On October 10, 2019, Caroline and Corinne XIE were going through several emotions. Between fear and excitement, after several months of discussions, meetings with our teams and preparation, it was the big day for them: the OPENING.
On the occasion of the 2nd anniversary of their restaurant, Caroline XIE, NACHOS franchisee in Bordeaux Lac with her sister Corinne XIE, look back on their experience.
Like 45% of franchisees (according to the 17th annual Banque Populaire survey), what our sister franchisees liked and still like today is the support and resources made available for project development. Support is daily at NACHOS, and begins well before the opening: "The NACHOS team is top-notch! They're there for you every step of the way, right up to the opening, and of course even now," says Caroline XIE.
Shortly after opening, they had to face up to the Coronavirus crisis, and apply government decisions: confinements, curfews... and therefore adapt: "The restaurant remained open for delivery and takeaway orders. Our sales haven't changed, but we've managed to maintain them. It's complicated when you've just opened, and we were very worried that we wouldn't get back on our feet. But we never gave up. In the end, we were able to gain visibility by staying open, and we managed to win the loyalty of this new clientele".
As for support from the head office teams, Caroline remembers: "We had a lot of communication suggestions from Lucie, Head of Communications and Marketing. The aim was to maintain a link with our customers. There were also video-conference meetings with the teams and other franchisees, during which we could give our opinions and make suggestions on how to react to the situation. And Christophe, the Network Coordinator, was very much on hand, both administratively and operationally. Even today, I know I can contact him with any question, and he responds within the hour."
The second reason why entrepreneurs like Caroline and Corinne choose franchising is the strength and reputation of the brand (41%, again according to the Banque Populaire survey). "What we like is that we don't ask ourselves any questions. The model is created, and we apply it," asserts Caroline XIE.
Naturally, would-be franchisees tend to think that opening a restaurant is the culmination of a project, when in fact it's just the beginning. You've got to get used to it, and that takes a lot of work: "Opening the restaurant was difficult. The first few weeks, it sometimes took us 2 hours to apply the procedures for closing the restaurant. Today, that's all changed, and in 30 minutes we're up and running.
"If we could do it all over again, of course we would! Because they believe in the franchise model and are convinced of the NACHOS restaurant model, Caroline and her sister Corinne are currently looking for a second location in order to become NACHOS multi-franchisees!
Smile, the next NACHOS could be YOURS! Go to: https: //franchise.nachos.fr/devenir-franchise/