Franchise Spotlight: Restaurants
Franchisors handle the menu; franchisees concentrate on upholding lofty brand standard.
The average Australian can afford to eat out several times a week, while restaurants serve as valued social hubs and alternatives to the chore of preparing meals at home. A similar analysis informed market research outfit Mordor Intelligence’s projections that Australia’s food service sector will have an annual industry growth rate of 5.1% until 2025.
This forecast also reflects the widespread view that the country’s economy will recover fairly rapidly from Covid-19 as the crisis recedes. The pandemic, incidentally, accelerated a burgeoning industry trend of sit-in eateries diversifying into meal delivery through platforms like Uber Eats.
Franchise industry trends
Restaurant franchises have generally prospered through having a mass market appeal, consistently high hygiene and quality standards, and competitive prices. Many are global fast food chains – like McDonald's and Hungry Jacks – but a growing number of food franchise opportunities have health- or vegan-focused menus.
That franchisors tend to deal with things like payroll, marketing and menu revamps is good news for franchisees, who can concentrate on running the restaurant in alignment with a winning formula.
The Lonestar Rib House franchise, which was born in Texas, offers American classics like slow-cooked BBQ ribs and Carolina Wings, and drinks that include moonshine and bourbon milkshakes.
Outback Jack’s Bar & Grill has a similar format, with a particularly wide range of steaks and a well-stocked bar.
A spin-off from award-winning Japanese restaurant Sono, Motto Motto claims to have “reimagined” casual dining, offering Japanese or pan-Asian dishes like chicken teriyaki, wagyu beef and 12-hour-cooked ramen.
Soul Burger , meanwhile, caters to Australia’s burgeoning population of vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians with an exclusively plant-based menu, and offers delivery through platforms like Deliveroo and Uber Eats.
Finally, Greenhouse Asian Salads promises nutritious salads, homemade soups and smoothies and juices, and says it only uses local and fresh produce.