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Early education and childcare franchise <a href="https://lightbridgeacademyfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=exceptional-care-impressive-growth-how-lightbridge-academy-is-expanding-its-circle-of-care-after-a-strong-first-quarter-2710101" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Lightbridge Academy</a> has enjoyed an impressive start to 2019, signing on four new franchisees in the first quarter and establishing momentum for an even bigger Q2. 

<a href="https://1851franchise.com/lightbridgeacademy/info/index.html" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Lightbridge Academy</a> offers exceptional early education and child care services in part due to <a href="https://1851franchise.com/lightbridgeacademy/lightbridge-academy-differentiates-itself-amongst-child-care-companies-with-its-technology-implementation-2707969" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">an innovative model that utilizes leading technology</a> and an unflagging commitment to a culture that creates a &ldquo;Circle of Care&rdquo; encompassing teachers, owners, parents, children and the community. With 39 operational locations and twice that in development, Lightbridge Academy is well-positioned for continued growth as the second quarter of the year kicks off.

Mark Mele, Lightbridge Franchise Company&rsquo;s Chief Development Officer, said that the brand saw success in Q1 due to several factors, one of which includes referrals from existing franchisees. 

&ldquo;From a lead generation standpoint, we&rsquo;re really focused on referrals from existing franchisees,&rdquo; Mele said. &ldquo;They can speak to the day-to-day experience, knowing firsthand the value we provide, how we operate and just how great of an opportunity having a Lightbridge Academy franchise is.&rdquo;

Mele also spotlighted franchise trade shows and consultant networks as important factors when it comes to franchise development. 

&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve participated in five trade shows so far this year and have really seen results in terms of the number of qualified candidates we&rsquo;ve connect with face to face,&rdquo; Mele said. &ldquo;We also see a significant number of qualified leads from franchise consultants.&rdquo;

Although strategic lead generation methods certainly matter when it comes to breaking into or growing within a given market, Mele emphasized that the most important practice for Lightbridge Academy is the brand&rsquo;s commitment to matching its prospective franchisees&rsquo; own due diligence process.

&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t just focus on the financial viability of a candidate; we really want to know if they align with our values and our Circle of Care philosophy,&rdquo; Mele said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking for like-minded people who are understand the importance of supporting the needs of the busy working parent in addition to delivering a high-quality of care and education to their children. Now that we have a solid foundation, we&rsquo;re refining those processes and seeing great results.&rdquo; 

One such candidate&mdash;now a Lightbridge Academy franchisee&mdash;is Nishitkumar Patel of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, who signed on as an owner-operator with Lightbridge Academy in September 2017. Patel is one of four franchise partners who joined the brand after considering competitors and concluding that Lightbridge Academy presented a superior offering in the early education and child care space.

&ldquo;We were in the market for a long time and looked into many competitors,&rdquo; Patel explained. &ldquo;But mainly what attracted us to Lightbridge Academy was its Circle of Care and the founder, Guy Falzarano&rsquo;s passion for his company and to the care of children first and foremost.&rdquo;

Mele echoed Patel&rsquo;s point about Lightbridge Academy&rsquo;s value-driven approach to business.

&ldquo;When I hear about some of the other brands, I think that the key point of differentiation when it comes to sales is that we&rsquo;re right for the right reasons,&rdquo; Mele said. &ldquo;A lot of our competitors are involved with private equity and therefore, have to prioritize sales in ways that we don&rsquo;t. For us, it&rsquo;s about focusing everything on finding the right franchisees; on great people who embody our core values.&rdquo;

Patel, himself a father of two young daughters, shared that he had a difficult time finding a great childcare facility for his girls&mdash;that is, until he visited a Lightbridge Academy. After his first visit, he went to his partners to advise the group to sign on with the brand. For Mele, Patel&rsquo;s experience makes total sense.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re in the trust business&mdash;I mean, parents are dropping their children off at our centers. There&rsquo;s nothing more precious than your child,&rdquo; Mele emphasized. &ldquo;And we feel the same way about franchising: we built this system and we want our franchisees to take care of our system&mdash;we&rsquo;re entrusting our franchise to partner with us. That&rsquo;s a sign of mutual commitment. When you feel that, you do the same thing when you&rsquo;re hiring staff in your center and replicating the Lightbridge Academy culture. It&rsquo;s all about the Circle of Care.&rdquo;

Motivated to bring Jenkintown into that circle, Patel and his team began investigating real estate opportunities. Up until August of 2018, Patel and his team negotiated leases in the interest of aligning with an optimal demographic, all the while enjoying considerable support from Lightbridge Academy&rsquo;s corporate leadership.

