As you probably know, I’m positive on soup franchises. The Soup Box, an independent soup restaurant, supplements their summer months with Italian ice (gelato) made from scratch with natural fruits and juices. They coined the summer months storefront name as the “The Ice box” instead of “The Soup Box”. It provides a selecton of 12 hot homemade soups in the winter, and 6 in the summer when they make the Italian ice. Menus are posted daily on the Internet as well. It’s a small location, but I thought the idea was clever enough to mention as an example of maximizing the resources and opportunities.
Does your restaurant franchise have a seasonal offering? I know the franchisee has little or no control over what they can sell, but it should be an evaluation point on hedging sales year-round. When a customer wants to get into the Christmas spirit, why wouldn’t they (subconsciously) gravitate towards the fun, encouraging store that has their seasonal favorite flavors?
Seasonal menus tend to do quite well. Ever have the Gingerbread Latte at Starbucks? Yum! The seasonal menu builds repeat customer business to predictably provide new selections that build on the goodwill and joy of the season.
Good reviews for The Soup Box. The business also provides a good example of the flexibility a non-franchised store has over their business, compared to those locked in very strict franchise agreements that usually prevent any deviation from the standard offering.
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Ryan is an attorney and valuation specialist residing in Chicago. He chronicles his thoughts and research on FranchisePundit.com. You may reach him by email ryanknoll@gmail.com or mobile telephone 312-212-3423.
I live in Chicago and have eaten their soup a few times. It is very good, and it striking how filling a good bowl of soup can be. I tend to have my favorites though. I think people tend to have their favorite soups, I’m not too sure people are that willing to try new soups when their favorite is available, but I could be wrong.