The 10 Best Food Franchises to Open in 2021

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volume 11 i issue 01 I 2021

Food Talks

Make your Fortune in Food Franchise

10 Food E

TH

BEST

Franchises

TO OPEN IN 2021

LeAnne Cavallaro Director of Operations Cinnaholic

Drew Kellogg President & CEO

From a Small Seaside Shop to a Growing Pizza Franchise

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INTRODUCING: FRANCHISE OF THE YEAR

Meeting Dessert Cravings of Everyone by Serving High-Quality Sweet Treats

LeAnne Cavallaro Director of Operations Cinnaholic

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK Food, Feels, Franchise

W

hen I relax on my couch, having no plans or whatsoever, my spontaneous craving for food makes me reach to my smartphone and helplessly order food to feed my hunger. After a long wait, when the food arrives, and I have the first bite, it feels exhilaratingly satisfying.

However, it took me a while to notice that I was unintentionally following a pattern, ordering from various food franchises. It led me to wonder how food franchises have imprinted their brand in the consumers' minds, becoming renowned and beloved in every corner of the world.

10 Food E

TH

BEST

Food franchising has been around for decades, and we are familiar with them at some level. What makes these franchises unique is that they offer a large variety of delicious local and international cuisine from diverse parts of the world, bridging the gap between nations through food. Apart from developing innovative dishes, franchising also has a significant business aspect and a strong leadership behind it. It makes consistent efforts to keep its core values the same across the world, making these franchises gain recognition around the globe.

Franchises

TO OPEN IN 2021

The franchising business model allows individuals seeking to follow their entrepreneurial drive a straightforward method of growth while spreading its wings in newer locations. The franchise work culture differs from the traditional businesses and provides constant valued training and support to its employees to maintain its integrity across the board. With strong values rooted in the franchises, the brick-and-mortar of these franchises keep growing while maintaining a fine line between reasonable costs and labor, making a profit, and most importantly, touching people's hearts with food.

Explore such diverse food franchises that have spread smiles in people's lives with their cuisine and also have provided growth opportunities to budding entrepreneurs along the way in The Franchise Universe's newest edition, "The 10 Best Food Franchises to Open in 2021.”

While immersing through the journeys of these franchises, have a quick rundown through the articles exploring different aspects of franchising.

Commence on your curiosity and flip over the pages!

Aditya Gaikar

Marketing Manager Nathan Rust Project Manager Marry D'Souza Business Development Manager Anup B. Editor-in-Chief Hitesh Dhamani

Sales Executive Sagar D.

Managing Editor Aditya Gaikar

Technical Head Aditya K.

Art & Design Director Matt Jenkins

Research Analyst Todd Stewart

Associate Designer Kartik B.

SME-SMO Executive Amol Wadekar

Sales Head Kshitij S

Database Management Stella Andrew

editor@thefranchiseuniverse.com November, 2021

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Copyright © 2021 The Franchise Universe, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from The Franchise Universe. Reprint rights remain solely with The Franchise Universe.

COVER STORY

C O N T E N T S

08

ARTICLE

22 Make your Fortune in Food Franchise

24

Blue Coast Burrito

30

Peace Love and Little Donuts

36

The Spice & Tea Exchange

Company Name

Featured Person

Brief

Blue Coast Burrito bluecoastburrito.com

Robert Speck President and CEO

Blue Coast Burrito offers customers delicious BAJA-FRESH California style food.

Cinnaholic cinnaholic.biz

LeAnne Cavallaro, Director of Operations

Cinnaholic is home to the original, gourmet cinnamon roll.

El Pollo Loco elpolloloco.com

Brian Eldermen CEO

El Pollo Loco opened is quickly becoming a destination for the best citrus-marinated, fire-grilled pollo in town.

Fazoli's System Management LLC fazolis.com

Carl Howard CEO

Fazoli’s is an elevated Quick Service Restaurant concept in an enhanced service environment.

