Francorp Client - St. Hubert

Since 1951, St-Hubert has maintained an unwavering commitment: to satisfy our customers by offering an overall restaurant experience centered mainly on barbecue chicken dishes. Our simple recipe has three main ingredients: QSC, which stands for Quality, Service and Cleanliness. We make no compromise: providing the best value is the only way to achieve success. To uphold our excellent quality and satisfy our customers, we at St-Hubert remain true to a long tradition of innovation and keep our finger on the pulse of our customers by being on the cutting edge of new trends.
Millions of customers come to St-Hubert each year for our attentive service, warm decor and, especially, the superior quality of our products prepared the way they like them. Our key ingredients are our employees, franchisees and suppliers, who work together to honour the fundamental commitment which has been the Company's trademark since its very beginning: Customer Satisfaction.
Our purpose is for you to feel at home in our restaurants and to serve you in a friendly and comfortable atmosphere. We offer a choice of products that revolve around chicken in a relaxed environment, coupled with a quick and courteous service. Our modern decors are attractive to customers of all ages: whether you visit our dining rooms, St-Hub Resto-Bars, terraces or children's playrooms, you are sure to be satisfied. St-Hubert owes its success to a particular attention to detail and it all begins with a smile!
In order to meet the demand expressed by a large number of our customers and employees, we have decided, with firm conviction and the cooperation of our partners, to provide you with a smoke-free environment in all the restaurants of our chain.
A number of factors have prompted our company to come to this decision. Mainly the fact that second-hand smoke is a health hazard and there seems to be a well-established social consensus on this matter, not only in Canada but also throughout the world.
We feel that completely prohibiting the use of tobacco in our restaurants is the most efficient and fairest way to protect our employees from second-hand smoke in the work place. The many positive comments received from customers and from the public in general—when we announced our smoke-free environment—confirmed that our decision was well-justified.
Whether in Quebec, Ontario or New Brunswick, we therefore hope you enjoy the opportunity and pleasure of fully savoring the good taste of all our meals!
Approximately a hundred restaurants located in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick
7,500 employees
A 3,500 square meter Distribution Center
A state-of-the-art Call Center
A home delivery service
A transactional website

Dunkin Donuts

By LAUREN SHEPHERD, AP Business Writer Wed Jul 30, 7:48 AM ETNEW YORK - Looking to entice those hungry for a healthier option, Dunkin' Donuts will begin offering a new slate of better-for-you offerings in August.The menu, which will debut in stores Aug. 6, will feature two new flatbread sandwiches made with egg whites. Customers will be able to choose either a turkey sausage egg-white sandwich or a vegetable one. Both will be under 300 calories with 9 grams of fat or less, the company said."We just felt it was important to provide some choice in our menu," said Will Kussell, president and chief brand officer.The new menu will be called DDSmart and will include all current and new items that either have 25 percent few calories, sugar, fat or sodium than comparable products or contain ingredients that are "nutritionally beneficial," the company said.Current products that will join the new sandwiches on the menu include a multigrain bagel and a reduced-fat blueberry muffin.Kussell said Dunkin' will continue to add products to the menu and is currently developing several new offerings, but would not disclose any details.Kussell said Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' Brands Inc. will spend several million dollars marketing the new menu.A number of restaurants have added better-for-you options to their menus in the past few years to take advantage of a trend toward healthier eating."We're staying very true to our brand and very true to our heritage," said the company's executive chef Stan Frankenphaler. "We're just growing and evolving."

