entrusting this to franchisees – to uphold the brand, presentation, customer services, staff training and store standards we expect. It’s about so much more than recipe consistency, although of course that’s vital too,” she says.
Systems are the key to this, and to franchising, Jodie points out. Before a business can effectively support a franchisee, there needs to be solid infrastructure in place.
That means operations, communication channels, training systems, suppliers relationships, brand guidelines, local area marketing toolkits, and launch support.
“The right systems don’t just protect the brand – they make it easier for franchisees to succeed,” Jodie says.
Pinjarra Bakery built the foundations for growth
With its long term, collaborative approach to business, the team at Pinjarra has spent decades establishing a robust infrastructure and nurturing supplier relationships.
Shifting to a franchise model means systems and processes need tweaking and adapting. The bakery chain has also added processes to ensure franchisees will have the support they need.
For instance, store policies and training sheets sit in a single portal, providing franchisees with easy access to the information.
“We always look for ways to improve and have learned how we can refine some processes even more. As a result we have a stronger infrastructure; it’s been a learning curve for everybody,” Jodie says.
This approach of continual improvement keeps the team alert to opportunities, she says.
Listening to franchisee questions can also lead to further adjustments.
“I love the questions. They tell me people are engaged, and that’s exactly what good franchising should be – a collaborative process,” Jodie says.
Pinjarra’s first franchisee recently took over the Port Kennedy company-owned store.
“It is very exciting to secure our first franchisee. It’s been a lot of hard work, a real milestone,” Jodie says.
An experienced marketer, Jodie set up the toolkit for local area marketing and is excited to see the new franchisee take on these marketing responsibilities.
Local area marketing can help franchisees grow
“Our team has done a lot of work building up brand presence. Now our franchisee will hone in on local initiatives. It’s great to discuss strategy and tips with a franchisee so invested in growing and improving their business,” she adds.
Jodie points to the need for franchisees to implement local initiatives, and then measure the impact on sales to evaluate its effectiveness.
“It’s up to us to follow up and ensure franchisees are activating local initiatives. Action is always the most important part.”
While franchisees benefit from the hard work Pinjarra’s team has invested in marketing and brand-building, it’s up to them to take ownership of upholding those brand standards and delivering on customer expectations in their own bakeries every day.
“If the customer experience is lacking or customers are disappointed with quality, it doesn’t matter how great your marketing is,” Jodie points out.
“Growing a business is about getting the basics right, and building on that. At Pinjarra Bakery we’ve done all the hard work in setting up systems and processes, establishing the brand and a reputation for award-winning products. That’s something a franchisee can build on,” Jodie says.