&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been there across the board and every step of the way,&rdquo; Patel said. &ldquo;From real estate to marketing to training. We were assigned a franchise business coach and they&rsquo;ve provided regular follow-ups and support; it&rsquo;s clear that leadership wants us to be successful.&rdquo; 

Patel and company are now in the midst of construction; their center will be three stories, and Patel said that they hope to open in winter of 2019/2020.

&ldquo;Now that we&rsquo;ve started construction, we&rsquo;re picking up momentum and receiving total support from the franchisor. Any time I call Mark, he makes himself available,&rdquo; Patel said. &ldquo;We even had a conversation this morning about how my team and I had hit a roadblock and he took care of the situation immediately. Everyone is one phone call away and they are always available. No other brand we looked at was remotely like that or came close to offering that consistent level of support.&rdquo;

As regards to what remains of 2019, Patel said his goals include getting his Abington center up and running and leveraging the marketing support him and his team receive from the home office to network with the local community. Mele shared that the brand at large also has big plans going forward.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve seen a lot of success in Q1; we executed four franchise agreements and took in several franchise applications that we&rsquo;re evaluating from qualified candidates, and we&rsquo;ve booked a number of Discovery Days at our home office in New Jersey based on those Q1 efforts,&rdquo; Mele shared. &ldquo;With our franchise pipeline and sales funnel, we have many moving pieces&mdash;from new prospects about to setup an initial call, to those ready to visit the home office for Discovery Day, and others that are in the due diligence process.&rdquo;

With momentum soundly established and driven by a commitment to providing exceptional care every step of the way, Lightbridge Academy has come into 2019 firing on all cylinders.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve obtained great success and built a strong foundation on the sales side. In 2018, we had a hefty pipeline of individuals that carried over to 2019, thus the quick four signings this year, and another four ready to go, we expect the second quarter will be strong as well. At the end of the day, it&rsquo;s all about picking qualified, strong candidates, and that&rsquo;s what we do best,&rdquo; Mele said.

<div>&nbsp;</div>

Exceptional Care, Impressive Growth: How Lightbridge Academy Is Expanding Its Circle of Care After a Strong First Quarter

1851 Franchise

The leading early education and childcare franchise seeks franchisees, like Pennsylvania's Nishitkumar Patel, who demonstrate a passion for family, children and serving the local community.

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How much can franchisees make? It’s a question many prospective owners ask before investing in a franchise. While earnings tend to be driven by variables such as industry, location and general management skills, a proper understanding of the key factors driving profitability can help franchise owners develop expectations that are realistic.&nbsp;Multi-unit franchisee&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mangesh-patel-9368569/">Mangesh Patel</a>, who’s readying the launch of six&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beefobradysfranchise.com/">Beef ‘O’ Brady’s</a> restaurant locations in the Macon, Georgia area, shares insights from his franchising experience.<h2>Understanding Franchise Income</h2>Keeping operational costs in check can have a major impact on overall earnings. Taking a proactive approach to expenses such as food and labor, as well as payroll and scheduling, can help align actual franchise income with general expectations for the business.“I just had a meeting with a couple of people, and they said, ‘You talked about a 25% profit margin, but I’m only doing 12%.’ So, I looked at the figures they sent me,” Patel said. “Their&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/calculate-restaurant-franchise-profit-2730476">restaurant</a> food cost was running at 37%, which should be around 30%. The national average is about 32%. If I do things correctly, my average food cost needs to be at or below 30%. And payroll should run around 18%. But many people run 25 to 28%.”So,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/unraveling-franchise-earnings-how-much-can-you-really-make-2723935">how much can franchisees make</a>? Here are five areas to consider.<h2>Practical Tips for Prospective Franchisees</h2><ol><li>Control Costs From Day One:&nbsp;It’s important to monitor payroll, food and supply costs closely. Overstaffing and inefficiencies can quickly reduce profits.</li><li>Plan For The Opening Surge:&nbsp;Traffic within the first few months of opening is likely to be higher. It’s important to adjust staffing and inventory accordingly, and pay close attention to how those levels change as time goes on.</li><li>Invest In Training:&nbsp;Properly trained workers can help reduce waste and improve overall service, which has a direct effect on net income.</li><li>Understand Your Market:&nbsp;Each market is unique and revenue potential will vary depending upon location, demographics and competition.</li><li>Track Metrics Regularly:&nbsp;Food cost percentages, labor ratios and weekly sales data act as key indicators operations may need to be adjusted.</li></ol><h2>What Profitability Really Comes Down To</h2>Patel notes that if franchise owners manage labor and costs properly, it’s not impossible to achieve strong cash flow even in the first year, bucking some franchising trends.So,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/how-much-can-you-make-as-a-franchise-owner-2724761">how much can franchisees make</a>? While results tend to vary, careful planning, disciplined operations and a proactive approach to assessing initial costs are essential. But by grasping and guiding the elements that drive franchise profitability, franchise owners can maximize overall business earnings, scaling a business that’s sustainable financially over the long term.Want to learn more about franchise opportunities on 1851 Franchise? Be sure to visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/power-rankings">Power Rankings</a> to read more on brands making moves.