Empty Space Means Big Opportunity

(Crain’s) — The vacancy rate for Chicago-area retail real estate shot up during the second quarter to its highest level in nearly five years, and is expected to continue to climb this year as merchants retreat.
Amid an increasingly harsh economy, the vacancy rate climbed to 8.65% during the second quarter, compared to 7.93% during the first quarter and 7.51% during the second quarter of 2007, according to a report by CB Richard Ellis Inc.
The vacancy rate hasn’t been this bad since the third quarter of 2003, when it was 9.19%.
CB Richard Ellis says the vacancy will continue to rise this year at a slower rate, but does not predict how high. The rapid rise in vacancy can’t be blamed on developers, because the total amount of space remained unchanged during the quarter. Instead, the escalating rate is largely the result of store closings during the quarter by retailers such as Linens 'n Things and Sharper Image.
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“Doom and gloom is not my nature,” says Sharon Kahan, a first vice-president with CB Richard Ellis’ retail brokerage group. But “everyone realizes that we still have some tough times ahead of us.”
Last week, trendy discount apparel retailer Steve & Barry’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and is expected to liquidate. The Port Washington, N.Y.-based company has about a dozen stores in the Chicago area, including one planned for Evanston.
The 0.72-percentage-point jump in vacancy is the largest quarterly increase since the fourth quarter of 2002, when the rate soared more than a percentage point, to 11.13%, the highest level since at least 1994.
Chicago developer Robert Bond offers a particularly bleak assessment of the local retail real estate market, particularly if oil prices continue to rise.
“This economic morass we are in will continue past 2009, and hopefully start turning around in 2010,” says Mr. Bond, president of Chicago-based Bond Cos.
In addition to weakened retailers closing stores, even healthy retailers are slowing down their expansion plans.
For example, Walgreen Co., a driving force in retail real estate nationwide, said last week it plans to slow down expansion over the next three years.
The Deerfield-based drugstore company said it would add 365 stores during the 2011 fiscal year, 27% fewer than the 500 stores its expects to add during the current fiscal year, which ends Aug. 31.
And Plano, Texas-based J.C. Penney Co., said it plans to open just 20 stores nationwide in 2009, compared to 36 new or relocated stores in 2008. Penney’s opened five stores in the Chicago area in 2007.
The total amount of retail space rose just 0.63% during the second quarter, to about 124.2 million square feet.
The amount of space under construction slipped to 10.4 million square feet during the second quarter, compared to 10.7 million square feet during the previous quarter. Despite the slight decline, the amount of space under construction in 2008 is still well above recent historical averages of about 8 million square feet, the report says.
A joint venture led by Mr. Bond completed the only significant new shopping center during the second quarter: Springbrook Prairie Pavilion, a 270,000 square foot, two-stage lifestyle center in Naperville. Anchored by Austin, Texas, based-Whole Foods Market Inc., the center will be about 93% leased in October, when the second phase is completed, Mr. Bond says.
The vacancy rate rose in nine of the 12 Chicago-area submarkets during the second quarter, CB Richard Ellis says. The rate was the highest in Kane County, where it rose to 16.4% during the second quarter, compared to 14.81% during the first quarter.
Outlying retail centers that were banking on the suburban homebuilding boom are expected to face stiff challenges, Ms. Kahan says.
The vacancy rate is the lowest on the city’s North Side, falling to 3.99% in the second quarter, compared to 4.71% during first quarter.

Francorp Client - Swiss Chalet

Francorp client Swiss Chalet opened the doors to their first operation in 1954 on Bloor Street in Toronto Canada. The menu has always been simple with a focus around rotiserie chicken. The concept was dine in or take out and the restaurants featured Swiss Chalet's famous fresh cut fries.

In the 1970's the large food purveyor Cara Operations took over Swiss Chalet and took the company into the next 30 years of operations. Francorp worked with Cara and Swiss Chalet to bring the company into the United States and continue the strong brand's growth throughout Canada. Now Swiss Chalet operates more than 190 locations throughout Canada and the U.S. and still has one of the strongest brand names in Canada for the their quality food and great service.

www.swisschalet.com

www.francorp.com

Francorp Client - Boston Pizza

Francorp worked with Boston Pizza to structure their US franchise operations and grow the concept into the US market. The company and brand continue to make strides and become a powerful player in the franchise market both in the U.S. and Canada.

