FRANCHISING IS A KEY TO SUCCESS
Vikas Punjabi
Franchising can help brand owners scale their businesses without spending an
exorbitant amount of time, money and resources to expand their operations.
The Chocolate Room is an example of how franchising can be a key to business
growth.
I studied in Australia and was a regular customer of The Chocolate Room in that country. APHD in
Enterprise Resource Planning from University of Sydney, I was also a foodie and decided to get this
brand to India. I took over the Master Franchisee rights of The Chocolate Room for India. I identified a
vacuum in the market that was aware of the coffee culture but was totally oblivious of the hot chocolate
culture prevalent in several countries of Europe, Latin America, and Australia. The company opened its
first outlet in Ahmedabad. By moderating the pricing of its products it ensured that it opens up for the
masses rather than a privileged clientele. The concept was warmly received by the discerning audience
raring to adopt change in the perception and welcome a new culture of harmonious cornucopia.
Being the pioneer, the brand has introduced breakthrough concepts that have found unequivocal
acceptance amongst its audience. We launched the handle-free `Cuddle Cups’ that can be cradled in
hands, and ‘The Melting Pot’ which allows the customer to mix milk and chocolate over a burning
candle. The ‘Aussie Cup’is a ceramic pouch housing chocolate pieces warming next to steamy coffee
drinks, and ‘Drink Me Cup’ has a metal straw poking out from a frozen chocolate frappe.
With the launch of its first flagship store in Ahmedabad, the company focussed on attaining the
expertise in chocolate café operations as well as the practice of franchising from its first few franchisees
given in Gujarat. The company’s franchising network went ahead with a national expansion drive.
Presently, it has a Pan-India presence with 393 cafes in 20 states in India, and we are present across 11
countries. We offer an unparalleled ten page menu comprising of dishes deeply shrouded in the
intoxicating taste and aroma of rich chocolate. No other café in India matches our variety of flavours in
the chocolate category – 16 signature flavours are Strawberry Hot chocolate, Hazelnut Hot chocolate,
Chilli Hot chocolate, Nougat Hot chocolate, Banana Hot chocolate, World’s most famous chocolate
shakes, Chocolate Pancakes, Chocolate Waffles, Chocolate Fondues, etc. with no added syrups on top.
As the chocolate culture increasingly finds acceptance amidst the Indian audience, the brand is aiming
higher towards setting the next milestone by having five hundred stores by the end of year 2022 .Also,
by early next year we plan to open up around 15-20 company owned stores seeing the success rate in
our franchising ventures. We have used customer relations programmes such as loyalty points and social
media to promote the brand.
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GIVING VALUE TO A FRANCHISEE
Standardization ensures customers will always be met with a consistent experience. SOPs and
the application of technology enables your franchise branches to represent your brand
consistently and profitably. The proper systems put in place for franchisees ensures that they
deliver to customers the franchisor’s brand promise.
.
A franchisee should select a competitive brand with various models as per his or her investment criteria.
* Standard recipes and food preparation methods.
* A focus on food presentation.
* Food Storage.
* Greeting and Seating the customers.
* Order Taking, Serving, And Delivery Standards.
* Billing And Final Settlement.
* Customer Complaint Management.
* Defining The Core Processes.
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THE USPs of The Chocolate Room Franchise
We work with franchisees to develop 100% clarity for their new ventures as chocolate café owners,
using SOPs and technologies.
Location Assistance
Choosing the best location is a science. Our extensive experience ensures the franchisees have the
knowledge and skill to select the best site for the chocolate cafe venture.
Menu Design
A properly balanced menu is vital to success, it’s one of the main reasons new cafés fail to deliver their
full potential profit to their owners. We make sure we design the appropriate menu for the franchisee.
Human Resource
Attracting and selecting the right people is always something first time owners struggle with. We have
training programs to make sure the promise of the TCR brand is fulfilled consistently at the stores.
Promotion
Promotion is key – we ensure they get off to a flying start with everything they need to have raving fans
before they open. Local store marketing ideas are offered to the franchisee. We use social media,
mobile geo targeted advertising and Google promotions.
Equipment and Technology
From the coffee machine to chocolate spinners and melters, the franchisees are supported to select
from multiple options and build relationships with our suppliers. We ensure they get machines that are
all Italian-made and assure consistency of the product across franchise outlets.
We have a proven track record of good ROI.
TCR has various franchise models to fit the budget and requirements of each franchisee.
Loyalty programs with benefits that can be redeemed Pan-India.
Cross-promotional tie ups with Non-Traditional outlets.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vikas Punjabi is the Co-Founder & MD, The Chocolate Room in India. The brand
of Aussie Indo hospitality group, TCR has a number of cafes, stores and bistros.
https://www.thechocolateroomindia.com/
