Restaurateurs
Franchise Sweet Peppers Deli
Starkville Daily News
1/20/04
Sweet
Peppers Deli Franchise Systems, LLC has announced plans to franchise
the Sweet Peppers Deli restaurant concept.
The first franchise opened in Hattiesburg Jan. 7, said Darlene Comish,
marketing manager for the company.
With two successful locations in Columbus and Tupelo, Mississippi
and a streamlined Sweet Peppers Deli Express recently opened in
the Tupelo Mall at Barnes Crossing, the company is eager to continue
expansion. A location is scheduled to open in Memphis in April and
two more have been sold in the Little Rock market.
The Sweet Peppers Deli concept features a menu of salads, soups,
signature sandwiches, panini (Italian pressed sandwiches), and wraps
presented in a relaxed, family-oriented atmosphere. According to
Paul Stewart, a Dallas-based franchise consultant working with the
Peppers team, the concept's potential for franchising success lies
partly in the infrastructure, restaurant expertise, and commitment
to customer service already practiced by the company.
Sweet Peppers Deli Franchise Systems represents over 20 years of
experience in the food service industry, with six other successful
restaurants among its partners. John, Bernard, and Myrrl Bean have
created Harveys restaurants in Columbus, Starkville and Tupelo,
the Grill at Jackson Square in Columbus, and the Cotton District
Grill in Starkville. Partner, Robin Fant created Starkville's Bulldog
Deli, the prototype for Sweet Peppers Deli. Robert Fort, the remaining
partner, has worked with the Bean family restaurants since 1985.
In the mid-1990s, both the Beans and Fant were looking independently
to expand. They decided to pool their resources, and opened the
first Sweet Peppers Deli in Columbus in 1997. After the successful
opening of a second location in 2000, the partners began to recognize
the concept's potential.
"We decided it was time to take the company to the next level,"
says managing partner John Bean. "We have been very pleased with
how our customers have responded to the Sweet Peppers Deli concept,
and felt it could be marketed to a national audience."
The restaurant's potential was confirmed by independent consultants
who placed the deli concept in the fastest growing restaurant category
in the country -- fast-casual. With a price range that hits between
a $3 -$6 fast food meal and the $9 - $14 range of casual restaurants
like Applebee's and Chili's, the cost for a fast-casual meal is
very appealing. Also, with more and more Americans eating out, consumers
are looking for dining options that offer the convenience of fast
food with some of the service aspects found in casual concepts.
Fast-casual provides the best of both."With Bulldog Deli, we were
totally counter-service," says Fant. "With Peppers, we changed the
concept to offer a blend of counter and table service. Customers
order from the counter, but once they sit down, it's completely
full-service. The result is a casual dining experience at a little
bit of a faster pace."
Stewart says that another aspect of Peppers' appeal is that they
have developed an atmosphere that makes eating food an enjoyable
experience -- something that's very important in the fast-casual
market. The restaurant's "signature" wood and glass garage doors,
fun music, and colorful interiors contribute to a great experience
for the customers.
Stewart, who has helped more than 250 emerging franchises in the
past 30 years, has signed on to work with the Peppers team for the
next three years. He has helped them in creating franchise documents
and in establishing an organizational structure to provide quality
control, training, and support to potential franchisees.
"We're committed to seeing our franchisees succeed," says Bean.
"We are interested in finding long-term partners. So, we're taking
the time to do it right on the front end to make sure we have the
support services in place to make it work for everyone."
Potential franchisees are required to pay a $25,000 franchise fee,
and need about $200,000 to $300,000 of their own capital to get
started. Location options range from $600,000 for a strip shopping
center restaurant to approximately $1.5 million for a freestanding
store. The Peppers team will begin work with a franchise owner 120
days before a projected opening date, and continue working closely
with them through the first month of operation. They will also provide
various support services, training and quality control throughout
the life of the restaurant.
For the Sweet Peppers Deli Franchise Systems partners, the people
factor is still the most important. "We want to make sure that as
we grow we still maintain that personal touch that a lot of chains
lose when they expand," says Fant. "That's the part that makes Peppers,
Peppers."
The company has already begun recruiting, and has potential franchise
leads in Hattiesburg and Southaven, MS, Memphis, TN, Florence, AL,
Houston, TX and in the Carolinas, Florida and Missouri.
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