Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 5:20PM
"I like building something from scratch, from nothing and building it up to the highest level.
I also love my staff working with me so we can achieve our goals as a team. it's not just about me, it's about the team, together we are moving up!"
Luigi Forgioni
Franchisee
Papa John's Pizza
Ware, UK
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 2:57PM 
What are the secrets of running a successful fast food franchise?
Once a franchisee has chosen which fast food franchise they are going to buy, they will need to learn everything from how the premises should look through to making individual meals in order to meet their franchisor’s stipulations.
Fast food franchising is about adhering to the franchise brand’s standards.
The pricing of dishes, checking that items are delivered by suppliers and not giving away food are all often quoted as things to watch out for when managing a fast food restaurant.
However, franchisees are aware that they will be assisted in running their business by their franchisor, particularly during the preliminary stages.
Alan Mason, UK director of franchising for Papa John’s pizza franchise offers “a comprehensive, three-week training programme and ongoing training,” to potential franchisees.
He also thinks that to run a fast food franchise, “you’ve got to be enthusiastic and personable. Fast food franchises are a seven-day week business and Mason recommends, “Having people round you with people skills, business acumen and enthusiasm.”
We also touched base with those at the forefront of fast food franchising, two successful franchisees.
Mark Rannard visited a Subway sandwich shop for lunch and now owns eleven franchise stores in the Liverpool vicinity.
He believes that to run this kind of business, prior experience is not necessary - Mark was an audit manager for an insurer before he became a franchisee.
Subway opens an average of six stores a week in the UK alone and by using tried and tested methods franchisees can run the business with relative ease.
In two years Graham Carlson went from graphic design to running four Baguette Express franchise outlets – an expanding brand with now more than 50 UK stores.
BusinessesForSale: What, if any, businesses have you run before?
Mark Rannard: “None. The Subway franchise was my first business. I got involved after seeing an advertisement for potential franchisees.”
Graham Carlson: “I was a graphic designer...I chose to become a franchisee in order to be in charge of my own business, and to feel more secure in a work environment.”
BFS: What is your day-to-day job as a franchisee?
Graham is often concerned about ‘crisis management.’ He says his week consists of “...overseeing all four franchises, making sure they all operate to the best working performance possible.”
Mark uses his franchises as a test bed for running his own business in the future. He is given a high level of support, finding that as he grows his portfolio, “Successful franchisees like the products they are selling and can often see growth in the franchise brand.”
His role has changed as the economy has tightened. He says, “Many companies are facing a tough economic environment, but are combating this by being more efficient and customer-focused, which means we continue to do good business.
"Having the buck stop with you is tough, but far more enjoyable than working in a large corporation with no real control.”
BFS: What else do you do as part of your franchisee role?
MR: “I sit on the regional marketing board so get to talk to the Subway franchisor and have some input in how our menus and other marketing materials look and feel.”
BW: What advice would you give to potential franchisees?
GC: “Job satisfaction is very important, because you must be willing to work hard, so it helps to feel satisfied with what you do. You must have the confidence to back up your decisions. Overall, determination will see you through any difficulties.
“There are two types of franchisees; people that work within their business, or people that supervise. My involvement towards my first franchise helped me develop the skill to buy more – dedication is vital.”
To find out more about buying a fast food franchise please click here.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 9:56AM 
From the BBC: Sandwich group Subway has overtaken McDonald's as the world's largest restaurant chain, the company has said.
The fast-food franchise had 33,749 sites across the globe at the end of last year, compared with 32,737 for McDonald's.
In recent years, US-based Subway has made a major push into international markets with its successful franchised business model, which emphasises small, low-cost outlets.
The privately-owned company said it had been "on a great run".
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 2:52PM 
EAT. and Subway are launching contactless enabled debit and credit card machines to make transactions quicker and easier.
The food franchises have in-store marketing campaigns to highlight that customers can use these machines when spending £15 or less. Point-of-sale material is featured in EAT. this week and has already appeared in Subway’s London stores, with the aim of making the millions of contactless cardholders in the capital aware they can make faster transactions.
The marketing campaign and roll out of contactless in EAT. and Subway shops have been run in partnership with Barclaycard, the biggest provider of contactless payment terminals in the UK.
The campaign seeks to raise the profile of the contactless symbol, which is common to both the cards with the relevant technology and the retail outlets that are able to accept contactless payment.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 5:14PM 
Papa John’s pizza franchise is offering free pizzas and prizes for Papa’s Pizzeria owners.
X2 Games, the wholly owned publishing subsidiary of award-winning UK developer Exient Ltd, has announced that the pizza redemption mechanic for their iPhone title Papa’s Pizzeria has passed the final testing phases and is now incorporated within the game.
The new mechanic gives players the opportunity to redeem in-game codes for real world prizes when they place an order with Papa John’s Pizza, allowing consumers to not only create Papa John’s pizzas but enjoy the taste as well.