What Goes into Operating a Restaurant Franchise?

One thing that stays constant is that things are always changing. What made you successful as a restaurant franchisee pre-COVID may not necessarily still keep your head above water, and the way things were done in the 1990s definitely won’t set you on a pathway to success. Today, you need to consider things like staffing solutions, technology for online ordering and delivery, rewards programs, and customer service to operate a successful restaurant franchise. 

Vendors come and go, marketing campaigns need refreshing, and technology advances drive change. At the end of the day, restaurant franchisees have no choice but to pivot their daily operations and accommodate a more digitally driven customer base.

What to Look for in Restaurant Operations in 2022

One of the biggest transitions that was sped up by the COVID-19 pandemic was going digital with new apps and contactless interaction with customers. Nearly all restaurant franchises have apps that allow you to collect rewards, place orders and view a menu from your device. As Alex Canter, CEO of Nextbite and Ordermark, wrote in Forbes, it’s important for restaurants to have a presence on multiple online ordering apps, as well as direct ordering on your own website, a digital menu, and digital table-ordering options.

Like many of the problems restaurants are facing right now, supply chain issues are expected to last well into 2022. Thankfully, restaurant franchisors have already established relationships with vendors, making sure that cases of supplies from here to there are being delivered to franchisees. 

“You have to be ready to fight the fight when it comes to the supply chain,” said Scott Gittrich, CEO of Toppers Pizza*. “We have several people on our team who are tasked with managing the extreme details and ensuring that our franchisees are getting what they need.”

As the Great Resignation continues and many quit their jobs to seek careers that they’re more passionate about, hiring staff to run a successful restaurant franchise may continue to be a hurdle going forward.

“It’s important to focus on your people,” said Gittrich. “You need to be able to pay people competitively and have incredible leadership in your restaurant. You can have a great menu and a great location, but if you aren’t bringing in the right people to lead your team and paying them, then you’re not going to be able to personify the brand and atmosphere of a franchise restaurant.” 

Gittrich said that the staffing shortages experienced around the country are not unprecedented. What’s different now is that there is no longer margin for error for employers. 

“You have to have incredible store leadership and managers who are going to be fun and great at training and hiring people, and that’s always been the case,” he said. “In a franchise you have to have the tech, the menu and the benefits, but what it ultimately boils down to is having the employees who work hard and embody everything about your business in their customer service.”

There’s a lot that goes into successfully operating a restaurant franchise, but when you take the time to really put policies and procedures into place you can set yourself on a pathway to success.