Waffle Factory Franchise UK

Waffles are a delicious snack consisting of leavened batter or dough that is cooked in between two hinged metal plates - creating that classic honeycomb shape we all love. Waffles come in a variety of shapes, sizes and surface impressions, based on the type of waffle maker and the ingredients. Originating in France and Belgium – of which the latter has over a dozen regional varieties – waffles are now a popular pudding all over the world. In the US, Belgian waffles have larger squares, deeper pockets and lighter batter than the typical American waffles.

On top of these two popular choices, the sweet treats come in many varieties, including Brussels waffles, Flemish waffles, Hong Kong style waffles, Scandinavian waffles, Gofri (Italian waffles), Liège waffles, Bergische waffles, Pandan waffles, stroopwafels, Galetters campinoises, hot dog waffles and even waffles on a stick.

Belgian waffles were initially exhibited at the Brussels World’s Fair, Expo 58 in 1958, and later made known to the US by Walter Cleyman at the Seattle World’s Fair, Century 21 Exposition in 1962. They were served with strawberries and whipped cream - still a classic choice to this day.

The tempting treats, on top of being a popular dessert choice in the UK, are often eaten for breakfast. Classic toppings include fruit, chocolate spread, sugar, whipped cream, ice cream, syrup and anything that tempts the taste buds – even if that means ice cream for breakfast. Unsurprisingly, many waffle franchises see great success across the UK, and often diversify their offering to include a range of sweet food and drinks, reducing competition with crepe and milkshake franchises.

The History of Waffle Factory

The Waffle Factory story began in 1987, when its parent company, Belgaufre, was dedicated to making dough for Liège waffles. Stéphane Desobry and his father spent two years developing the dry dough until it was perfect. Despite having a lower fat content (by 12 percent) than standard dough, it is still made fresh and tastes fantastic.

By 2000, each outlet had its own dough maker, and each morning a fresh batch of dough is prepared, which is baked to suit customer demand.

In 2003, the brains behind the Belgian dish decided that only selling sweet toppings on the waffles limited the demand. Therefore, with breakfast being such an important meal, they combined all their expertise and came up with a scrumptious savoury offering. And thus, the LunchWAF was born.

The LunchWAF is an innovative creation, cooked with Provencal herbs and available in an extensive range of varieties, including the España, which is made up of chorizo, pepper tartar and gouda, and the Orientale, which is chicken, emmental, tomato and curry. Waffle Factory found that customers were getting bored of the same pizzas and sandwiches being available to grab at lunch time. Taking advantage of the gap in the market proved a great success, with customers constantly coming back for more of the ‘waffle like no other.’

At present, the extensive Waffle Factory menu features countless tasty toppings, creative recipes and unique spins on its most popular products. The business now has over 30 outlets in Belgium, France and many more locations.

Waffle Factory Franchise Opportunities

Waffle Factory has fought its way into the international market, rather than just being present in Belgium and France. Having launched outlets in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the Waffle Factory franchise is hoping to carry on expanding overseas. The food franchise is in full development mode, hoping to open five Waffle Factory franchises a year in Belgium, Luxembourg and France. Waffle Factory is on the hunt for franchisees from its list of eligible cities, including the UK, the US and Spain.

Franchisees can benefit from operating under a well-established brand name and successful business model. There are five main components to their business strategy: artisanal dough; the convenience of healthy meals that are easy to eat on-the-go; a balanced meal with lower fat content than fast food; tasty flavours; and an adapted concept with high profitability.

All the outlets have what Waffle Factory call a ‘cocooning factory’ look - where the interior is based on wood and metal, and there is a production area and a welcome area. All the food products are made on-site and the food team has developed recipes to guarantee complete customer satisfaction. There is also a production workshop at the centre of the outlets that entices customers by allowing them to watch the waffles being made. The standard clientele for Waffle Factory on the weekdays is young and active individuals between 20 and 35 years old, but at the weekend it is more popular with families.

Opening a Waffle Factory franchise in the UK is a great idea because you would be joining a thriving family business, where an innovative idea has sparked 15 successful years of food service. You will have a strong support network for any advice or guidance, so you don’t have to worry about being on your own. The fast-food industry is rapidly expanding, so savvy entrepreneurs out there should head over to the Waffle Factory website today to find out more.

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Wafflemeister

This food franchise sells handmade Belgian waffles, made from an authentic family recipe that came to life back in the 1950s. Founded in 2009, Wafflemeister waffles have a reputation for being the best worldwide, and are available at franchises in five countries. In the UK, there are Wafflemeister franchises in high-profile, highly desirable locations, including Westfield London, Westfield Stratford and the famous Oxford Street. On top of serving waffles in both a savoury and sweet variety, the food franchise sells crepes, milkshakes, coffee and authentic Italian gelato.

Becoming a Wafflemeister franchisee is a wise business move as the company has an excellent management team, there is a flexible model to suit big and small locations, it has an exceptional track record as a franchisor and there is an excellent training programme. In order to invest, franchisees need an entry fee of £15,000 plus VAT, a management service fee of five percent of net sales plus VAT and a marketing fee of 1.5 percent of new sales plus VAT. The minimum investment is £150,000 plus VAT.