{"id":10556,"date":"2021-08-27T16:36:06","date_gmt":"2021-08-27T15:36:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/?p=10556"},"modified":"2022-01-27T11:04:30","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T11:04:30","slug":"7-tips-for-opening-a-fast-food-franchise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/7-tips-for-opening-a-fast-food-franchise\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips For Opening a Fast Food Franchise"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

Franchising is more popular than ever, which means that the options available to franchisees are growing ever wider. In this article, we will explain the top 7 Tips for finding and opening a fast-food franchise.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While budding business folk can now get their hands on a huge range of franchise businesses<\/a>, from website building to on-site coaching, one genre is still head and shoulders above the rest – the fast-food franchise industry!<\/p>\n

Food on the move<\/h4>\n

A staggering 81.5% of the UK\u2019s fast food businesses are franchises – and a great many of these are thriving.\u00a0 So why are fast food franchises so successful?<\/p>\n

About time<\/h4>\n

These days, people have busy lives and, many simply don\u2019t have the time or inclination to put together homemade lunches.\u00a0 For many British busy bees, this means grabbing a burger or sandwich from their favourite fast food joint when working on a deadline or rushing to pick up the kids.<\/p>\n

Additionally, many franchise food businesses<\/a> use tailor-made packaging for easy (and mess-free) eating on the train. Because of this, franchised fast-food businesses, particularly those within city centres and industrial areas, enjoy a roaring trade at least five days a week.<\/p>\n

The price is right<\/h4>\n

Because a larger company owns franchised fast-food joints, they\u2019re able to keep their prices much lower than similar, independently owned outlets.<\/p>\n

Franchisors<\/a> can score discounts on ingredients by buying in bulk, and these savings are passed onto the franchisee and, ultimately, the customer.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, lower prices mean more customers and, more importantly, more return customers.<\/p>\n

Surviving the test of time<\/h4>\n

Franchised fast food businesses tend, as a general rule, to be recession-proof.\u00a0 This is due to the fact that prices are kept low, which means that, even when consumers may be tightening their belts and sacrificing larger purchases, they\u2019re unlikely to stop treating themselves to a nice lunch or their daily cappuccino.<\/p>\n

This results in a near bulletproof business for franchisees, no matter what might be going on with the company\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n

The fast five<\/h4>\n

So, we\u2019ve given you some pretty good reasons as to why a fast-food franchise<\/a> may be the way forward for you but, I know what you\u2019re thinking; that\u2019s all great but, which franchise should I choose?<\/p>\n

Great question and, in this section, we\u2019ll take you through the top five UK fast-food franchises<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Domino\u2019s<\/strong> – customers have been falling for Domino\u2019s pizzas since 1985 and, the brand continues to go from strength to strength, with over 1000 stores in the UK<\/p>\n

Nandos<\/strong> – With the exception of the chicken shortage blip<\/a> in August 2021, Nandos is, month on month, the UK\u2019s most popular chicken provider – so much so that, in 2011, the term \u2018A cheeky Nandos\u2019 became a thing.<\/p>\n

McDonald’s<\/strong> – It probably won\u2019t surprise you that the world\u2019s favourite burger chain is also pretty popular for Brits, with 1300 restaurants – and counting.\u00a0 It\u2019s estimated that McDonald’s sells around 4500 burgers every minute!<\/p>\n

KFC<\/strong> – Hot on Nado\u2019s heels with 900 UK restaurants, the Colonel\u2019s offering continues to be a favourite with fried chicken lovers.<\/p>\n

Papa John\u2019s<\/strong> – Known for its great discounts and offers, this American pizza chain has nabbed a slice of the action since 1984.<\/p>\n

\"fast<\/p>\n

Finding your franchise<\/strong><\/h4>\n

So, we\u2019ve convinced you that a fast-food franchise is the right choice for you. Next, you\u2019ll want to know how to go about getting started with your new business. Here\u2019s how it\u2019s done:<\/p>\n

