DailyFranchiseNews.com

Finding His Niche

With many markets oversaturated with similar businesses, it takes a special concept to break the monotony and gain a client base.

Franchising.com reported one such company is PIRTEK, a 24-hour, on-site hose and assembly replacement service. A broken hose can spell disaster for many businesses. A machine breakdown at a job site or factory can cause work to grind to a halt. And sometimes it can take days or weeks until the proper replacement hose can be obtained and the machines repaired. In purely economic terms, a $20 broken hose can bring a $3 million crane to a standstill - not to mention the paid employees who are idly standing by.

Ken Adair can handle those hose needs in the Chicago area. Since 1998, Adair, a former commodity broker, has been operating PIRTEK O'Hare in Elk Grove Village. In 2003, he opened a second Chicagoland location in South Holland. He's served clients such as Walsh Construction and Tyco Healthcare as well as various car haulers and forklift companies. He says each of his 12 fully equipped mobile service vans is staffed by qualified, trained technicians. The vans are stocked with a full range of hoses (1,000 feet each of variable sizes) and more than 700 different fittings and adaptors (as many as 2,000 parts), along with a crimping press and cut-off saw to manufacture hose assemblies on site.

Adair says his biggest challenge in the beginning was the lack of name recognition and the need to change old behavior patterns. "People have always just gone offsite, ordered and purchased the repair hose, and then had the repair done. But what we can do is much more efficient." He says training and support from the franchisor are ongoing and of the highest caliber.

A Close (and Delicious) Encounter

Remember taking a multiple choice test in high school and scratching your head whilst trying to decide the best answer? Multiply that by 312,000, subtract the possibility of failure, add a whole lot of delicious and you have The Counter.

Inland Empire Weekly reported that The Counter’s “Build Your Own Burger” sheet contains five excruciating steps for an indecisive diner, the first of which is the most perfunctory and obvious: Choose a Burger. There’s beef, turkey, veggie and grilled chicken. But then do you want a bun, or your burger in a bowl? Are you hungry enough for the 1/3-pound patty, the 2/3-pounder or the 3/3-pound patty? Should you order it on a bed of lettuce, and cut out the carbs? Talk about being paralyzed by choices..and there are still four steps to go.

Unlike those pesky high school exams, however, a wrong answer at The Counter doesn’t exist as everything is fresh, all toppings are in league together and most combinations turn into tasty personal coalitions. Think dried cranberries won’t fit well with homemade guacamole and peanut sauce? You’d be surprised. The reporter who dined at The Counter’s Corona outpost aptly described their concoction as "one of those goods where you chew slower to savor the tastes that are coming together into something heretofore never conceived."

Yeah..sign us up. ASAP.

Promoting from Within

Here’s more proof that hard work does not go unnoticed.

QSR reported McAlister’s Deli has promoted Ken Green to the newly-created position of chief operating officer. Since joining the company last September, Green made an immediate impact on both company- and franchisee-owned locations. Given his vast industry knowledge – he spent over 20 years working for Friendly's, Cosi, T.G.I. Friday's, and Las Vegas' Stratosphere Hotel and Casino – Green tackled every new challenge with ease and implemented a variety of strategies to streamline McAlister's overall operation. In his new role, effective immediately, Green will continue his work with company and franchise operations in addition to coordinating training and marketing and culinary steering committees. Green will also retain his senior vice president title in addition to his new COO designation.

"I'm excited to be taking on this role during such a defining time in McAlister's history. With nearly 300 restaurants, we've managed to thrive and evolve despite industry uncertainty and recent economic instability. In fact, what I am most proud of is how many of our franchisees are currently seeing sales that far exceed the goals set during our fall planning cycle," Green says. "It's because McAlister's is not just our product, it's our people. Our guests will keep coming back because of the care we put into our menu items and the exceptional service they receive each time they walk through the door. We work diligently to monitor guest satisfaction, a concept not necessarily unique to the restaurant industry but the depth and breadth to which McAlister's seeks out that information and the buy-in of the franchise community is not only exceptional – it is astounding."

Big Business in a Bad Economy

The economy may not be in the best shape, but that doesn’t mean all businesses are suffering.

The Denver Post reported YourOffice, a company providing office space and business services to small businesses is expanding its reach in Colorado with the expectation that a softening economy could prompt more workers to strike out on their own: YourOffice USA franchisee Gary Hahnenkamp recently added a Lakewood location to his company's offerings, which already included a downtown address.

YourOffice allows customers such as lawyer Tara Gaschler to go it alone but still project a big-business image. When Gaschler launched her practice about four years ago, YourOffice provided her with a prime downtown Denver mailing address, a receptionist and a meeting space. Two years ago, she took a physical office at the company's downtown location in Dominion Plaza. "It allowed me to keep costs down so I could afford to build my business," Gaschler said.

Most landlords want multiyear leases for Class A office space, something startups are reluctant to take on. YourOffice leases space long-term and provides clients with shorter-term leases. It also provides furniture, phone services, a shared receptionist and high-end copiers. "We are providing things for them at prices they couldn't get on their own," Hahnenkamp said.

Lights, Camera, Alamo!

Let’s face it: as delicious as they are, popcorn plus Junior Mints do not equal a well-balanced meal. Some may argue that a hot dog may do the trick, but seriously, ew.

Chain Leader reported that Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas hopes to be the much-needed answer to the dinner and a movie debate because they offer both under one roof. The Austin, Texas-based cinema-eatery has gained a cult following over the last 11 years for showing both first-run and obscure art-house films while offering guests a made-to-order menu that goes beyond popcorn and candy. Now seven-unit Alamo is ready to expand its laid-back, campy brand outside Texas.

