BarBurrito, a growing chain of Mexican restaurants that offers quality food in a quick and relaxed atmosphere, is looking for new franchisees in Canada. The year, 2013 was a rapid growth year for the company. BarBurrito started off with seven locations but grew to twelve open in total with another seventeen locations under development by the year's end. The expansion allowed BarBurrito to invest more into its infrastructure and support systems for franchisees. Now the company is looking for new franchisees as part of an aggressive growth plan for 2014, with Canada as a primary target location.
Alex Shtein, Director of Operations at BarBurrito, recently discussed what the company looks for in potential franchisees. While Shtein mentioned the primary goal of incoming franchisees is naturally to turn a profit, BarBurrito also looks for people who are invested in the company's franchise model and passionate about what they're doing. The high performing franchisees, according to Shtein, tend to be the ones who are focused on and devoted to the business on a personal level. Since BarBurrito often employs staff members who may not be there in the long term, such as students, the owner's drive sets the tone for the business and impacts its overall success rate.
Mitul Patel, a new franchisee who recently opened a BarBurrito location in Newmarket, spoke positively about his experience so far. Patel credited the support from the BarBurrito head office and noted that location, the customer service level and the quality of food served are crucial factors for any food service business and were areas he evaluated before choosing BarBurrito.
BarBurrito gave Patel information about the locations he was considering, including commercial and residential population figures, average income in the area, traffic rates and an examination of area competition. Patel was able to use that information plus BarBurrito's own research on the best demographics for its locations to make his final decision.
According to Patel, he trained for two months, and his staff received training from the head office. His location was ready to handle customers as soon as it opened, as he had a training manager in his store from its first week.
Patel advises prospective food service franchisees to look at the whole of the franchise, including its menu, level of support, target age group and its future, before making any decisions. BarBurrito was the right move for Patel because Mexican food is currently a booming sector, and the company's menu and price points fit his personal ideals.
Franchisee in development, Jai Bhavsar also spoke about his BarBurrito experience thus far. Bhavsar has been a part of the franchise community for years and already owns two popular brand locations. He decided to add BarBurrito to the mix after speaking with his spouse. According to Bhavsar, BarBurrito's menu, affordable prices and growth potential were all deciding factors in his decision.
BarBurrito's plans for 2014 create an immediate need for Canadian franchisees.
