Emerging Franchisors to Watch: Honey-Jam Café

In 2017 Chicago’s Honey-Jam Café signed their first franchisee and opened their third location. The breakfast-and-lunch brand’s first location in Downers Grove, Illinois was founded in 2010. Since then, Honey-Jam Café has become a staple for Chicago-area diners, known for its casual, family-friendly atmosphere and an extensive menu of comforting breakfast and lunch classics.

1851 spoke to Honey-Jam Café’s CEO, Caroline Brannan, to learn how the brand has transitioned into the world of franchising and what’s in store for 2018.

1851: How did Honey-Jam Café start?

Brannan: Honey-Jam Café was started by the Portillo group in 2010. The brand is built around a passion for delicious and fun breakfast and lunch dishes served in a warm and cozy environment, with a focus on providing excellence in customer service.

1851: When and how did you decide that franchising was the right direction for Honey-Jam Café?

Brannan: Honey-Jam Café has been a beloved brand around Chicago since 2010. In the summer of 2017, after years of investing in and building the brand, we felt we were ready to grow. Our team has some experience in franchising, and we love the idea of giving others the tools to run their own business. We were approached by an experienced operator who was eager to get into the breakfast business. We thought he would be the perfect first franchisee partner given his track record, and we were right.

1851: As Honey-Jam Café has grown, what are some of the challenges you have faced?

Brannan: The key to growth for Honey-Jam Cafe has been installing excellent systems and training programs. A brand can run an excellent single-unit restaurant but it cannot duplicate that success in additional locations without a scalable system that accounts for every single aspect of its operations. We partnered with SMB Franchise Advisors* to help ensure that every element of the transition was in order, and their help was invaluable. The investment was small and the payoff is huge.

1851: Were there any surprises during the transition into franchising?

Brannan: We knew that as we moved into franchising, it was imperative that we do everything right. That means the best systems, operating procedures, manuals and training for our franchisees. That’s a lot, and there’s little room for error. We weren’t sure exactly how we were going to find the time to put together a rock solid FDD and operations manual, and that’s why our lawyers recommended SMB.

1851: What kind of growth plans does Honey-Jam Café have for 2018 and beyond?

Brannan: We are looking to add another two franchise locations and one additional corporate store before the end of 2018. We are planning a slow growth to ensure we have everything in place and that we choose the right business partners to help us grow our brand.