5 Advantages of Running a Healthy Food Franchise

Cara Squires, writer

Published at 05/11/2021, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 6 min

5 Advantages of Running a Healthy Food Franchise — Photo © 5-Advantages-of-Running-a-Healthy-Food-Franchise.jpg

Running a healthy food franchise is an increasingly viable professional avenue in 2021, with customers demanding healthy (but still tasty) options more than ever. If you’re considering taking the leap into this growing food service industry sub-sector, discover the five most notable advantages of starting your own healthy food business below.

In the UK, eating habits are changing. Vegan and vegetarian lifestyles are becoming increasingly popular, for example, with 45% of vegans and vegetarians stating that they changed their lifestyle in order to become healthier [Statista]. If you’re looking to make a career change with a health food franchise, there’s never been a better moment to make your move. In this article, you’ll discover all that running a franchise in the healthy food industry could do for your professional life.

Why start a healthy food franchise in 2021?

You’ve already heard a little about how in-demand healthy food options are for UK consumers right now, and it’s true. If you want to improve your customers’ lives while building your franchise and coming to profitability, starting a health food franchise is a great way to make that happen. If you’re on the fence about investing, it might help you to understand the industry a little better.

There are many different options and avenues available to you in the health food sub-sector, from opening a health food shop to starting a restaurant with healthy dishes on the menu. If any of the options that you discover appeal to you, you should consider investing. Particularly if you’re someone with a passion for food and health, a wealth of leadership skills, and an ability to provide excellent customer service.

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The 5 biggest advantages of a health food franchise investment

As of early 2021, the UK’s organic market is worth £2.79 billion, up 13% from the previous year [Soil Association]. If this rapidly expanding industry is of interest to you, and you’re bursting to get your foot in the door at one of the UK’s top healthy food franchise networks, then you know what to do. If you still need some convincing, stay right where you are. Check out the five biggest advantages of running a healthy food franchise...

1. Low and high cost investment options are available

Investing in the health food industry doesn’t have to mean one concrete thing. There’s so much variety, and not just in terms of what you’ll be getting up to day-to-day. There’s also a huge amount of price variety, so you’re covered if you’re looking to make a low-cost (but high yield, of course) investment and you’re covered if you’re looking to dive in at the deep end and take on a wider, more managerial role right away. To give you an idea, here’s an example from either end of the spectrum...

You could become a franchisee with Shoryu Ramen(/franchise/shoryu-ramen), a fast-casual ramen bar chain, for a minimum initial investment amount of £450,000, with franchise fees of £25,000 and a total investment cost of £550,000. You could also become a franchisee with My Local Farm Box, a food box subscription service, for a minimum initial investment of £5,950, with franchise fees of £4,950 and a total investment cost of £7,300.

2. You can follow your passions and make a real, positive difference

I think it’s really important to believe in your product and be passionate about it. I founded Blended Superfoods because it solved a problem that I was facing everyday and I wanted to share my solution with the world. - Leila Berlie, Blended Superfoods

If you truly care about healthy eating, and about the ways in which eating differently can have a positive impact on not just people, but the planet, you’d likely thrive running a franchise that puts these values at the forefront. A real and deep emotional investment in what you do will get you through the challenging moments and keep you pushing ahead, even when it’s hard.

3. You’ll be able to build a future-proof, environmentally sustainable franchise

The environment and sustainability are an increasingly crucial focus in 2021, not just for consumers, but for businesses too. And one undeniably impactful portion of industry, when it comes to the environment, is food production and consumption. Food production is responsible for over a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions – and beef tops the list of emissions per kilogram, almost 60kg ahead of its nearest competition [Our World in Data].

That’s why many healthy vegan and vegetarian franchises can consider themselves future-proof. One of the best ways to protect the planet and fight climate change is to reduce meat consumption (which will in turn lead to reduced meat production) and, if you start a vegetarian or vegan restaurant, you’re less likely to become outdated and unpopular a few years down the line, in comparison to a more meat-focused food franchise.

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4. You’ll have plenty of room to grow and scale your business down the line

[Prior to investment], be sure to examine the brand’s scalability to get some insight into its potential for growth. If the brand’s systems, marketing, store design, social following and more are top-notch, they are most likely well positioned for scalability. - Seth Lederman, Forbes

If you do your research and invest in the right place, you should give yourself more than enough room to grow with a healthy food franchise. What begins as one investment in a single restaurant or store could become a whole network of stores, managed by yourself, in 10 or 15 years. The limit is wherever you decide it is!

5. You’ll have access to franchisor support and development

Finally, but still very importantly, you’ll never be alone in a health food franchise network. This is arguably the biggest benefit of opting for the franchise business model over going it alone and building a business from scratch. As a franchisee, you’ll always be supported when you ask for guidance, or when the industry shifts, or when unexpected situations (like the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance) arise.

When you first invest, you’ll most likely receive a comprehensive programme of induction training that covers customer service, business management, industry specifics and more. You’ll then enjoy a supported launch (including site selection and fit-out). Once your business is up and running, your franchisor will continue to offer you development, networking and growth opportunities even years down the line. Who wouldn’t see that as an undeniable plus?

Join the growing health food sector today and become a franchisee

If you’d like to start running your own business via an investment with one of the many thriving healthy food franchises currently operating in the UK, good news: You can! And with Point Franchise’s support, you’re sure to find the 100% perfect match to your professional needs and wants – whether that’s running a sustainable, versatile branch of Camile Thai or bringing a vibrant Yakinori location to your local area.