Gelato & Co gelatoeco.com

Jim Stanley CEO

Gelato & Co is a ice cream company based in the Cayman islanda,USA ,Panama and the Caribbean.

Oath Pizza oathpizza.com

Drew Kellogg President & CEO

Oath Pizza is a better-for-you craft pizza brand that has reimagined the pizza experience.

Peace Love and Little Donuts peaceloveandlittle donuts.com

Marci and Ron Razete Co-founders

Peace Love and Little Donuts goal is the leader in the "fresh not frozen" donut market with remarkable donut flavors and combinations in the quick service restaurant sector.

Qdoba Restaurant Corporation qdoba.com

Keith Guilbault CEO

QDOBA is more than just memorable Mexican-inspired food.

The Spice & Tea Exchange spiceandtea.com

Amy Freeman CEO, CFE

The Spice & Tea Exchange® was founded in 2008, by a group of talented individuals with a passion for life and food.

Tickle My Ribs tmrbbq.com

Sean Morris Founder

TickleMyRibs have been committed to the execution of Handcrafted Food and BBQ.

COVER STORY

Drew Kellogg President & CEO Oath Pizza

From a Small Seaside Shop to a Growing Pizza Franchise

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A modern, tech-forward approach. World-class e ciency. Round-the-clock support. Oath Pizza is committed to setting you up for success.

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H

ave you ever wanted to eat better without giving up the foods you love? Sacrificing flavor for high-quality foods happens a lot, especially when it comes to pizza. Does it feel like it's either healthier and tasteless or greasy and too filling? That's where Oath Pizza comes in, with a menu full of exciting twists on flavors you actually love. Oath pizzas are crafted on a proprietary crust that is grilled, seared in avocado oil, and topped with real, fresh ingredients. The brand is disrupting the pizza and better-for-you segments with a product that is perfectly positioned to intersect the demand for high-quality comfort foods.

What started in a small seaside shop on Nantucket Island in 2015 has now become a beloved national brand, known for its signature avocado oil pizza crust and 100% feel-good pizza experience.

Oath is led by experienced restaurant executives and former Chipotle operations and marketing leaders. Drew Kellogg serves as the Chief Executive Officer, and Stacie Colburn Hayes, the Chief Marketing Officer. The expertise of Kellogg and Hayes has helped to get Oath Pizza back to its roots and prepared the brand for growth. Kellogg joined Oath Pizza in 2018 and brought his years of leader-

ship experience to the rapidly evolving company.

He now drives the brand's strategic vision with his purpose-driven and talented team. Together, they are growing Oath Pizza into a robust national brand that is working to positively impact the world.

Kellogg saw the potential for the future of Oath Pizza. He asked his team and connections to help bring his vision to life using the brand's unique product and efficient business model.

Hayes also joined Oath Pizza in 2018 and drives the vision for all marketing, technology, menu innovation, customer service, and franchise development. She and her team are responsible for the brand evolution and cutting-edge digital infrastructure.

They work alongside the operational teams to provide unprecedented support to the companyowned and franchise locations nationwide.

We at The Franchise Universe came across Oath Pizza in our expedition to find "The 10 Best Food Franchises to Open in 2021." We got into an insightful conversation with Drew to know his experience and methodologies that make Oath

COVER STORY

Pizza stand out from the rest to become one of the beloved household food franchises.

The Story Continues Today, Oath has grown to 29 locations across the country. For those who are not close to a restaurant location, their craft pizzas are available to ship to households and businesses across the country from Goldbelly®.

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Better Versions of Flavors You Love.

Oath's franchise program began in 2018 when it was selected as the newest franchise by Aramark, the globally-recognized Fortune 500 food service leader. Oath was chosen due to its efficient business model, turn-key operations, and betterfor-you brand appeal to key groups, like Millennials and Gen Z. Even without a focus on development at the time, Oath's non-traditional franchise program continued to grow. The brand caught the attention of Covelli Enterprises, the largest Panera franchisee, which signed on as its second franchisee in 2019.

