An Australian Franchisee Case Study
Name: Craig Miller
Location: Adamstown, Belmont, currently looking at purchasing a third store.
Franchise: Eagle Boys Pizza
Why I chose franchising
I was interested in diversifying my business interests within Newcastle and also wanted an opportunity for my family to be involved in a business. We looked at many different franchise models during the initial stages and found what Eagle Boys offered would be the best fit for our family.
What I did before taking up a franchise
Prior to investing in my family’s first franchise, I was a rugby league coach for the Newcastle Knights and a Detective for the NSW Police. I also had, and still do, run a couple of other small businesses which aren’t retail based.
How I raised the finance
Purchasing the Adamstown store was different from our Belmont store. Adamstown was already established and as a result we didn’t have the initial fit-out costs like we did with the Belmont store. We spoke to our local bank manager at the National Australia Bank to finance both stores.
The training and support I receive from my franchisor
Eagle Boys Pizza offers a high level of support for franchise owners, from the initial inquiry stages, to owning and running an operational store. What struck me about dealing Eagle Boys is how passionate they are about their product which has a flow-on effect to the franchises. They offer good training and a solid business model to follow. Their support has been great throughout the entirety of our ownership, hence our addition of more stores.
The challenges I have faced
As with any business, finding good staff is always a challenge as they are essentially what drive your business. Quality control can become hard if you’re not there all the time. It’s vital to get the right people in the right positions in order to ensure that every product being delivered to your customer of the highest quality. If you product doesn’t uphold this standard then, as a result, the customers will go elsewhere.
Has becoming a franchisee changed your life, if so how
I believe if you can run a pizza shop you can run any business. The quick-service industry is fiercely competitive and in order to get it right and make it profitable, you have to be across all aspects of the business.
My advice to someone thinking of buying their first franchise
Make sure you do your research. Potential buyers really need to understand the level of commitment and what is required to make the business work. If you can, speak to other franchise owners to find out how they did it, or if they had their time again what they would have done better. Really research the models each franchise offers to see which fits you, your family and/or your business partner best. And of course look ensure you have enough capital to fund the beginning stages of you business until it finds it feet and starts becoming profitable.
My plans for the future
My initial plans are to keep growing with Eagle Boys Pizza, with the possible addition of a new store to my portfolio. Eagle Boys has shown itself to be a market leader and as long as they keep this up, I’ll continue to grow with them.
Would you do it again?
Yes. Eagle Boys offers a great deal of flexibility in their business models which is what attracted me to invest in the brand. For me, it’s been about making good business decisions and seeing an opportunity and taking it.
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Eagle Boys Pizza franchise