The Zoup! Annual Reunion: Yearly Annual Convention Brings Zoup! Franchisees Face to Face

One of the benefits of franchise ownership is the support of direct peers in the industry, separate store owners who share the exact same operational concerns. The pinnacle of that support system is the annual convention, which many brands use as an opportunity to put faces to names and strengthen the bond between franchisees.

The annual Zoup! convention is no exception. Each year, Zoup! franchisees, general managers and corporate executives gather at the convention to socialize and learn about new initiatives and programs as a team. Where the Zoup! convention differs from other franchise conventions is the degree to which the event is focused on franchisee relationships.

Richard Zimmer, Director of Franchising & Real Estate, told 1851 that the convention is more like a family gathering than a corporate conference.

“We call it ‘The Reunion,’ and that really is how everyone feels about,” Zimmer said. “It feels like reconnecting with family.”

Where some brands use their convention as an opportunity to impress franchisees with splashy speakers and award ceremonies, the Zoup! Reunion puts franchisees front and center, with store owners hosting roundtables or offering lectures on their own successful practices and innovations.

“Out of over 100 locations, only three Zoup! restaurants are corporate-run,” Zimmer explained. “The vast majority of the company is comprised of franchisees, who know the best practices, and the reunion is designed to let us all share that knowledge.”

According to Sean Fitzgerald, Chief Development Officer at No Limit Agency* and franchise-marketing expert, there’s a lot of value in that franchisee-focused convention model.

“Using franchisees as presenters is less preachy than using professional speakers,” Fitzgerald said. “When a franchisee is presenting, it’s seen as a peer providing real tips and best practices rather than a lecture. Any opportunity for franchisees to connect with each other is going to be beneficial.”

Zoup!, whose startup costs range from $386,860–$576,250, packs a lot of activity into the two-day event. Last year’s Reunion, themed  “Breakthrough Change,” included interactive panels, roundtables, lectures on a variety of topics, new-product introductions and a number of purely-for-fun activities.

“Everyone leaves feeling inspired,” Zimmer told 1851. “There’s just so much to do. But everyone finds it totally invigorating and refreshing. It’s like your first day on the job again. You’re just ready to go with all these new ideas. Plus you’ve just spent the weekend with folks who are like family, including people you may not have seen since last year’s reunion.”

Because the convention places so much emphasis on franchisee-to-franchisee guidance, smaller or newer single-unit owners get a rare chance to look beyond the established corporate best practices and garner more nuanced insights from some of the more senior multi-unit owners.

“Everybody wants to know what they could be doing better, whether it’s customer service, catering, marketing, whatever,” Zimmer said. “So it’s exciting to hear from the most successful owners about how they approach the business.”

Exciting is not a word associated with most corporate conventions, but then again, neither is family. Zoup! seems to have struck upon something special with their annual event. Any other brand looking to bolster the relationships between their franchisees would do well to take note.

Zimmer sums it up, “It’s like a real family reunion. You see an aunt maybe you haven’t seen in a while, and you want to know how she’s doing, and you want her to know how you’re doing. You have a connection to these people, so you want to help them grow.”