Growing a Franchise
Shawarma Press founder and CEO Sawsan Abublan explains how franchisors can align construction, permitting, staffing, training and marketing to create smoother franchise launches.
Opening a new franchise location requires far more than selecting a date and preparing for a ribbon cutting. So, how do I coordinate franchise openings? According to Sawsan Abublan, founder and CEO of Shawarma Press Franchising, successful launches depend on early planning, shared accountability and frequent communication among every stakeholder involved.
From signing the lease and securing permits to hiring employees and building local awareness, franchisors need a clear process that keeps multiple teams moving toward the same opening-day goal.
A well-coordinated franchise opening begins long before construction is finished. “As part of the onboarding process, we share a ‘Store Opening Checklist’ with all parties,” Abublan said. “This list starts six months prior to opening and goes until the first opening day.”
The checklist covers responsibilities across the entire project, including tasks assigned to the franchisee and franchisor as well as construction, permitting, equipment and marketing milestones.
Having one centralized document helps clarify ownership and gives everyone involved a shared view of deadlines, dependencies and next steps. However, Abublan said the process cannot fully move forward until the location is secured. “Finalizing a location and signing the lease is the most crucial step and is considered the bottleneck,” she said. “Once this is finalized, then the checklist can be followed through opening day.”
Because site selection and lease negotiations can affect nearly every later milestone, franchisors should avoid setting overly aggressive opening dates before those details are settled.
For franchisors asking, “How do I coordinate franchise openings?” one of the biggest challenges is keeping stakeholders from different companies and industries aligned. “It takes a village to open a store,” Abublan said. “Teams from different industries must work together even if they don’t know each other.”
Depending on the franchise concept, those stakeholders may include franchise leadership, the franchisee, contractors, subcontractors, landlords, city officials, equipment suppliers, utility providers, trainers and marketing professionals.
Without a clear communication structure, one delayed decision can create a chain reaction across the opening schedule. “We keep all teams aligned with the store opening checklist through weekly meetings in the beginning, then daily meetings in the last 30 days because this means we’re getting closer to opening day,” Abublan said.
Weekly meetings allow stakeholders to address issues early without creating unnecessary administrative work. During the final month, however, daily communication becomes more valuable because construction, deliveries, inspections, training and marketing activity are often happening simultaneously.
Even brands with a detailed opening plan should expect some delays. Lease negotiations are among the earliest and most consequential risks. Once the lease is signed, challenges can include permitting delays, construction problems, equipment shortages, utility connection issues and even natural disasters.
“Hiring a trustworthy construction team and making sure the lease has a decent rent abatement phase will help mitigate those risks,” Abublan said. “Also, setting realistic timelines, especially when it comes to equipment deliveries and utility connections.”
Rent abatement can provide the franchisee with additional financial breathing room if delays prevent the business from opening as scheduled. Experienced contractors can also help anticipate permitting requirements, coordinate subcontractors and identify potential issues before they become expensive problems.
“Another common challenge later in the project will be staffing, which is truly critical due to labor market fluctuations and time commitment for training even before the store opens,” Abublan said.
Recruiting should therefore begin early enough to allow time for interviews, onboarding and training. A location may be physically ready to open, but insufficient staffing can still prevent it from delivering the intended customer experience.
Coordinating a franchise opening also requires franchisors to balance systemwide consistency with local market needs. At Shawarma Press, brand training is supported through a learning management system that gives each location access to the same operational resources and expectations.
“At Shawarma Press, we have invested in a Learning Management System, which ensures all locations, regardless of their markets, follow brand standards through an extensive online library,” Abublan said.
The brand then verifies that those lessons are being applied in the restaurant, Abublan said. While operational and customer experience standards remain consistent, local marketing plans can be adapted to help new franchisees build relationships within their communities.
“Different markets are given their own local marketing and community engagement plans to ensure they are uniquely connected with their communities while delivering the same brand standards,” she said.
The grand opening itself is not the only measure of whether a launch was coordinated effectively. Franchisors should evaluate whether the location opened close to schedule and whether it was fully prepared to serve customers.
“If the actual opening day was within 30 to 45 days from the planned opening day, and the store opened fully stocked, staffed and marketed for, then it’s a successful opening,” Abublan said.
After launch, Shawarma Press continues evaluating performance through sales reports, customer reviews and regular site visits.
Those indicators help determine whether training was effective, marketing generated sufficient awareness and the location is operating according to brand expectations. They also provide lessons that can be applied to future development projects.
“We continuously review the opening process, even during an active opening project,” Abublan said. “Once a store opens, we go back and review everything again and make adjustments for the next opening project.”
For franchisors wondering, “How do I coordinate franchise openings?” a few priorities stand out:
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