Oath's franchise opportunity was selling itself to some of the biggest companies in the industry, so Kellogg decided to implement a traditional franchise growth strategy. He shifted resources and budget to market the opportunity more broadly and prepared for the resulting rapid franchise growth.

Now, Oath's goal is to find franchise partners to open new locations, primarily in affluent suburban areas, occupied by ingredient-conscious folks who want a better pizza option. Oath's ideal franchise partners are wellness-, community-, and peoplefocused, with a love of delicious food and an appreciation for a simple, efficient operation and business model.

Overcoming Growing Pains Oath experienced rapid corporate and franchise expansion with Aramark early on, before the brand identity, operations, supply chain, and other components were fully established.

Aramark's openings began just before Kellogg and Hayes came on board. With the help of their exceptional and dedicated team, Kellogg optimized Oath's business model and operations. At the same

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chocolate drizzle and powdered sugar. The perfect end to any meal. Oath also offers a popular kids' menu, featuring pizzas crafted on a fluffy mini crust and a nut-free environment for parents seeking a safer, better option for their children.

A Culture Built on Community Oath's mission is to inspire happiness in its communities, and its team members are the most critical part of that. When Kellogg started, his first order of business was to meet the restaurant and field teams and evaluate the strengths and opportunities of the company culture. He led the team in collaborating to update the vision, mission, and values that set the tone for mutual investment and ownership across the organization.

time, Hayes reestablished the brand identity and positioning, elevated the guest experience, and implemented new, proven marketing strategies.

There was a period of branding and menu changes after Aramark openings had begun, but the adjustments were positive for the brand and its franchise partners and created a solid foundation for rapid, long-term franchise growth.

A Better Pizza Experience Oath is pizza reimagined. Each bite is meant to make every day feel like a summer Friday back on Nantucket, where their first location opened its doors.

Oath's signature crust is hand-stretched, grilled, and seared in avocado oil for a deliciously unique flavor and texture. Its menu offers signature pizzas as well as customizable options. Rare to the pizza industry, each Oath Pizza is made with real, highquality ingredients, and topped with house-made sauces, fresh, hand-cut produce, Applegate® organic proteins, and flavorful garnishes.

Oath Pizza has also become known for meeting vegan, gluten-free, and many other dietary needs with its inclusive menu. Thanks to its new partnership with Banza® to provide a perfectly doughy yet crispy chickpea crust, any pizza can be made gluten-free or vegan. Other options like vegan cheese and Beyond Meat are favorites among those looking for plant-based options.

For dessert? A chocolate chunk cookie pizza, where creamy ricotta meets cookie dough, topped with

Today, Kellogg and the team operate on the same core values they developed when he came on board-empowerment, hospitality, integrity, passion, sustainability, and teamwork, which can be felt throughout the organization.

The Highs and Lows of a Pandemic The team at Oath worked tirelessly to adapt to the changing needs of its customers, restaurant teams, and communities while fulfilling its commitment to protect and grow its business. While difficult, the slowed pace and fast decision-making created space for Oath to optimize its model, set a path forward, and prepare for fast growth in a postpandemic world.

Fortunately, in 2019, Kellogg and Hayes had prioritized key parts of the business that would serve as essential during the pandemic. Kellogg focused on operational efficiencies as well as franchise program refinement and alignment.

Hayes focused on strengthening cutting-edge

ordering and front-of-house technologies and dining experiences. This included a valueengineered menu, direct online ordering app, and website development, as well as an improved loyalty program, ordering experience, and datadriven marketing campaigns with impressive ROI.

Wanderers, Color of Change, and Coded by Kids.

Oath continues to participate in local governmentfunded food programs, donate to shelters, volunteer, and host fundraisers for non-profit organizations and schools.