The Boston Pizza concept began in Edmonton, Alberta in 1964 when Greek immigrant Gus Agioritis opened “Boston Pizza and Spaghetti House”. Although he lacked any significant restaurant experiences, Agioritis achieved success by combining hard work with a business strategy that included a focus on growth through franchising. This strategy established the early success of the Boston Pizza chain, and by 1970 Boston Pizza had 17 locations throughout Western Canada, of which 15 were franchised.

One of the first franchisees attracted to the Boston Pizza concept was an RCMP officer named Jim Treliving. Treliving noticed the growing popularity of Boston Pizza and in 1968 opened his first franchise restaurant in Penticton, British Columbia. In Penticton, Treliving met George Melville, a chartered accountant and then manager of the local Peat Marwick office. Melville acted as Treliving’s business consultant for four years before becoming his partner in the business in 1973. Over the next 10 years the two men built a chain of 16 restaurants throughout B.C., giving them the hands on experience that would prove invaluable in their future position as the franchisor of the Boston Pizza concept.In 1983, Treliving and Melville acquired the chain of 44 Boston Pizza restaurants from then owner Ron Coyle, who had bought the company from Agioritis in 1978. The pair immediately divested 15 of their restaurants to individual franchisees, converted one restaurant to a corporate training restaurant and set about establishing systems and operating standards designed to enhance the already successful franchise system. In 1986 Boston Pizza made a corporate commitment to be the official pizza supplier for Expo 86 in Vancouver, B.C. The exposure that Boston Pizza received through the course of the world’s fair created significant interest in the franchise opportunity, leading to 17 new franchises in 1987 and 1988.By 1995, Boston Pizza had grown to 97 restaurants in Western Canada, with total system sales in excess of $110 million. Over the years the concept had evolved into a full service restaurant, the sports bars had been established as an integral part of the business, and the menu had been expanded to include a variety of appetizers, entrées, salads and desserts. On the corporate side the organization was preparing for future growth and evolution by adding core management resources to the corporate management team.

In order to ensure the success of its eastern expansion, BPI made significant commitment of finances and personnel in Eastern Canada. In 1997, BPI opened a regional office in Mississauga, Ontario and Jim Treliving moved to Toronto to oversee the operations, hiring senior experienced foodservice management and transferring a senior operations person from Vancouver. The organization signed its first development agreement for the city of Ottawa in that same year and opened the first restaurant in September 1998. As the company continued to grow in eastern Canada, Boston Pizza opened a regional office in Laval, Quebec in April 2004. Today there are over 90 Boston Pizza restaurants in Eastern Canada, including 18 in the Maritimes, and BPI has signed agreements and/or collected deposits for another 75 restaurants. At the same time, development continues in Western Canada, as strength of the brand provides new opportunities for growth.It took 12 years for the Boston Pizza chain to grow from $25 million in annual system sales to $100 million in 1995. Five years later the chain had reached $200 million in annual system sales and in 2005 it surpassed $500 million in annual system sales. Growth has been accelerating, and Management believes that the necessary conditions exist to continue the level of growth achieved over recent years as the strength of the Boston Pizza brand continues to grow.

In 2006 Boston Pizza reported sales in excess of $647 million.Jim & GeorgeAfter 32 years in the business, partners Jim Treliving and George Melville still love the business they are in. Though they have sold off all but five of their restaurants to devote all of their attention to managing the corporate operations, their attitude remains the same as the day they entered the restaurant industry. "Think like a customer, deliver outstanding food value and work closely with your partners."www.francorp.com

Arby's Restaurant Group

Sandwich fans hungry for beef that's not in the form of a patty can turn to this company. Arby's Restaurant Group (ARG) operates the Arby's fast food eatery chain popular for its hot roast beef sandwiches. Arby's ranks as the #3 sandwich chain behind Subway and Quiznos with nearly 3,700 locations across the US and in a handful of other countries. In addition to roast beef sandwiches, its menu features chicken sandwiches, salads, and some dessert items. More than 1,100 Arby's locations are company-owned, while the rest are franchised. The chain was started in 1964 by brothers Forrest and Leroy Raffel. ARG is owned by Triarc Companies.