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<a href="http://meltingpotfranchise.com">Melting Pot</a>, the 93-unit fondue franchise, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. As it continues strategic growth nationwide and looks toward its next 50 years,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/meltingpot/info">Melting Pot’s</a> loyal fan base, hospitality focus and unique dining experience set the stage for its continued success. While many brands are measuring success by the speed of the drive-thru or the efficiency of an online order, Melting Pot is doubling down on the human element — something its leadership team knows technology will never be able to replicate. By leaning into its “superpower” and owning the Perfect Night Out, Melting Pot has nurtured a brand that creates lifelong memories and is passed down through generations.“Melting Pot is a restaurant, but it is so experiential and unique that we are filling more than an appetite. We are satisfying a craving for a unique social dining experience,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-stone-cfe-b6b2808">Dan Stone</a>, chief business officer, told 1851 Franchise publisher&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/powills/">Nick Powills</a> on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/9FYPdaORvEw">recent episode of the “Meet the Franchise” podcast</a>. “You look at a typical table and the kids are not on their phones or tablets. If they do have a phone out, it’s because they are filming the magic happening at the table. They are very engaged with one another.”After its 1975 founding, Melting Pot quickly grew to be synonymous with fondue dining across the U.S. and is still known for the multi-course, communal dining experience it provides today. In recent years, the leadership team has embraced changes that keep Melting Pot current like modernizing the interior design and adjusting the menu to include items that feel more approachable for “just because” visits, but the heart of the brand has stayed true.“Our brand’s purpose is celebrating life with the people you care about,” Stone said. “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.&nbsp;What we do is fondue. And that drives our engine. We’re better than anybody on a national scale at fondue. But the&nbsp;why we do it is to celebrate life, and that can be anything from a report card to a birthday or 10-year anniversary.”With over 90 locations in more than 30 states, Melting Pot offers a unique proposition for entrepreneurs: a restaurant model that is known and cherished among guests nationwide, and one that prioritizes leadership capacity and hospitality spirit over specific restaurant experience in its prospective owners. As the brand looks forward to its upcoming growth and considers what the next 50 years may hold, the strategy is simple. While Melting Pot will implement new tools and technologies and adapt to the changing business landscape as needed, it won’t forget its heart. Maintaining a focus on its niche, Melting Pot proves that, in a crowded food service landscape, being in a category of one is the ultimate competitive advantage.A transcript of Stone’s interview with Powills appears below. It has been edited for content, brevity and style.Nick Powills: All right, Dan, I like to start with you, and then we'll get into the brand. Question one is scripted; everything else is not. But I know you have a great story. How did you accidentally fall into franchising? What is your franchise backstory?Dan Stone: I’ll keep a long story short. I am obsessed with roller coasters and theme parks and have been since I was a kid. I wanted to major in theme park management, so I went to my guidance counselor in high school to figure out what colleges offered it. I was really disappointed to learn that didn't exist, and the closest thing to it was hospitality management — hotel and restaurant management.I went to school for hotel and restaurant management, and for the first 10 years of my career, I worked for a hotel management company. Most hotel brands are franchised, so we managed hotels for owners who were franchising Marriott, Embassy Suites, Hilton and other brands. That was my exposure and introduction to franchising. I then took my franchise and food and beverage background from the hotel side to Melting Pot when I joined nearly 20 years ago.Powills: That’s crazy. Before I get to Melting Pot, I’m curious — and this relates back to what franchisees and even what I go through — I wanted to be a baseball player who rode a motorcycle. I had to be good at baseball for that to happen, so it wasn't going to happen. But you have this dream. There are games like RollerCoaster Tycoon that allow you to build your theme parks. Flash forward: How do you let go of that dream and let it evolve into a 20-year career at Melting Pot and still look in the mirror in the morning and say, "I did live my dream"? How do you go through that mentally?Stone: Great question. Obviously, I’m not managing a theme park today, but I have manifested elements of that dream by making a point