Towards the Quest of Meticulous Expansion

As a result, Oath Pizza was able to not only survive but thrive during the pandemic. The brand saw considerable improvements in operational efficiencies, increased digital revenue, improved new customer conversion, and database growth.

These systems and strategies allowed creative campaigns, national partnerships, and the exploration of new revenue and growth channels. This included offering nationwide shipping in a matter of weeks via Shopify, and on Goldbelly® a few months later.

Community Offerings from Your Pizza Spot Oath has been an active member and advocate of all of its communities from the start. Over the past 20 months, Hayes and the team found ways to support those in need, despite future uncertainties.

When the pandemic arrived in the U.S., the team transformed its food truck into a contactless operation overnight. It set out to serve up its feelgood pizzas to front-line workers, isolated apartment building residents, hotel and retail staff, and many other community groups. Additionally, with the launch of its Pizza Party Packs, Oath donated 10% of profits to support organizations such as Feeding America, Americares, Home for Little

Kellogg knew that he could transform Oath Pizza into something special and scalable with the help of Hayes and the Oath team. The brand's unique, better-for-you product intersects the increasing consumer demand for real, quality food and satisfies the void for a better pizza. In addition, with one of the most efficient and scalable models in the QSR industry, Oath fulfills the growing demands for efficient, scalable and easy-to-operate, franchise concepts.

Now, with confidence in its unique, authentic, and scalable franchise opportunities, Oath is eager to grow. It aims to sign on dozens of new franchise partners by the end of 2022.

Go Ahead, Craft Your Own Story Kellogg understands how to lead in a competitive franchise market and his advice to emerging entrepreneurs is simple, “Stay positive, be grateful, smile often, and be a curious, humble student along the way.” He adds, “Aim high and make sure to set goals that are inspirational, worthy, and make the world a better place.”

Cinnaholic FRANCHISE OF THE YEAR

Meeting Dessert Cravings of Everyone by Serving High-Quality Sweet Treats

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othing tastes more sweeter than an exquisite and delicious dessert. Almost every human being in the world is fond of sweet treats. The high-quality bakery products made by using fresh ingredients are the natural choice of most food lovers. Many people become irresistible fans of the food franchise that meets their dessert cravings. Cinnaholic is one such food franchise that solves everyone’s dessert cravings.

Cinnaholic is not your typical cinnamon roll dessert shop. All of its products are fresh-baked and 100% vegan, dairy & lactose-free, egg-free, and cholesterol-free.

We at The Franchise Universe caught up with LeAnne Cavallaro, Director of Operations at Cinnaholic, to learn more about the company and its franchising business.

LeAnne states that she wants to deliver new experiences to customers every time they visit Cinnaholic. She wants its customers to feel like they are returning to a comforting harbor at all of its locations.

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Let’s unveil more about the company.

Creating 100% Plant-Based Desserts Cinnaholic was founded by a husband-and-wife team that wanted to create decadent desserts that were 100% plant-based. After appearing on Shark Tank, they decided to franchise their concept, and Cinnaholic now has over 60 locations across the US and Canada. Cinnaholic’s work is a craft of love, passion, and dedication.

Using Fresh Ingredients for Making Most Popular Items The fact that all of Cinnaholic’s bakeries are 100% plant-based sets it apart from its competition. It believes in using the highest quality ingredients.

Some of Cinnaholic’s most popular items are the Cookie Monster Roll made with cream cheese frosting topped with chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate chips, and chocolate sauce; the Caramel Apple Pie Roll made with caramel frosting topped with fresh apples, homemade pie crumble, pecans and caramel sauce; and its custom Cinnacakes that

LeAnne Cavallaro

Director of Operations Cinnaholic

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are made with customer's choice of frosting and five toppings.

Cinnaholic is proud to serve create-your-own cinnamon rolls, and other sweet treats like made from scratch brownies, cookies, and edible cookie dough.

Ensuring Wow Factor in Products 100% plant-based is always the first priority for Cinnaholic, but it takes it up a notch by making sure its products always have that wow factor when it comes to ingredients and flavor. Customers can select from over 20 unique frosting flavors and a variety of fresh and decadent toppings for their cinnamon roll. They can mix and match flavors to create a new experience every visit!

Moreover, all of Cinnaholic’s bakeries are set up for online ordering and third-party delivery, which has increased the ease of ordering for its customers.

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Catering Events of All Types and Any Size Cinnaholic’s entire menu is completely customizable to the events of its customers. From social gatherings and office meetings to weddings and showers, Cinnaholic caters for events small, large, and everything in between. With Cinnaholic Catering, the possibilities are endless. It caters to any occasion and any size and creates a memorable and unique dessert experience for customers.

Symbolizing Experience, Team Value, and Family The swallow featured in the Cinnaholic logo is derived from the traditional sailor tattoo. It symbolizes experience, team value, and family.

Cinnaholic feels the success of its brand is reflected in the dedication and passion of its franchise partners, its corporate team, and its employees whom it considers “family”.

The 10 Best Food Franchises to Open in 2021

Our franchise partners benefit from a flexible business model, relatively low operating costs, and highquality, delicious products that consumers come back for time and time again.

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Making Huge Impact on People with Food Allergies Cinnaholic has impacted people with food allergies tremendously. Since all of its items are 100% dairy, egg, and lactose-free, it is able to cater to people with allergies to those items.

Cinnaholic hears from families all the time how thankful and excited they are because their child/ren are able to enjoy Cinnaholic’s baked goods without fear of getting sick.

Let’s hear it from the client.

"We tried a few of your rolls last weekend and they blew me away! We have a child with a dairy allergy, so it was so special and meaningful to be able to have a delicious treat that we felt safe with!" — — Hannah, Baltimore “It's amazing to hear these stories and makes me proud to be a part of this brand,” says LeAnne.

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food to local organizations as needed, and many work with schools and non-profits for fundraising.

Cinnaholic prides itself on being active in its communities!

Growing and Expanding into International Markets Cinnaholic wants to continue to grow across the United States and Canada and eventually expand into more international markets. It is actively seeking franchise partners in new markets to help grow its brand.

Being Up for a Challenge

Supporting Needs of Franchise Partners Talking about the impact of the pandemic, LeAnne says there have been so many effects the pandemic has brought to the franchise industry, but one consistent opportunity is hiring. Cinnaholic is supporting its franchise partners with additional messaging on social media and its websites, and continuing to work on creative ways to support their need for staffing.

LeAnne says, “A positive work culture is a necessity to hire and retain a great staff, and fortunately for Cinnaholic, the work is fun, and serving up sweet treats to our raving fans is always rewarding.”

Being Active in Communities When it comes to serving communities, all Cinnaholic locations are individually owned and operated, and each franchise partner connects with their community differently. Many locations donate

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LeAnne advises budding franchise leaders who aspire to venture into the food and beverages franchise industry, “This industry is a whirlwind and every day is different, make sure you're up for the challenge. Contact references and other franchise partners inside the brand you're pursuing, visit a nearby location, and ask all the questions! Be committed to be present at your business - our most successful franchise partners are part of the daily operations!”

FOOD TALKS

L

iving up to your passion demands strength, and strength comes from the zeal to give your best to bring a change in the world.

Every day, a new concept, trend, and new fields are created, and the franchise is the result of one such new concept, where you can own your business with some capital. And, in the franchise, the food franchise is the best franchise to own for entrepreneurs and businesses. Why? Because you cannot say no to food, can you?

Well, jokes apart, but according to the fact, food franchise is the best type of franchise to own, as this niche serves a lot of people with an extensive customer base worldwide. The food franchise arena is the best way to make your fortune because the field holds such a recognized potential.

This concept is interactive, fresh, and full of variety; you can never worn-out of it. So, what does it take to make all the things work?

Dream Big It is the experience of your flavor with the kind of approach you have towards the customer, and that is all it takes to make the food franchise successful.

Right when the customer steps into your store, he should feel invited and make sure your store is no ordinary place by keeping the best environment.

So, when the customer walks out, he has the best experience and visits often. The advertising and marketing do the rest.

Speaking of a food franchise, McDonald’s is the best example that comes to my mind. With some 39,198 franchises in the world, it has grown worldwide enormously. This shows the power of food franchise and the fact that it is still growing.

The right franchise can take you to the top, and a food franchise is undoubtedly the perfect franchise.

So next time you are in a debate about the best franchise, you can say it loud about the best franchise – the food franchise, period.

Well, not taking away from the start-up entrepreneurs, as they are definitely self-made persons with their own ideas and innovations. It’s just that owning the food franchise gives you additional confidence as the platform is already set to rock. You don’t have to start anything from scratch.

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Importance of Values Values, of course, play a big part in its successful management. The dedication of the team and the employees is reflected in their work, and with the right work values, all can grow. You get to enjoy your work; only then can you be creative in your work. This is where the company’s role is vital to make sure to support their employees and acknowledge their concerns. Upholding such values, the goal becomes clear, and everyone believes in achieving that goal of the franchise.

Never Back Down Now is the best time to be in the franchise industry.

Looking at the future opportunities with new technology and innovation, the customers and even the entrepreneurs are excited about what’s next. We recently saw shutdowns of many businesses and a high number of losses of human lives. Staying healthy and eating healthy was the main lesson we learned from it. We have to continually improve the standard of our life, and the quality of food we eat and food franchise is definitely helping towards it.

The Immortal Words We still have a long way to go, and the food franchise looks ready for coming challenges and opportunities. There is no restriction in this field; the more you work, the more you grow. A lot of things are also dependent on trust, as any concept is only trusted when you follow the culture of respect. The culture is built by respecting everyone’s feedback, concerns and taking action on it. This shows you are professional in the business and show compassion towards people. Because to reach the top, putting only money is not the point, but the values, culture, and compassion will take you to your dream.

Lastly, get up and build your food franchise career now. There will be challenges, but with experience, team, and values, you can decipher challenges into opportunities. Now that finding the right kind of franchise is no longer a doubt go and make it real.

F

Make your

ORTUNE in

OOD

RANCHISE

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Blue Coast Burrito

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Marci and Ron Razete, Co-founders, Peace, Love and Little Donuts

The Future of Small Business in Every Community

30 | November 2021

The 10 Best Food Franchises to Open in 2021

S

mall businesses are known for their special place in every community. They offer value beyond just material goods. In order to be successful as a small business owner, one must maintain an impeccable reputation, treat people kindly, and remain in touch with everyone in times of need. These qualities make small businesses indispensable for the longterm growth of the community. In return, they offer relatively low risks and tremendous potential for success for every owner. Peace, Love, and Little Donuts (PLLD) holds the promise of such an enriching investment.

A Small Journey The company started its journey in 2009 when its founders Marci and Ron Razete bought a used donut machine from their friend. The spirit of the small community kicked in when they asked the director of their local hockey areaa to join the event as a small vendor. The director responded with a resounding "yes", and both have never looked back since. Today, the franchise operates over 35 brick and mortar locations across America, and offers a great opportunity to invest in the future of American small business.

PLLD's motto is simple. Marci says, "Our mission is to make the grooviest, most far-out, and funkadelic donuts in the world". Marci also knows how to serve those donuts and to keep up with the taste buds of every customer. The main promise of PLLD to its customers is the freshness of its donuts. Ron says, "We don't start making donuts until 30 minutes before we open, and don't stop making donuts until 30 minutes before we close. We rarely disappoint people by being "out". This mantra is essential for success in

the QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) industry.” PLLD rarely disappoints its customers, and its growing fan following among customers is a testimony to its success. For example, the franchise has an amazing rating of 4.8 stars on Grubhub, and 4.5 on Tripadvisor. Some of its local stores have also scored a perfect 5 on Facebook.