Francorp Client - Al's Beef

From its humble beginning back in 1938, brother Al Ferreri and his sister and brother-in-law, Frances and Chris Pacelli, Sr. began developing what is known today as one of the "Top 10 Sandwiches in America," a "Chicago Food Legend" and "Chicago's #1 Italian Beef Sandwich," an honor bestowed upon it by Chicago magazine.
The original idea for the Italian beef sandwich was formed out of necessity, as many great ideas are. In the great depression era, meat was scarce. Chris and Al would go to family weddings and in order to make the meat go around, the family sliced it thinly and made sandwiches.
Chris and Al sat down in Al’s home kitchen and formulated their now legendary recipe. They would make their thinly sliced Italian beef sandwiches and deliver them to the local hospitals and businesses in the area. Soon, demand required that they take the next step and build a little beef stand that the local neighbors could visit.
The first official Al's Beef stand began as a small, curbside, outdoor, wooden neighborhood food stand with countertop service located on Laflin and Harrison Street, in Chicago’s “Little Italy” neighborhood. This is where the Italian beef simmered and the newly added Italian sausage grilled over flaming charcoal.
Chris Sr., who was Al's brother-in-law, maintained an outside job during the war, while Al's sister Frances managed to work at the beef stand and raise three sons, Terry, Chuck and Chris, Jr. When the pressures and demands of growing a business became overwhelming, Chris Sr. was forced to devote all of his energies to the beef stand on a full-time basis. It was then that the legend truly began.
The beef stand gradually grew and moved to its present location at 1079 W. Taylor Street, still in Chicago’s "Little Italy." It was here that they added Chicago hot dogs, fresh, homemade, hand-cut French fries, and Polish sausage to the menu.
Chris and Al ran the business from 1938 into the 1970’s when Chris Sr.’s sons Terry, Chris Jr. and Chuck took over the helm. The three brothers ran the day to day operation at the Taylor Street location and began receiving incredible media praise for their restaurant specialty, the Al’s Italian beef sandwich and their homemade, hand-cut French fries. It was after one such media article in Chicago magazine that the brothers had to expand the beef stand to its current building.
In 1999, Dave Howey, of Chicago Franchise Systems, Inc., owner and franchisor of Nancy's Pizza, bought the rights to Al's #1 Italian Beef Restaurants. Dave had been a loyal customer since 1971 and worked out the details to expand Al’s Beef through franchising. Al's Beef now has almost 100 locations around the United States.

The first Al's Beef franchise opened in Tinley Park, IL in the summer of 2001. The Al's Beef chain has grown significantly throughout Chicagoland and is currently casting its eye to other states.
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Al's Beef is totally dedicated to preserving what this country has come to recognize as a true food icon. When the History Channel produced their 2-hour "History of Food in America" documentary, Al's Beef was the only Chicago restaurant featured. When Gourmet magazine decided to do a story on the new Italian beef sensation, it was Al's Beef that was featured in a 4-page spread. And when Travel and Leisure magazine ran their "Top 10 Sandwiches in America"… you guessed it, it was Al's Beef that was picked. In March of 2008, Esquire Magazine named the Al’s Italian Beef sandwich as one of “the Best Sandwiches in America.” It's these and so many more awards and recognitions that have kept us focused on the tradition: keeping our eye on the beef. We have a lot to be proud of and a great legacy to grow and preserve.

