Franchising
The oldest, and most identified, saying in the case of actual property is location, location, location. It holds true in the case of restaurant franchising success.
Picture: Willie Lawless/Join Media
March 5, 2026 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
The oldest, and most identified, saying in the case of actual property is location, location, location. It holds true in the case of restaurant franchising success.
Site visitors, each automobile and foot, is essential to a restaurant franchise’s success. With out drivers pulling in and people strolling right into a location, there’s merely no gross sales available.
That is why location is of high significance when a restaurant model expands with a franchise and why it is a key to a franchisee’s success.
However visitors is only one web site choice issue. There are a number of others, in addition to widespread web site choice pitfalls that come into play.
One large pitfall is when a franchisee falls in love with a location with none understanding of the elements supporting the proposed area, based on Justin Riat, chief progress officer at Parlor Doughnuts.
“Franchise companions typically prioritize visibility, pace to open, minimal buildout prices, current infrastructure, proximity to their very own dwelling over fundamentals like lease as a p.c of gross sales projections, entry, parking, visitors counts, demos and long-term commerce space power. Even one of the best manufacturers cannot outperform a foul location,” Riat stated in an electronic mail interview.
Panel of web site choice specialists
Riat is one among 4 specialists collaborating in a panel speak, sponsored by SiteZeus, entitled, “Website Choice Secrets and techniques: Unlocking the Subsequent Goldmine Location,” through the upcoming Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit going down March 16-18, 2026, in San Diego, California
Fellow panelists embody Chris Bremer, chief improvement officer at Smoothie King, Basil Kazepis, vp of actual property and development at Little Caesars Pizza and Shak Turner, director of franchise improvement at Wienerschnitzel.
On the annual occasion, hosted by Join Media, high executives will share how they’re scaling smarter and rising quicker by way of daring innovation. Attendees will acquire the insights, inspiration and connections to take a model to the following stage.
Location, location, location
The proper location when deciding on a franchise web site could make or break the brand new franchise unit. In the course of the panel speak subjects will vary past easy demographics to cutting-edge instruments and methodologies, together with geospatial analytics, visitors sample evaluation, aggressive mapping and psychographic profiling.
The highest misstep franchisees and types make in web site choice, based on Turner, is being targeted on value.
“[It’s] selecting an inexpensive web site over high quality web site standards, decrease lease and sacrificing A websites, which sacrifices visitors and visibility,” she stated in an electronic mail interview. Relatedly oftentimes franchisees and types are “not investing in information to qualify a web site.”
The artwork of negotiation
Together with selecting one of the best web site, a key side to franchise enlargement success is profitable negotiation in achieving the wished location.
Riat describes a profitable negotiation as a “crew effort,” and stated it is an space that many aren’t properly versed.
“Along with the franchise companion, it is necessary to have the franchisor concerned, together with a professional industrial dealer who understands restaurant offers,” he stated. “An Legal professional must also be concerned at some stage… and at a minimal assessment every thing earlier than something is absolutely executed.”
Turner recommends involving the true property dealer within the negotiation effort in addition to a lawyer for a number of causes: to assessment the lease and phrases to make sure they coincide with the franchise settlement, to maintain lease will increase modest and supply a transparent define of landlord tasks and tenant tasks so there aren’t any surprises down the highway.
Upcoming Associated Join Media Occasions
Restaurant Advertising and marketing Workshop will equip you with the newest methods, ways, and insights to drive model consciousness, buyer engagement and income progress.
June 2-3, 2026 | Boston
Quick Informal Govt Summit
October 4-6, 2026 | Arlington, TX