1. Chalking it up to experience<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This first and hugely important step is all about you.<\/p>\n

Before you can begin the task of finding your new franchise, you first need to figure out what your skills and strengths are and, also, be honest with yourself about the level of work and commitment that you\u2019re prepared to put in.<\/p>\n

Starting and running a franchise<\/a> business takes a lot of work and, in the beginning, will usually involve putting in some pretty long hours as, at first, you\u2019re unlikely to be able to afford staff.<\/p>\n

A good starting point is to make a list of your skills and experience and the things that you\u2019re interested in, as this will paint a picture of the kind of business that might suit you.<\/p>\n

2. Discover what\u2019s on the franchise menu<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Your next task is to figure out what kinds of franchise opportunities are available to you. You can do this quickly and easily by checking out our UK franchise directory, <\/a>which will provide you with a handy list of business opportunities that may be right up your street.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve shortlisted a few opportunities, be sure to ask for Franchise Disclosure documents<\/a> which will give you the lowdown on what you can expect – and what will be expected of you.<\/p>\n

3. Speak to current franchisees<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Although it is essential to go through the franchisor\u2019s information with a fine-toothed comb, this won\u2019t give you the whole picture regarding what it\u2019s like to own and run one of their franchises.<\/p>\n

In order to fully know what you\u2019re getting yourself into, you\u2019ll need to speak with some existing franchisees.\u00a0 Please don\u2019t be shy about dropping them an email or even popping into a store to get the owner\u2019s opinion on the business. As a bonus, you may even pick up some handy hints and tips while you\u2019re at it!<\/p>\n

4. Check what’s on the market<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Now, it\u2019s time to take a long, hard look at the area<\/a> in which you\u2019re planning to open your business.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be looking at the number of similar businesses in the area and figuring out how they compare with your proposed franchise.\u00a0 You can also harness the power of social media local area groups to find out how people feel about your franchise plans.<\/p>\n

5. Location, location, location<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Your chosen franchise business may be a powerhouse in the fast-food industry but, that means nothing if it\u2019s in the wrong place.<\/p>\n

Choosing the location<\/a> for your business is one of the most important decisions you\u2019ll make and requires significant time and effort to research your local area.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be looking at factors such as average footfall and whether or not your chosen location is in a highly-populated area\u2014for example, a city centre or a locality with lots of offices and workspaces.<\/p>\n

6. Money matters<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Once you\u2019ve picked your franchise<\/a> business and have an offer in hand, it\u2019s time to think about how you\u2019re going to pay for your business.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019re up and running, you\u2019ll most likely be paying a monthly fee<\/a> which is based on your earnings; however, before you get that far, you\u2019ll usually have to pay an initial start-up fee.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t have access to personal funds, you will need to apply to a bank or other financial organisation for a business loan.\u00a0 The good news is that banks tend to look fairly favourably on loans for franchise businesses as these will generally be a known quantity and, therefore, a pretty safe bet.<\/p>\n

7. Training your eyes on the prize<\/strong><\/h4>\n

You\u2019re nearly there!\u00a0 Now that you\u2019ve locked down your financing and signed on the dotted line, you\u2019re on your way to becoming a business owner.\u00a0 When getting started, make sure that you take advantage of all the training and help that your franchisor may offer, as these will stand you in good stead in those busy first few months.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h5>\n

Owning a fast-food franchise can be a fast track to great profits and a secure future as long as you\u2019re prepared to work hard and do your legwork in terms of research<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When looking for the right franchise opportunity<\/a> for you, be sure to read all the fine print and, where possible, hire a solicitor to look over the documents for you to make sure that you won\u2019t encounter any nasty surprises once you get started.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Franchising is more popular than ever, which means that the options available to franchisees are growing ever wider. In this article, we will explain the top 7 Tips for finding and opening a fast-food franchise. While budding business folk can now get their hands on a huge range of franchise businesses, from website building to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10557,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tips-advice"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/7-Tips-For-Opening-a-Fast-Food-Franchise.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10556"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10556\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}