Q&A: Does Chopstix Franchise in the UK?
Alice Tuffery, writer
Published at 10/04/2019, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 5 min
Many investors have found success with an Asian food business, as more and more consumers develop a love of the delicious cuisine. Today, we ask whether there are Chopstix franchise opportunities on the market.
Chopstix is an Asian food business serving fresh, tasty dishes to be eaten in or taken away. The restaurant prides itself on its “innovative fusion recipes”. These menu options are prepared in a flash and served to time-poor customers in search of a healthy meal. The business can also cater for a range of different food requirements and provides Halal certified chicken.
This modern restaurant concept is popular among those in a rush. Although all meals are cooked on-site, customer transactions usually take less than a minute, allowing consumers to get their hands on tasty food in no time. This is ideal for busy workers nipping out for their lunch break in search of sustenance or sightseers who need food ‘to go’.
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History of Chopstix
Since its launch, Chopstix has seen huge success in the UK. The brand has established 80 stores across the UK, which can be found from London to Aberdeen and in Ireland. What’s more, Chopstix has cashed in on the demand for food deliveries. Having created partnerships with Deliveroo and Just Eat, Chopstix has maximised its customer pool by catering to consumers who want to eat restaurant-standard, delicious, nutritious food from the comfort of their own home.
Like many Asian food restaurants, Chopstix is loved for its fully customisable dishes. First, you choose your base: egg fried rice or vegetable noodles. Then, add one of a range of toppings, including sweet chilli prawns; katsu chicken; beef and broccoli; salt and pepper potatoes; and vegetable curry. If you have spare room, fill the gap with a side of prawn crackers, prawn toast or spring rolls.
Giving customers the freedom to create their own dish has proven incredibly lucrative for Chopstix, but the business remains dedicated to pushing the brand forward and introducing new, exciting flavours. As its founders explained:
New product development is very important, and we are constantly reviewing how we can bring new dishes to the customer without compromising on service speed or quality.
Does Chopstix franchise?
Here comes the good news: there are Chopstix franchise territories available! This Asian restaurant franchise is keen to take advantage of customer demand and build on its brand to increase its revenue. Therefore, it’s advertising national and international franchise agreements with huge potential for prospective franchisees.
Starting a Chopstix franchise unit
Investors interested in joining Chopstix must be prepared to open more than one store, as the business is only offering multi-site and master franchise opportunities. However, it has a flexible business model and restaurants can be opened on sites as little as 16 square feet in size.
Becoming a Chopstix franchisee: Chopstix franchisees will be in charge of managing a team of chefs and sales assistants. This means successful candidates must have strong leadership skills. They will also need to be knowledgeable when it comes to food preparation, hygiene and health and safety, and able to provide great customer service.
Ultimately, franchisees should have industry and entrepreneurial experience if they’re to join the Chopstix franchise brand. As the food business explains, weather, local events and annual holidays will all have an impact on the business, so franchisees must be capable of ensuring the smooth running of the branch during tumultuous times.How much you need to invest: The Chopstix franchise model is flexible, so set-up fees can vary. If you choose to operate your unit from a small kiosk, you’ll need to make an initial investment of £65,000, but a larger restaurant will cost at least £100,000. All franchisees also need to put at least £15,000 towards franchise fees to cover extra costs.
Luckily, Chopstix has links to HSBC, which can lend up to 70 percent of the total start-up costs. To secure this, franchisees will need to have a good credit history and a solid business plan. Once the franchise unit is up and running, you’ll need to pay eight percent of your total turnover to the franchisor as royalties, alongside marketing fees of two percent. In time, you could make a profit of £90,000, which would allow you to break even within nine months.What you get for your investment: Investors and their workforces can learn the ropes by attending a comprehensive, two-week training course at one of the brand’s ‘Centres of Excellence’ across the country. Franchisees can also access an online Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software programme called Noodles to manage data and information from the Chopstix headquarters.
These resources help with business operations, product preparation, distribution, marketing, staff training and health and safety, but further support in the form of franchise events is available. Franchisees and site managers can attend the Chopstix Group Annual Conference, where you can discuss topics like site location, lease negotiations, menu planning and software development. On top of all this, Chopstix franchisees benefit from the food franchise’s ‘mystery shopper’ scheme four times a year. During this process, undercover Chopstix representatives assess the branch for customer satisfaction and report back to the franchise’s headquarters with the objective of improving the branch.
>> Read more:
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- Hiring Employees for Your Restaurant
- Choosing a Concept for Your Restaurant
Learn more
The food and beverage industry is one of the most popular in the franchise world. As more and more consumers opt to eat out or have restaurant-quality food delivered directly to their door, businesses offering these services are in a great position.
What’s more, there’s a huge variety of different cuisines and restaurant models on offer now. From Italian street food stalls to juice bars, mobile coffee vans to ice cream parlours, the choice is almost endless when it comes to joining a food franchise.
We have a range of fantastic fast food investment opportunities on our books. If you’re interested in running your own business as part of a franchise, click here.
Alice Tuffery, writer