“Customers think of us as a movie theater that has full-service restaurants in the auditoriums,” said John Martin, a former film industry exec and the current president and CEO of Alamo Drafthouse. “The secret is we're a high-volume restaurant that shows movies, but that's internal. The outward brand is that we're a movie chain.” Martin bought the then three-unit concept in 2004, then worked on getting Alamo ready for franchised expansion.

Yogen Fruz Prepared to Ice the Competition

It’s summer and it’s hot..the perfect time for a chain specializing in icy treats to announce its expansion.

Franchise International reported Yogen Fruz, a Canada-based frozen yogurt chain, is set to open 16 outlets in the U.S. regions of Virginia and Washington, D.C. through its regional franchisee YF Atlantic LLC. The first outlet is set to open in early 2009. Since entering the U.S. market in 2007, Yogen Fruz has signed five regional franchise agreements toward the company's goal of opening 1,000 outlets in the U.S. by 2018.

Aaron Serruya, the president of Yogen Fruz, said, "We have a strategic road map for our U.S. expansion and we are focusing on major metropolitan areas because they are the tastemakers for the country. The Greater D.C. area was one of our top priorities. This agreement is, therefore, an important building block in our plan to make Yogen Fruz the frozen yogurt brand of choice in the U.S."

Nashville Goes To The Dogs

When pet owners begin planning a vacation, what to do with their four-legged companion is the first issue to address. Thankfully, Nashville residents can breathe a sigh of relief because Fido and Fluffy will soon be able to take a vacation of their own.

The Nashville Business Journal reported St. Louis-based Kennelwood Pet Resorts has plans to open seven upscale kennels in the Nashville area over the next five years. Kennelwood Pet Resorts are full-service facilities that offer luxury "all-suite" pet accommodations, grooming, personalized pet time, training, pet day care and brand name pet products.

Kennelwood operates six locations in the St. Louis area and can board more than 700 pets at the combined facilities. The company is in the midst of Midwest expansion and plans to have eight to nine new locations in development by the end of 2008. The company reports the typical investment for a Kennelwood Pet Resort ranges from $685,475 to $791,875.

Kennelwood Pet Resorts was founded as Kennelwood Village in 1975 by Donald Danforth Jr., whose grandfather founded Ralston Purina Company in 1984. Kennelwood Pet Resorts is led by Alan Jones, its president, CEO and co-founder.

The King Expands His Empire

The Franchise King, the honorable Joel Libava, has decreed the pay-per-lead franchise marketing model is on its way out. What will take its place? Niche franchise directories.

“Online used to be, design a website, and get it optimized for maximum search engine placement”, said Libava. “But now, it includes not only getting a website noticed, but keeping it top of mind…every day.” Libava also said that placing your franchise websites in niche franchise directories that can showcase a franchise offering in a unique and potentially viral way, is the “wave of the future and the future is now.”

Libava is spreading his Web 2.0+ message with the launching of three new websites that are just a warm-up of more to come. Not only are his classy-looking websites attractive to the eye, but Libava is hoping that they will be attractive to the franchisors that ‘get it.’ “The ones that ‘get it’ typically have younger marketing specialists employed,” Libava said. “The younger marketing people know where the action is online. It is on blogs, niche micro-blogging places like Twitter, and various other niche sites that use viral techniques to spread marketing messages without the typical hard sell methods."

Check out the three new websites below, and then contact Joel Libava for some specific information on how to get involved.

www.GreenFranchiseDirectory.com

www.FranchiseFlavors.com

www.MondayThruFridayFranchises.com

Book Smart and Business Savvy

U.S. Marine Captain Robert Rutter is smarter than a fifth grader..and business savvier than one as well.

The Tampa Bay Business Journal reported that after winning $500,000 on the FOX game show, Rutter will use part of his winnings to open a Dickey’s Barbecue franchise. The 67-year-old Dallas-based company is expanding around the country; Rutter’s store will be in Wesley Chapel, Florida.

Rutter discovered Dickey's Barbecue while doing research on franchising as an investment for his game show money. Franchises cost between $329,000 and $400,000 to build from scratch. Some owners spend less by converting an existing restaurant, said Tom Petska, franchise developer for the eastern half of the United States.

"I consider myself a barbecue connoisseur and as a Marine have had the opportunity to taste barbecue all over the country, and Dickey's is the best," Rutter said. "I was really impressed with the company and CEO Roland Dickey, who took the time to answer all my questions and laid out a detailed plan for the future."

Dickey's Barbecue started franchising in 1994 and now has 90 locations in 25 states nationwide. Another 70 to 80 stores are in various stages of development and 35 to 40 are expected to open this year, Petska said.

Minimize to Maximize

Sometimes, a step back must be taken in order to move forward.

The Columbus Dispatch reported after closing four stores in the Orlando area already, Donatos Pizza has closed seven more restaurants in the market, as the pizza chain pursues a different strategy for expansion. The company-owned locations opened in 2001, when Donatos was part of McDonald's Corp., and they were larger, dine-in restaurants. Donatos is converting most stores to feature open kitchens and smaller dining areas.

In Orlando, "the physical assets themselves, and the sites they're in are totally inconsistent" with the company's current direction, said Tom Santor, a Donatos spokesman. He called the closings a "kind of unwinding" of past decisions. The buildings also represented a big investment, said Jane Grote Abell, Donatos president. Each one cost $1.7 million to $1.8 million to build. No more closings are planned, Abell said.

The company is moving toward growth through franchising and brokered an agreement last year for 64 stores in North Carolina and South Carolina.