opportunity: food & beverage
start young GROW FAST Domino’s offers multiple opportunities to young entrepreneurs
P
atrick and Carmen Cheng were only in their mid-20s when they bought their first Domino’s store. ‘It was too good an opportunity to miss,’ says Carmen. ‘Patrick was a manager in a Domino’s store in Dunedin, and when the franchisee wanted to retire he suggested we should buy the business. I was working in a government department at the time – totally different, I know – but we knew the system inside and out so we didn’t think the risk was huge. ‘With Patrick handling operations and me doing the majority of the paperwork and payroll, you could say it’s been a pretty successful partnership, as we now own three stores.’ Carmen grew up in Oamaru and Patrick arrived in New Zealand when he was 16. The couple met as students while studying in Dunedin and Patrick started working at Domino’s to help pay the bills before buying the franchise in 2010.
hard work pays off ‘In the early days I sometimes worked over 80 hours a week, but now I have the children – seven and four – I’ve stopped that,’ Carmen laughs. ‘After a few years, we were very keen to open another Domino’s store in Alexandra and the franchisor was also keen for us to expand, but they very sensibly steered us towards opening a second store in Dunedin first. Two years ago, we did just that. The Domino’s team found us an excellent location in a much newer and more vibrant part of the city, and did all the work and shop fit-out. We were a bit concerned about what our regular customers would make of it, but both stores have thrived since we opened the second one. Now Patrick and Carmen have opened their third, taking Domino’s to Alexandra in May 2018. ‘We’ve had the great experience of buying an existing store, then opening two brand new ones,’ Carmen smiles. ‘The keys to the business are good staff, good management and good service, and we were able to offer our Dunedin store manager a promotion to Alexandra which he was delighted with. It’s been a great move all round and the new store has exceeded all our expectations so perhaps one day we might open another. We are very grateful for all the opportunities Domino’s has given us.’
embracing change There are over 110 Domino’s pizza stores in New Zealand, all of which benefit from the systems perfected in 2,200 stores across the 7 countries in which Domino’s Pizza Enterprises operates.
Patrick and Carmen Cheng with their young children
‘Over the years Domino’s has stayed number one in the pizza world by innovating and embracing new technology as soon as it reaches the market,’ says Scott Bush, general manager for Domino’s in New Zealand. ‘We have always been at the forefront of change, and our franchisees embrace that and reap the benefits. ‘We’ve made huge investments into digital technology over the years. Live Pizza Tracker was developed by us 11 years ago as a world-first project that allowed our customers to track their pizza all the way through make, bake and delivery in real time so they could ensure they knew when to expect it or arrive on site just as their fresh, hot pizza was pulled out of the oven. Now we offer mobile apps on all platforms, even on smart watches, with online ordering systems which enable customers to order their favourite pizza in just three clicks. Today, Domino’s accounts for 2.5 percent of all online transactions in New Zealand. ‘We’re delivering our pizza faster, too, with new stores all being equipped with ovens that cook pizzas to perfection in just four minutes,’ says Scott. ‘But it is not just the technical world that Domino’s is focusing on. At heart, we are dedicated to providing great food. We are continuously testing recipes and ingredients to ensure fresher, tastier and healthier products. And we take pride in our real brick and timber fit-outs which reinforce the quality behind all our products.’
turn energy into results Of course, delivering on customer expectations comes down to the franchisees and their teams in every store. ‘That takes good systems and good training, which we can provide,’ says Scott. ‘But on top of that, it also requires lots of energy and total commitment as demonstrated by Carmen and Patrick. They’ve turned Patrick’s original part-time job into a thriving multi-store business, and there are plenty of opportunities for others to do the same. ‘You don’t need food industry experience but you do need to be able to build and lead a team, manage a high-pressure business and apply Domino’s proven systems efficiently and effectively while looking for continual improvement. We love entrepreneurial folk who will challenge our systems in a positive and productive way – that’s one reason we have stayed number one for so long. If that sounds like you, we have new locations available right now in regional centres and fast-growing areas. The investment for new franchisees is from $500,000 depending on location, and the returns advertiser info can be considerable. ‘We’d love to hear from more people like Carmen and Patrick who are prepared to do what it takes to build a thriving business of their own. Contact us today and tell us if that’s you.’
franchise.co.nz – PUTTING PEOPLE IN BUSINESS
Dominos 57.indd 1
Domino’s www.dominosfranchise.co.nz Contact Franchising Team P 0508 4 FRANCHISE 0508 4 37262 franchise.recruitment@ dominos.co.nz
57 14/06/18 9:18 AM