How did you get into the industry Luke?
My mom was always in this industry and I fell in love with the food industry from the time I started and when I saw that it was a fairly easy model I thought why not franchise this to people and give them the opportunity to fall in love with the industry while making a living and working for themselves.
What’s New in the Market Place Business or in the Franchise Model?
We do all of our sandwiches on a buttered croissant and we also have signature Market Place Mustard and Herb Butter that separate our sandwiches from any other Franchise or restaurant. We are also known for our iced tea that is spiced with clove and that is a staple that people drive from all over just to buy gallons of it. Our model is “Not Just a Sandwich” an experience because we strive to treat everyone like family and have them itching to come back. While we have customers order at the counter like other franchises our difference is we still bring the food to the table when it is ready and no one else is doing that, by operating the model this way the customer service level increases because your staff has time to pay attention to the customers needs after they order and until they leave.
Where do you See Opportunities or Challenges for the Market Place Franchise/Business Moving Forward?
I think there is huge opportunities for the Franchise moving forward both for us and Franchisees because we are expanding and they are getting in on a company that is brand new, so they get the prime pick of territories and have potentially more opportunities for negotiation of the terms of deals. A super affordable multi unit deal is another advantage for Franchisees, basically any opportunity for Franchisees especially early in the business are opportunities for us as the Franchisor. We want to create a relationship with Franchisees that makes everyone successful.
What is your Goal for the Market Place Business Moving Forward
My goal for the business moving forward is to be one of the top Sandwich Franchises in the country. I want to be competing and out performing the giants of the industry today. That is what I want Franchisees to see and know that they can be a part of, we have the drive and the desire to get to that point but we simply can’t get there without them.
Talk to us About Training and Support, How Do You Deliver?
Training is simple and a fairly short process. We bring the Franchisees in for 3 weeks and train them completely with the front of the house, back of the house, all the recipes and everything they need to be successful. We provide ongoing support for the Franchisees and they have my personal cell phone number (another advantage of getting involved with us early because that number won’t be out there forever for all Franchisees as we grow and have a support team). We want each and every Franchisee to be even more successful than the flagship is so anything they need we are there for them and will do what we need to do to make them successful. We are there for their first 2-3 days of their grand opening and we have them put money into a marketing fund and get that organized for them on a corporate side of things and heavily assist on a local marketing level, but we want the Franchisees team to be the face of their local marketing. We believe that is a integral part of their success.
Your most difficult moment at the Franchise Business
This moment that we are in right now has been the most difficult moment of the Franchise business. It is a learning curve for me transitioning from owner/operator to Franchisor and salesman, but we are passionate about our business model and know that it is successful and we want other people to experience that. After the last few years that everyone has gone through we want people to have the security of working for themselves while having the support of someone who has been through it. I know with the support of sales and Franchisees coming on board we are going to be successful and the best in the business and we are excited to bring other entrepreneurs with us on this journey.
Define your Franchise Model:
A. Training and Support Model?
We do everything that we can to make Franchisees successful through training and support. As we grow and expand we will eventually have a virtual training model/portal for all franchisees to have and where they can communicate with other Franchisees and me as the Franchisor to continue training and support 24/7.
B. What is the Fee Structure?
$30,000 Franchise Fee and royalty fee of 6% of the Gross sales. 1% of gross sales also goes to marketing.
C. Territory Definition?
Per our FDD Territories are assigned to the franchisee by us when they either suggest a location and we approve it or we find them a location based on the territory they want to be in. Your territory will generally have a territory comprising a population of approximately 50,000 to 100,000 people depending on several factors. Your territory will be delineated by a radius around your location or by geographical boundaries delineated by zip codes, political boundaries, streets, geographical features or trade area, depending on the density and demographics of the population of the area around your location.
D. Day in the life of a Franchisee?
We open at 10:30 and close at 2:30 and Franchisees have to work those hours and in the right high traffic area we highly suggest opening until 8pm.
So, for Franchisees a typical day is arrive at work around 730/8am do all of your reports from the day before into QuickBooks and google sheets and prep the kitchen, sandwich unit, soups etc for the day (unless you have a head cook/kitchen manager in charge of doing so we highly recommend it). A manager in charge of the front of the house and one in charge of the kitchen are very nice aspects of the business to have but not a necessity depending on the Franchisee. Make sure everything is in order for the day (it should be from the day before). Lunch rush varies daily, but you will have a great staff trained and taking orders, preparing food etc so that you as a Franchisee can interact with customers and make sure they are happy and taken care of (customers love it). When the day is over all the Franchisee needs to do (unless a manager is in charge of; which we highly recommend having a manager in charge of the little things) is make sure everyone is on task and then it is fairly hands off in every other aspect of the business. Office work as far as marketing and sending emails and replying is important so that catering events get scheduled etc. is important on a daily basis.
What does Your Franchisee Do in the Business Every Day?
The main job of the Franchisee is the business side of things like making sure the books are in order, answering important emails and phone calls. The Franchisee may be very hands on for the first year or we highly suggest hiring a head cook and front of house manager to help with the everyday normal task so that the Franchisee can oversee and make decisions (this also helps the Franchisee work on the business and not in it). One of our main goals for Franchisees is to be a semi-absentee owner/operator and having the right staff that do their job correctly is the only way to do so.
Who is the Ideal Franchise Candidate for a Market Place Franchise?
The ideal Franchise candidate is someone who has an entrepreneur spirit whether that is someone that wants to be hands on all the time or someone who invests in restaurants and knows how to hire managers and staff etc to be successful. The main characteristic that is ideal is to have a business mindset and to pinch profits (don’t be cheap but don’t waste money where it doesn’t need to be wasted). We want anyone that likes to make money and have a fun easy job for everyone involved in the business to have a Market Place Franchise.
What Goals Do You Have for the Franchise Model in the Future?
We want the Franchise model to be the best there is! As we grow as a company our model and efficiency will do the same and get better and better. We want to always be improving and making our Franchisees’ lives easier and their cash flow better.
For more information on The Market Place Franchise System, visit the corporate site: