Business from scratch or franchise: what is the best way to start opening a shawarma point

In the street food market, shawarma occupies a leading position. Customers are attracted by the convenience and taste of the dish, and entrepreneurs are attracted by a small initial investment. What to choose for novice businessmen: their own business from scratch or a ready-made franchise — said Alexander Dolgov — entrepreneur, founder and owner of CheburekMe, Senor Dener, Laser Love, founder and co-owner of Yellow Door digital coffee house, Postilla ecosystem, Holding 20x80.

Starting from scratch: self-discovery

The first thing an entrepreneur will face is high competition. You can find stalls and food trucks with shawarma in any crowded place in your city. Your establishment should stand out from others: creative design, menu variety or speed of service. The owner will require a large investment of time and money, as well as a deep knowledge of the niche.

“To open a point on your own, you need to think through everything to the smallest detail. First of all, you need to choose a suitable location, take into account the availability and area of ​​the room. The next steps are creating a business plan and your own brand, and raising funds. It will require creativity, knowledge in marketing and management. Next is the development of technical maps, the purchase of equipment and the search for suppliers”, — explains entrepreneur Alexander Dolgov.

The street food market is characterized by a high turnover of personnel. Hiring and regularly training employees will also become the responsibility of the entrepreneur. From scratch, you will have to connect a CRM system, arrange delivery and engage in advertising.

Opening a franchise shawarma point

Buying a franchise makes running a business much easier. First of all, this is due to the constant support of the owner. The franchisor acts as a mentor: he provides a ready-made business plan, technical maps and proven suppliers. The owner is also involved in marketing, and a well-known brand inspires consumer confidence and increases sales.

“We at Senor Dener care about our franchisees. We take full responsibility for personnel training — we have developed a unique online course that allows you to prepare and certify an employee in 1 day. In addition, we share a unique technology for harvesting and cooking meat, thanks to which large portions are cooked 3 times faster, and the average profitability is equal to 25%. Each outlet also receives a quality control and order tracking system. To speed up the service, we have created a convenient website with payment by bank card — so customers do not have to stand in line”, — said entrepreneur Alexander Dolgov.

Recently, the Senor Dener franchise offers an additional bonus — it helps in finding a place for the most advantageous location of new outlets. To do this, it developed its own algorithm for selecting places. Rich experience and expertise help to avoid mistakes in this matter, which in turn guarantees a stable flow of customers in newly opened franchised fast-food restaurants.

The company also provides pre-designed technological maps. A businessman who opens a franchise restaurant does not need to come up with main dishes and drinks. Senor Dener provides a ready-made menu. This also includes cooking technology, the choice of suppliers and other nuances. Based on the experience of already operating fast food outlets, the whole range of marketing has been developed — from promotions to attract new customers to well-composed combo menus.

How to choose?

When deciding which option to choose, the entrepreneur must carefully weigh everything. Both models have both advantages and disadvantages. Opening a point on your own requires a lot of experience in management and large investments, but allows you to control all processes personally. The franchise, in turn, involves a careful selection of the owner for cooperation, and in the future — the payment of a lump-sum fee and royalties. But still, a ready-made business and comprehensive support from the franchisor is the most comfortable option for those who want to quickly achieve high results with minimal risks.