The PLLD franchise is a relatively new business, and with it comes an endless adventure to be a part of creating something new for the first time. For example, when Marci and Ron discovered that their donuts were well-loved at hockey events, they found a tiny shop for rent of just 209 sq ft. And that makes sense considering that Ron put the original donut machine together without instructions and couldn't get the results any larger than a "small" version of a donut. They decided that this "holy accident" would guide them and to this day,

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remains the cornerstone of PLLD's perfect size.

Expertise in Franchise Operation In order for small businesses to grow, expertise in the business is essential. This often proves to be the chink in the armor for many small businesses.

Opening a small business in their own community is a dream of many, however, a bitter reality is many small businesses fail each year. Ron is keenly aware and to help others be as successful as possible, he spent years earning a certification as a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) to learn all that

We are all about delicious, fun, and shareable donut experiences that'll satisfy any sweet tooth.

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he could to help others launch their franchise model in various communities. His big take-a-way from the classes was to use technology wherever possible to offer a stable and robust operation.

According to Ron, "we are utilizing every advantage of new technologies to make training material, customer service standards and support material available to our partners".

During these unusual times, PLLD has tried to draw even closer to its communities to help their customers and staff with the challenges that come along with the pandemic. Ron and Marci plan on building a disaster vehicle soon to deploy in the wake of storms and natural disasters, offering a warm donut and free cup of coffee to those in need and to first responders.

A Sense of Community Marci and Ron both practice compassion along with a strong objective approach to business fundamentals. They both volunteer in local communities and regularly donate to charities.

They have created a 501C3 charity named: PLLD Marriage Support, Inc, in an effort to support pastors and spouses towards strengthening their bonds of marriage. They trust that better marriages will build stronger churches.

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Amy Freeman

Chief Execu ve Officer, CFE

The Spice & Tea Exchange®

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The 10 Best Food Franchises to Open in 2021

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he food franchise industry is ever-evolving and encompasses everything from restaurants to hot-dog carts, to specialty beverage stores, and spice shops.

Many franchises often innovate new culinary offerings by combining two or more distinct flavors to create a delicious taste that will satisfy one's soul. The Spice & Tea Exchange is one such franchise that strives to provide its guests with quality products and flavorful memories. It offers a high-quality, diverse assortment of products in a sensory shopping experience.

At the helm of The Spice & Tea Exchange is it’s Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Amy Freeman. Amy has curated the franchise into a closely knit team with a family vibe to deliver a best-in-class experience.

We at The Franchise Universe came across Amy in our endeavor to find “The 10 Best Food Franchises to Open in 2021.” We got into the conversation to gain insights about her franchise and how she has intended to create and share the experience of a more flavorful life through her venture.

Below are the highlights of the interview.

Give us a brief overview/inception of The Spice & Tea Exchange®, its mission, and the key aspects of its strong foothold in the Retail industry.

The Spice & Tea Exchange was founded in 2008 with the vision to create a one-of-a-kind, worldclass sensory experience for our guests. We love food, simple as that. We were inspired to share that passion in the retail arena in an original, interactive, and immersive concept. We started with one store in St. Augustine, FL, but quickly recognized the potential of franchising our design.

Our mission of "Creating & sharing the experience of a more flavorful life" is the backbone of our approach, to make a truly memorable shopping experience for our guests. The guest experience is what sets us apart from your standard grocer and the ordinary spice or tea shop down the way. Many of our spice blends and teas are handcrafted right in our stores, which is an essential part of the overall sensory adventure our guests take when they walk in our doors. Guests are encouraged to "open the jars and smell" while they explore the aromas throughout our stores, are invited to watch Spice Masters hand-mix blends, and have the opportunity to enjoy freshly brewed tea from the Tea Bar. All of these offerings are shepherded by a well-trained, knowledgeable staff.

