Step 1
Research Famous FishStep 2
Submit An ApplicationStep 3
Let's MeetStep 4
Trainning & Support
At this point, you will begin working closely with our store operations specialist. Their role is to help you step-by-step with all aspects of opening a strong and exciting seafood diner. You will spend a great deal of time with this specialist to make sure you have everything in place before opening day.
We want you to benefit from our cumulative knowledge, having opened many small businesses for over 30 years. We've seen what works and what doesn't. Your store operations specialist will help you with the do's and don'ts of running a retail operation. Some of the things may not make sense at first. This is where we ask you to trust us. You are paying for the benefit of learning from other people's mistakes, so please take advantage of this.
You know the saying -- "Location, Location, Location!" We are very passionate about helping you find a good location that fits in with your expectations and requirements. We have some of the country's most experienced property and leasing executives that handle our property and site selection process. This person will work hand in hand with you to guide you through every step of the process.
In instances where some initial ideas for specific sites or territories, we will ask you to have done some preliminary research before we schedule time to look further into these. Our property and leasing expert will then evaluate the locations you have selected and provide you with feedback on the pros and cons of each location. They will also potentially have a listing of other potential sites that may be of interest for you to research and consider also.
You (and one other nominated person) will attend and participate in the five week Famous Fish Franchise Training. This will consist of hands-on training in one of our stores, whilst also blending in a theory based classroom sessions. For this training, you may be joined by a group of other new franchisees like yourself. This portion of the training is to become proficient in all aspects of running a Steve Costi's Famous Fish, including learning the pace of food preparation, front of house operation, general store systems, local area marketing, financials and general numbers, and customer service. You even get to help the store staff and fellow franchisees make and sell the full suite of product.
Having commenced your store training, the stores equipment, and small wares order will have been placed with the suppliers, the stores opening marketing plan will by now be taking shape. With a signed lease, signed franchise agreement, major and minor equipment ordered, we're approximately six weeks from opening day. With your Store Operations Specialist's help, you will continue the hiring and recruitment process, and start working on an opening staff roster as well as working on all other pre-open tasks required as part of your store opening such as public liability and contents insurance, have a phone installed, organise connections for your other utilities, and getting to know your Health Department. Your store operations specialist will be working in lock step with you on every step of the journey.
You are getting close to opening day!
At about three weeks from your opening date, we go over a long final checklist to be sure nothing important is left undone or unpurchased. This ensures that when your store opener arrives, their full energy goes to teaching, not problem solving. Once you have hired the group of staff that you will employ (with the help of the store operations specialist), you will work with the store operations specialist on establishing the first weeks roster and make sure that there is a solid plan for staff training.
During training, four themes are central: the quality of the service, the quality of thefood, the presentation of your store, and building staff morale. We want to help you open a Seafood Diner that will shine. That means, first and foremost, taking care of people: employees, and customers. Profits follow directly from that. We try to leave you with an upbeat, well-trained crew, while also helping you fine-tune your skills. We want to make sure you'll be prepared for the day you'll have to train some future employees on your own. Our goal is to lay a solid foundation of product quality, excellent customer service, strong marketing efforts, happy employees, and efficient business systems for a sound business.
You will work closely with your store operations specialist to get everything ready for opening. When all is in place, your on-site training and support occurs a full week after your stores opening day.
This week immediately follows your four week theoretical and practical training and precedes the actual store opening day! Your store operations specialist will work closely with you to continue helping you with the finishing touches. The focus will be on setting up systems and making sure everything is ready. Your employees will be trained on all aspects of working in the stores.
Your store operations specialist will continue to work closely in assisting you and your team commence trading. They will help you do everything possible to win the hearts and minds of your community with a strong opening day!
Your store operations specialist will continue their visits weekly for the remainder of your first month of trade with a fresh set of eyes, with the main focus being on the ongoing fine-tuning of your business and operational systems.
Nothing makes us more proud than watching you open those doors on your grand opening day. You did it, and you're now in the business of sustainably caught, healthy seafood and good old fashioned fish & chips to your local community!
Your store operations specialist will continue their visits weekly for the remainder of your first month of trade with afresh set of eyes, with the main focus being on the ongoing fine-tuning of your business and operational systems.
Nothing makes us more proud than watching you open those doors on your grand opening day. You did it, and you're now in the business of sustainably caught, healthy seafood and good old fashioned fish & chips to your local community!
Getting to opening day is just the groundwork. After your store is open, you will continue working with your store operations specialist to continue reinforcing the foundations established during your pre and post opening period. Your store operations specialist will continue to be your main contact that will help coach you through your first couple of years in the seafood business. Their mission is to help you grow your business.
On an ongoing basis, Famous Fish will continue to provide you with operational support, including:
We also provide you with the best seafood available by identifying suppliers who meet our strict standards forquality and health and food safety practices. The Franchise Agreement requires you to buy products only from our approved suppliers, which maintains quality standards and helps you produce the best quality, most nutritionally rich and phenomenal-tasting seafood products!
The vast majority of your customers will be from the local community within a five kilometer radius of your store, it makes a lot of sense that you are an active supporter and participator within your local community. We think it's important for you to reinforce your status within your community as a locally-owned and operated business. Within the overall brand umbrella, you get to create an authentic and personalized representation of the Famous Fish brand in your market.
In our experiences talking with new business owners over the years, we've often heard that the targeted local area marketing aspect of this business is one of the most valuable and exciting —yet intimidating— fundamentals. We recognize the critical importance of this, and accordingly we have heavily resourced the marketing function to oversee and support this function with you for your store. We have allocated a full time marketing manager for every 15 stores. Their full time role will be to drive local area marketing across all platforms (including digital, social media and conventional channels). In addition to this, you will have the benefit of professional tools developed at the national level, combined with your own experience and that of your marketing manager, and store operations specialist to execute your marketing plan.
You can begin the application process with the form below. This information will help start a conversation so we can both learn more about each other. Please know your application is completely confidential with us. We will not share your information with anyone outside of Famous Fish, and by submitting your application, it does not commit you to anything.
If you have any questions around any part of the the franchise application process, you can give us a call any time during business hours on 0425 786 584.
