Investing in a Ben & Florentine breakfast franchise is a smart move as demand for all-day breakfast continues to soar
There’s no other place that brings people together quite like a breakfast restaurant. A good breakfast spot becomes a community hub for people of all ages and backgrounds. Business people pop in for a quick bite, retirees gather to chat over pots of coffee, families come in before school and on the weekends before soccer games, and the hip, young brunch crowd spends all week dreaming about kicking off their weekend days with French toast and eggs Benedict.
The feeling of community that a good breakfast restaurant provides also is one of the reasons why breakfast franchises are attractive business opportunities for entrepreneurs in 2020. To be able to own a business that actually brings people together and makes people happy is to own a business that truly has a meaningful impact.
From a business perspective, owning a breakfast restaurant is not only personally enriching, it also has the potential to be financially rewarding. According to an article published by Eater, “The Business of Breakfast,” breakfast franchise owners benefit from three key factors:
- American dining out habits changed after the Great Recession to focus on more affordable options, which created the breakfast boom that continues today.
- Restaurants are offering high-quality breakfast meals.
- Breakfast food is cheap to buy from the restaurant owner’s standpoint, so they enjoy great margins from their customers.
What that list is missing is work/life balance. Because breakfast restaurants typically close up shop in the afternoon, owners get to spend more time with their families and doing the things they love to do. They don’t have the long, grueling evening hours that full daypart restaurants have to contend with, and they don’t have to miss out on school events or tucking their children in at night. Owning a breakfast restaurant allows you the flexibility to be there for your family.
The American Breakfast Boom is Real
According to Time magazine, “Americans are eating more breakfast and more breakfast out.” This news is bolstered by NDP Group reporting that “out of the three meals, only breakfast has seen an increase in traffic.” In the Eater article mentioned above, Bonnie Riggs, a restaurant industry analyst at NPD Group, says that breakfast is “the only bright spot in the industry and it’s been that way for years.”
For owners of breakfast restaurants, this is obviously terrific news. While major players such as McDonald’s and other large chains account for a large percentage of the breakfast boom, it’s also being fueled by the foodie habits of millennials and Gen-Z, who want breakfast and brunch all week long.
La Belle Assiette sums up the phenomenon perfectly in its article, “Brunch Boom: How Brunch Became the Most Popular Meal of the Day.”
“Walk around any major city on a weekend and brunch will be served by many establishments, putting their own twist on this old favorite,” La Belle Assiette writes. “Mexican mixes of salsa and eggs on fajitas; or Italian meats and breads all are welcome on the metropolitan brunch table today.”
Brunch culture is here to stay, and it’s elevating breakfast into a luxurious, decadent meal that brings families and friends together, while restaurant owners get to benefit from higher prices on items that are inexpensive to purchase. In an article titled, “3 Ways to Tap into the Breakfast and Brunch Boom,” published by FSR magazine, chefs speak to how foodie habits are changing the breakfast landscape in a positive way.
“Breakfast and Brunch are turning into seven days a week,” says Joey Maggiore, owner/chef at Hash Kitchen in Scottsdale, Chandler, and Phoenix, Arizona, and owner of The Maggiore Group. “Consumers now look at brunch as another dining experience. It went from scrambled eggs and bacon to having crazy, lavish French toast and pretzel Benedicts.”
Not All Breakfast Franchises are Equal
When you look at breakfast franchise opportunities, it’s critical that you choose the right brand in which to invest. How do you determine which breakfast franchise is a wise choice? Consider the following criteria:
- Does the brand have a proven business model?
- Is this an affordable business to own?
- Does the brand have comprehensive training and robust ongoing support?
- Does the brand appeal to customers in a unique and engaging way?
- Will this brand create a sense of community in your market?
- How good is the food and what makes the food unique?
- Will you be happy owning this business?
- Can you scale up to multi-unit ownership quickly and easily?
- What do other franchisees say about the brand?
The reason why so many entrepreneurs are investing in Ben & Florentine, an exciting breakfast franchise new to the United States but wildly popular in Canada, is because we check all of the above boxes in spades.
Since our founding in 2008, Ben & Florentine has grown to become the second-largest breakfast chain in Canada, with more than 55 locations across the country. In that time, we have helped dozens of entrepreneurs realize their dreams of owning a breakfast restaurant that serves their community and provides the potential of a better quality of life, with more time for friends and family.
Now, after proving the business model for over a decade in Canada, and as the American breakfast boom continues to explode, we’re franchising in the U.S. to help entrepreneurs capitalize on the demand in their markets.
“Now is the best time to invest in a Ben & Florentine franchise,” says Michel Lamontagne, Brand President of Ben & Florentine. “We’ve spent 10 years proving our business model in over 55 locations in Canada, and in that time we have developed a wildly enthusiastic customer base. Ben & Florentine is strikingly different from other breakfast chains, from the cozy chic of our restaurants to our menu, which is refreshed every six months. The breakfast market in the United States is growing rapidly, and there is little competition for us — most of the brands serve low-end, cheap, fast meals that you might feel guilty about eating later. We do the exact opposite — we specialize in high-end meals at an affordable price. We’re excited to welcome new entrepreneurs as we expand our brand in the United States.”
There’s many breakfast franchises, but only one Ben & Florentine
Every breakfast franchise will serve eggs, French toast, and pancakes, but how many are serving up delicious and playful menu items that are trendy, affordable and delicious?
Ben & Florentine has won thousands of fans by creating a menu that features brunch-all-day items, such as French toast and crepes, and bold, innovative flavor profiles such as our Mexican skillet, which places eggs on a bed of chorizo, avocado and our famous homefries. We also serve healthy treats, such as our fresh smoothies and our varieties of avocado toast. Most importantly, Ben & Florentine updates our menu every six months, not only to give our customers something new to get excited about, but to give our franchisees the opportunity to boost their sales and serve items that are trending nationwide.
“The proof of our concept being successful is definitely the fact that our existing franchisees are investing in their second, third and fourth location,” Lamontagne says. “We’ve evolved in a highly competitive market, and our main point of differentiation is our food. We serve food that is fresh, healthy and innovative, and we give generous portions to our customers. We update our menu every six months to keep our customers excited to come back, which gives us an enormous competitive edge. We’re very excited to bring our concept to the United States, where there is nothing like us in the market.”
How Many Breakfast Franchises are Supported by Not One but Two of the Largest Franchisors in the World?
The answer is only one — Ben & Florentine. That’s right, one of the perks of becoming a Ben & Florentine franchisee is that you will have the full support of Kahala Brands and MTY Group, two franchise giants who own 70 brands and have opened more than 5,500 locations in almost 30 countries. A franchisor of this size comes with an in-house marketing and public relations team, which will not only significantly reduce the expense of promoting your business, but also will reduce the stress level generated by marketing a business on your own.
“My experience has been very positive from the beginning,” says Rob Trainor, a multi-unit Ben & Florentine franchise owner. “I was one of the first franchisees in the system. In the beginning, I was trying to learn this business, and we were growing as a brand and the level that they went to help me was quite something. I run my business in a family-oriented manner, and I feel that they do the same. If you call them they answer. They are there to help you because it takes a team to make the brand so strong.”
Ready to Open a Ben Florentine Breakfast Franchise?
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