Francorp Press Release - 2004, Francorp Malaysia

Francorp, Inc., the world's foremost franchise development and consulting group, headquartered in Chicago, USA, announced the availability of its services through Francorp Malaysia, a Southeast Asian regional office, based in Kuala Lumpur, to provide services to large and small businesses in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. Since its founding 28 years ago, Francorp has counseled more than 8,000 companies, and helped more than 2,000 businesses join the ranks of franchisors in America, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Among its clients are Kentucky Fried Chicken, Omni Hotels, Holiday Inns, Ace Hardware, Damon's, USA Baby, Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Culver's, Jollibee, Jimmy John's, Jersey Mike's Subs, Texaco, Shell and BP Amoco.
This announcement comes in concert with the Malaysian Government's initiative, to convert Malaysia into the franchise hub for the Southeast Asian region. Francorp Malaysia will provide a Full Franchise Development Program to all sorts of business concerns, enabling them to expand locally and into foreign markets (regional and worldwide) in a professional and profitable manner, without the burden of major investments in company owned branches.
Franchising has proven to be the most successful expansion method in the history of business. In the most advanced economies, franchised networks account for almost 50% of retail sales. In fact, most of today's large systems emerged from the obscurity of one or two modest retail outlets and have accomplished worldwide coverage and prestige through franchising.
Franchising, on the other hand, has become extremely competitive, especially since the international expansion exercised by the major companies has brought a completely new business culture to the rest of the world. No franchise should attempt to operate with any less than the highest standards to ensure success. Traditionally, small but successful business owners in emerging economies have encountered that as an insurmountable barrier to take a rightful place in franchising in their own countries and regions. Francorp's services ensure competitiveness in this difficult, but most rewarding, business arena, affording Malaysian businesses the strength and proficiency to franchise even in the United States, with the highest franchising industry standards.
Francorp also offers international brokerage services, bringing together franchise sellers and buyers. This service has proven effective in Francorp introducing 30+ American franchises into Japan and some Asian and Latin American franchises into the US. (Jollibee from the Philippines and Pollo Campero from Guatemala, among others). This service will facilitate both the import of franchises to the region, and the introduction of Asian franchises, particularly the Malaysian franchises, into the major world markets.
Affandy Faiz, Francorp Malaysia's President and CEO declared, "We are convinced that the government programs, supported by professional franchise development services, will place Malaysia in a most prominent place in the franchising map of the world in the years to come. Our reputation as the foremost franchise development and consulting group is committed to that effect and we will play a key role in bringing franchise opportunities to entrepreneurs throughout Asia. With talented individuals on our local and global team, we have not only strengthened our leadership position in Asia, but throughout the entire world."
"Francorp Malaysia is ready and willing to cooperate with the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative and other government agencies, chambers of commerce, business associations, financial institutions and other support institutions in assisting the Malaysian entrepreneurs to expand their business through franchising."
"For almost 30 years, Francorp has been the leader in the franchise consulting industry. In fact, we invented the niche. We have a unique approach that remains unmatched by any other firm in the world. We have assembled a team of experts whose talents are coordinated seamlessly to create customized materials that fit the specific needs of our clients. And as an international company, we have the global reach to help them expand their business, with a local presence to adjust their business to fit each country's unique culture and laws".
"We think global, and we act local". Affandy Faiz further added, "Francorp brings to Malaysia the highest franchising standards in the world. Many of those standards have been Francorp's own contribution to the industry. We created the Franchise Strategic Planning process that allows franchisors to define in advance every single subject and activity that will rule the performance of their network, before they sell the first franchise, so as to avoid hasty, costly decisions. Our method systematizes the managing of the system to ensure the quality of the franchisor's services, cost control and optimum operational performance, within the framework of a mutually rewarding relationship between the two parties".
Francorp provides every single service needed to franchise a business: Strategic Planning and Program Structure, Legal Documentation and Franchise Registration, Operations Services and Manuals, Advertising and Marketing Services, Franchise Sales Consulting, Training and Manual as well as Franchise Marketing and Sales Implementation in addition to General Consulting and Program Review.
Francorp regularly conducts a "Franchise Your Business" Seminar, which is highly recommended for entrepreneurs and business owners expiring to expand their business via franchising. This seminar is designed to provide the business owners a better understanding of the costs, time frame and working capital typically needed to grow through franchising. The upcoming seminars will be held on July 18-20, 2004, which will be led by Ramon Vinay, Vice President, Global Development, Francorp International and on September 3-5, 2004, which will be led by the Guru of Franchising, Donald D. Boroian, Founder and Chairman of Francorp Inc. We also conduct special seminars tailor fit to the clients' franchise needs.