The first Whistle Stop downtown site opened in Maritzburg earlier this month, with a modified menu and the addition of a liquor licence. These downturn sites will offer more than a fast food occasion, Aronson says. But at the same time, we want to ensure that the unique Whistle Stop image is maintained. We are confident that we will be able to roll out these stores quite rapidly over the next 12 to 18 months. Franchising, he believes, has sometimes been guilty of not placing enough emphasis on building relationships between franchisor and franchisee.
Trends indicate that good relationships are critical in building and developing successful brands.
We take an extremely keen interest in the franchisee's profitability - because ultimately, if the franchisee is not making money, we are not in business. Enhanced software systems assist with this interaction and provides for efficient business analysis. We've taken it upon ourselves to ensure that franchisees get a good return on their investment. This is in the interest of growing our own business and in growing the industry as a whole. He points out that many of today's themed restaurants are very niched and sometimes tend to alienate one or other segment of a company's target market.