to travel, visit theme parks, ride new roller coasters, and stay up to date with the industry. The dream has become more of a passion and a hobby outside of work.The hospitality industry is very similar to a theme park. While I’m not managing roller coasters, I am very much in the people business; I just happen to be in the business of fondue versus thrill rides. If you strip that away, most everything else is the same. It’s about managing people, getting the right people on the team, and delivering an experience to the customer that they’ll never forget. Melting Pot is so experience-based that the dream shifted. I’m still satisfied 20 years later with this detour and how I’m getting my theme park fix.Powills: If I think about the feeling a human gets from a theme park or a roller coaster, it’s an emotion. Restaurant brands that can deliver a similar emotion create a memory, and a memory is what eventually brings them back or builds an affinity for the brand. Even though a bite of food is not the same as a ride, there are a lot of similarities.When I accidentally fell into franchising as a journalist, I found it fascinating that almost everyone who bought a franchise had to go through some sort of pain or breakthrough to say, "I’m going to quit my job and open a business for myself." I found it rewarding to find a similarity in my passions so that I wouldn't have regret. Food and hospitality must align with the experience of a theme park or a roller coaster to work, right?Stone: Absolutely. In a typical restaurant, most guests are there primarily to fill a need and satisfy an appetite. Their body says it’s time to consume, so they go eat. That drives a lot of dining out. Melting Pot is a restaurant, but it is so experiential and unique that we are filling more than an appetite. We are satisfying a craving for a unique social dining experience.You look at a typical table and the kids are not on their phones or tablets. If they do have a phone out, it’s because they are filming the magic happening at the table. They are very engaged with one another. In a typical restaurant, the kids feel like it’s the last place they want to be; they aren't having conversations with their family. That is the magic of Melting Pot.Powills: I didn't know your affinity for theme parks. That experience is part of the magic a franchise buyer sees when they buy into Melting Pot. They see something different. You can see it when the kids are engaging at a table and not stuck on a phone. They aren't just going there to feed an appetite; they're going there to feed the emotion.Stone: Exactly. Our brand’s purpose is celebrating life with the people you care about. I remember the Simon Sinek TED Talk about starting with the "why." People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. Why we do what we do is celebrating life; what we do is fondue. We are better than anyone on a national scale in fondue, but the "why" we do it is to celebrate life, and that can be anything from a report card to a birthday or 10-year anniversary.So many guests get engaged at Melting Pot because their first date was there. We see them every year on their anniversary. Our franchise owners have an opportunity to be a part of milestone moments that people keep forever. The emotional connection our brand has with our guests is truly something special. The people who join our system are energized by enhancing whatever occasion someone chooses Melting Pot for. That’s how the brand continues to grow 50-plus years later. There are not many brands that have been around 50 years, particularly in the restaurant space.Powills: I think about my own Melting Pot experience. I love it, and I used it as my "date spot" early on. I can go back to a memory instantly. I like Olive Garden, but there is no memory there other than a recognition that I enjoyed the taste.The challenge is that while I have great affinity, Melting Pot is not in the normal mix for me due to proximity or my schedule. How does a brand like this take the stickiness of that memory into the next 50 years?Stone: It is a double-edged sword. When Melting Pot is your special occasion place, we see you every anniversary like clockwork. The flip side is that some guests don't want to dilute that destination by going on a Tuesday night. We own the fact that we are a special occasion restaurant; we would rather have that consistency every year than a hot-and-cold customer.The challenge in a competitive landscape is to attract new customers who also choose us as their special occasion restaurant. Because we aren't a concept where the average guest comes once a month, we must ensure we deliver on the "Perfect Night Out"—our service mantra—so they return for the next occasion. It often permeates into other occasions, like a child’s Sweet 16.Powills: It’s a volume play. A theme park only works if you have that continuing build-up. It turns into a challenge to reintroduce the brand to customers and say, "You haven't been here in a year and a half; come back for X, Y or Z because we have a new ride." It turns into a volume game.Stone: 100%. Universal