In the restaurant business, making yourself known is one thing. But making customers realize you’re different and better than other options is just as important.Especially when you’re the guy trying to sell a new concept of pizza franchises to consumers with plenty of pizza choices.
“It’s a different niche than anything that’s out there. Our decor is upbeat. It’s nice to come and sit,” says Bhakta, 33, owner of two RedBrick Pizza franchises in Albuquerque, who goes on to explain that his pizza is healthier than competitors, with fresher ingredients.
Owning a restaurant franchise - whether it be a newcomer to the area like RedBrick, or an old staple like Wendy’s - can be as much about standing out as it is selling food.
That’s especially true in an industry that continues to explode with new brands. From 2003 to 2005 the number of new retail food concepts grew by 67 percent, according to FRANdata, an Arlington, Va., based franchising research firm.
“The competition is always a problem,” said Tim Hogsett, president of Double Cheese Corp., which owns 25 Wendy’s hamburger franchises throughout northern and central New Mexico.
“We’re not competing with just hamburger restaurants. We’re competing with the restaurant industry in general. . . . The competition is stiff.”
Bhakta was born in India and moved to Roswell at age 10 when his father decided to open a motel there.
Just out of high school, he was working as a manager at a McDonalds when the store’s general manager moved to the Peter Piper Pizza chain, taking Bhakta with him.
In 2001, Bhakta looked to break out on his own and look for a new franchise.
RedBrick, a California company, started in 1998 and began franchising in 2001, according to the International Franchise Association. Bhakta said RedBrick had just four stores when he encountered the company.
The chain has since grown to 65 sites, with another 50 expected this year, said James D. Minidis, president and founder of RedBrick Pizza Worldwide, Inc., based in Palmdale, Calif.
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