Why I Bought My Franchise: Premal Shanghvi, Artichoke Basille’s Pizza Franchisee

After Premal Shanghvi and his wife Leela decided they wanted to go into franchising, the right opportunity fell into their lap. 

One cold night in February 2017, the Shanghvis stumbled upon a unique pizza joint, Artichoke Basille’s Pizza. After enjoying a signature artichoke slice from the unique and delicious pizza franchise, the couple was hooked. Soon after, they learned the brand had plans to franchise, and they signed on as the very first Artichoke Basille’s Pizza franchisees in New Jersey. After four years of perfecting their store in Hoboken, New Jersey, the Shanghvis are now preparing to open their second location in Jersey City.

1851 caught up with Premal to learn more about why he was so excited to buy and what drew him to the brand.

1851 Franchise: Tell us a bit about your background.

Premal Shanghvi: I have a background in real estate management and development along with retail operations. My wife Leela has a background in institutional kitchen and operations.

1851: How did you get interested in franchising?  

Shanghvi: We really like the concept of being part of an established business and brand that provides a solid structure and support system.

1851: Why was this brand a better fit than other brands in the segment. 

Shanghvi: We both wanted to be a part of something that we love. We discovered Artichoke Basille Pizza in New York on a cold night in February 2017. It was a unique experience to witness so many people waiting patiently for a slice of pizza in frigid temperatures. Only a few businesses/restaurants carry that charm and fan-fare! Artichoke Basille’s Pizza was definitely one of them. So, we got in line, ordered the signature Artichoke slice, ate it in the car while discussing the potential business opportunity that was out there for us in the future.

The opportunity came sooner than we expected, as a few months later we found out they were franchising. We applied to become their first franchisees in New Jersey. The one thing that really drew us to the Artichoke Basille’s Pizza concept, which stood apart from other brands, was the simplicity of the menu. They stayed true to what they knew and did it very well, and that was something we wanted to be a part of. 

1851: Walk us through your journey as a franchisee candidate with the brand. What happened between your first inquiry and opening your first location?  

Shanghvi: Once we learned that they were franchising, we applied online and we received a call about a week later from Fransmart, their franchising development company at the time. We had a really good conversation about our expectations and what the overall franchise experience would look like.  Next, we had a preliminary conference call with Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, the founders of Artichoke Basille's Pizza. The conversation went really well, and a couple of weeks later we had a meeting in person at their corporate office with their entire team. We were really impressed with the passion, knowledge and experience that they brought to the table. More importantly, we were happy to get to know them in person. They were friendly, down to earth and also team-orientated. At the very first meeting, we all agreed that Hoboken would be our potential first stop in New Jersey. We have store number two opening in a few months in Jersey City next. 

1851: Did you do a discovery day? How did that go? 

Shanghvi: Discovery day was really great because we were able to see the back-end operations of the business and how everything came together. It’s a really good time to ask questions, get a feel for real-time operations and get to know the franchise team.  

1851: What advice would you give to a franchisor who is hoping to get more franchisees to sign on?  

Shanghvi: Be open and transparent with your potential franchisees. This helps to build confidence in the brand and the team as well. Be present to show support and guidance to create a personal work relationship and long-lasting trust.