We're currently at 84 franchise locations and growing! It was a whirlwind in 2020, as every retail concept had to pivot and adapt— our system handled it phenomenally. We saw revenue growth of $1.6M from 2019 to 2020. We signed several franchise agreements in the height of COVID-19 shutdowns and had our best fourth quarter ever. In 2021, we've welcomed eight franchise locations, www.thefranchiseuniverse.com | 37

and we anticipate approaching the 100-store mark by the end of 2022.

Describe your top-notch offerings, and what makes your franchise a preferred choice among your clientele over other competitors.

The right ingredients are what set you apart from any competitor— and our spices and teas are Grade-A quality, vetted with discerning palates, and sourced from countries around the globe. Within our shops, you'll find over 225 premium spices, seasonings, herbs, 45+ loose-leaf teas, a variety of sea and mineral salts, infused sugars, meal kits, gourmet gifts, kitchen/home accessories, and so much more. Many of our stores also boast a fullservice tea bar to enjoy hot and iced tea to-go!

Several items in our product catalog are brand exclusives, which allows our guests to shop with confidence knowing their selections will be of the finest quality available and with excitement knowing their choices are unique and far from runof-the-mill. Our proprietary recipes are what keep our guests coming back time and time again!

Describe in detail the values that drive The Spice & Tea Exchange® services.

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Creating & sharing the experience of a more flavorful life.

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As a retail experience, The Spice & Tea Exchange® seamlessly combines two industries by uniting spices and teas under a concept that blends quality and flavor. Our products go through rigorous sourcing methods with strict quality controls in place. We are keenly aware of our ingredients, working to ensure that we're providing conscious offerings for all culinary styles and a variety of needs; salt-free, gluten-friendly, wellness, and more.

Our core values reflect the dedication of the company and our franchise partners to continually enhance our experience for both ourselves and our guests. We believe that: "Passion" is a necessity to believe in and enjoy all that we do.

"Distinction" amongst ourselves and in the industry is vital to be unique and creative in all that we do.

"Responsibility" is key to success, accountability, and ownership in all that we do to support our teammates, franchise partners, and guests.

As I frequently discuss with my team, "I is We," and upholding these values ensures trust and a greater understanding of our purpose as a company.

infrastructure to bolster our teams and technology to handle what's to come. We're further developing our Learning & Development areas to nurture our system (new and existing). We're growing our consultant teams to give added support to our field and investing in new channels (such as wholesale) to open additional lines of revenue for our owners.

As an established franchise, what would your advice be to up-and-coming entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the franchise industry?

Understand your purpose for doing what you do, communicate it well, iterate it often, and hire the right individuals who can breathe it with you.

Culture and purpose will drive you through those growth stretches and difficult times as you build from the ground up!

Would you please shed the knowledge on your training programs that help you to expand your franchise?

We are so fortunate to have an incredible team of Franchise Business Consultants, marketing specialists, and technology professionals to assist our stores as they onboard with us.

Upon signing with The Spice & Tea Exchange, our Franchise Owners complete a full week of Spice UniversiTea at our facilities in St. Augustine, FL, to learn the ins and outs of the organization.

We work with them to focus on tools, methodologies, and technologies that will assist them through the opening of their store. Following Spice UniversiTea, franchisees receive two weeks of on-site education as they prepare to open and begin to implement customer service and merchandising techniques into their day-to-day. We offer virtual education and documented learning curriculum to our system via online platforms to continue their education and train onboarding team members as they grow with us.

What is The Spice & Tea Exchange's future aspirations? What strategies are you undertaking to achieve those goals?

We are at a pivotal point in our journey where we're about to hit the big-100! At this moment, we are keen to expand but also focused on www.thefranchiseuniverse.com | 39