and Disney are good for each other because they try to outdo each other with new attractions, which is good for Orlando as a whole. Rising tides lift all boats. We need to continue giving guests reasons to come back because there is no shortage of options or larger brands with commercials on TV.Over the last six years, we’ve focused on a major remodel and refresh of our restaurants called "Melting Pot Evolution." It is the single biggest investment into the brand’s physical plant to stay relevant with today’s and tomorrow's consumers. That includes a refreshed logo, changes to the menu, and approachable areas of the restaurant so you don't need a major occasion to visit. We are nearing the completion of that evolution, with about 15 stores left out of nearly 100 set to finish this year.On the food and beverage side, we are focusing more on food trends. We did a Dubai chocolate fondue this past year, and we now have a cadence for food trends. We are also introducing seasonal "Big Night Out" menus — our most popular four-course experience — to offer limited-time flavor profiles.Powills: If Melting Pot is around 50 years from now, what do you think the next big "X" factor is?Stone: If Melting Pot stays true to its North Star and its superpower—which is fondue—it will be around for the next 50 years. If we try to be all things to all people and dilute our superpower, it will water down the magic and weaken our differentiation. For me, it’s not about a 90-degree turn; it’s about honoring our niche. Don't apologize for it; lean into it.Powills: I agree. It’s like the scene in Apollo 13 where they throw everything on the table and say, "This is what we have to get the boys home." If we look at the menu, you can get it all at Melting Pot, plus the experiential side.There is also the opportunity with "kids of kids." After 50 years, we remind the next generation of what it felt like to be a kid in Melting Pot. Now it’s your turn to hand that experience down to your child.Stone: Two things on that. First, on innovation: The cheese course is where most guests start. What if the entree is served with cheese and you dip your proteins into it? That’s using the existing menu but offering it in a way that is not traditionally done.Second, on the nostalgia: A lot of people love Disney World because of the memories they created as a kid. If you go for the first time as an adult, there’s a disconnect. At Melting Pot, kids are actually encouraged to play with their food. They love it for homecoming, prom, and graduations. We might lose them a bit in college when they are on a budget, but they re-engage as young professionals and then bring their own kids. It’s an interesting cycle.Powills: I want to swing into the franchise positioning. What is the value to a franchisee looking at this opportunity?Stone: We do not require a restaurant background. Despite being a restaurant with high-level service and a healthy check average, you do not need to be a restaurateur or a chef. The guest does the cooking. You need to be people-oriented. We are in the people business; we just happen to serve fondue.Having an entrepreneurial spirit is important — someone who can become the "mayor" of their community. As a brand, we gave over $1.2 million to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital this year. We believe in giving back. Franchising is about being in business for yourself, but not by yourself.Melting Pot won't be on every street corner. This is not a burger, pizza, or sandwich shop. In many markets, one or two locations fill the need. You have an opportunity to own something truly unique that isn't a cookie-cutter concept. You can own the only one in your entire metro area.Powills: It’s more than a "widget." It takes a special buyer. On the positive side, you're in a category of one; on the negative side, you're in a category of one.Transparency and expectation-setting are critical in business. The only way you get to 50 years with franchisees who stay in the system and advocate for the brand is if you set expectations. You've done a tremendous job with the customer, the community, and the franchisee. If you've ever thought about owning something where you feel good about it, it costs nothing to reach out. Any closing thoughts?Stone: If we do not have a Melting Pot in your backyard, I encourage you to check out our locations during your travels. We are in 32 states, coast to coast. There is nothing quite like the experience itself; words cannot properly capture it.Watch the full podcast above or on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/9FYPdaORvEw">YouTube</a>. To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/meltingpot">https://1851franchise.com/meltingpot</a>.&nbsp;

In a landscape where many brands prioritize speed and technology over the guest experience, the iconic fondue franchise is staying true to its hospitality roots and experiential dining model.

Exceptional Care, Impressive Growth: How Lightbridge Academy Is Expanding Its Circle of Care After a Strong First Quarter

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