It is much easier to get your own franchise business, as it is supposed to work under the name of a brand already known in the country or even the world. Today this option is offered by many popular companies. The famous and dear to us "Chocolate Girl" is no exception. The franchise of this brand is in demand in the catering market: over the many years of its existence, the coffee house has earned the trust of millions of people. It offers a varied menu, and also, just as importantly, management is engaged in continuing education for its employees. But all sorts of nuances are everywhere, and therefore, before acquiring a cafe franchise, you should study all the conditions and requirements.
The history of the Chocolate Girl and its development in the catering market
Many consider the Chocolate Girl to be a modern coffee house, but it was created back in the Soviet Union. The first cafe was opened in Moscow. The Chocolate Girl has been located on Yakimanka for the whole 20 years (since 1964). Then it was a European-style ice cream parlor and was very popular among Muscovites. Company brand pancakes, chocolate sauce with whipped cream and nuts, hot chocolate and many other delicious desserts were also produced here. In the Soviet "Chocolate" it was possible to order first and second courses, wines and other drinks. In general, it functioned like a regular cafe.
Having existed until 1984, the coffee house fell into decay. Her revival began only in 2001. The family of restaurateurs Kolobovs got down to business and managed to bring the Chocolate Girl to the TOP of the most popular cafes, as well as make it a network of Russian coffee houses No. 1.
Kolobovs updated both the exterior and interior, changing the brand. The basis of any cafe, namely the menu, was supplemented by various drinks, cold and hot dishes, varied desserts. Traditional pancakes, cocoa and hot chocolate were revived. All this is still being prepared according to Soviet recipes.
Initially, the cafe existed only in Moscow. The “Chocolate Girl” under the strict control of the Kolobovs developed according to the standard scheme of network coffee houses, that is, only 1-2 new establishments were opened annually. By 2006, the cafe was ready to enter the regions, which, in fact, happened. Today, coffee shops of this network are present in 48 cities of Russia and the CIS countries.
Thanks to the correct and accurate work of restaurateurs Kolobovs, the modern Chocolate House is the largest chain of coffee houses in Russia. In 2014, she absorbed her main competitor, Coffee House. By the way, the Kolobovs are real experts in their field, on their account the creation of Pancho Villa, Hard Rock Café and Chesterfield, as well as the concepts of Japanese Wabi Sabi restaurants. In addition, the president of the Shokoladnitsa chain is the holder of the Burger King master franchise in Russia.
To develop the franchise "Chocolate Girl" began in 2008. Many coffee houses in Russia and the CIS countries work according to this scheme.
The concept of "Chocolate Girl" today
The favorite concept of the owner of the Chocolate Girl, Alexander Kolobov, is Costa Coffee. This is the first network of British coffee houses in the world that controls the process of making coffee “from” and “to”, starting with the delivery of beans and ending with the production of a drink.
Any coffee shop belongs to a special format of public catering, which should combine a rich assortment and a pleasant, relaxing interior design. The coffee itself, the quality of its preparation, and the level of service are also important.
The modern Chocolate House operates in accordance with European standards, which requires regular updating of the menu, adding new recipes. As it should be in coffee houses, the main emphasis is on sweet dishes: pancakes, cakes and other desserts. The main assortment, of course, remains coffee. As a rule, this is Americano, espresso, latte, cappuccino, glass. Other drinks include mineral water, juices, iced teas, and so on. The menu has a separate section "Food", which offers first and second courses, salads. Special attention is paid to the quality of staff and the interior of the premises.
The meaning of "Chocolate" in the world
In the TOP-10 rating of Europe’s most popular coffee bars, Chocolate Girl is in 6th place behind Costa Coffee, McCafe, Starbucks, Tchibo and Caffe Nero. In total there are 431 establishments in Europe. "Chocolate Girl" is present in 4 European countries. Given these data, it is worth saying that sixth place is a very good result.
The Chocolate Girl franchise: conditions and important aspects
The company management selects candidates very carefully. This is probably why the coffee shop is only gaining popularity without losing consumer respect. But in order to become part of this team, the following conditions must be met:
- Confirm solvency. The management of “Chocolate Girl” needs to provide documents that confirm that the franchise buyer has the funds both to pay for the license itself and to open an institution.
- Readiness for long-term cooperation. The company management gives preference to those citizens who are ready to open an institution for 1-2 years, but for a longer period.
- Personal qualities. An applicant for a franchise purchase must possess personal and business qualities that are important in business, be able to select and manage personnel, purchase products, control the process of preparing drinks and dishes, and customer service.
- Entrepreneurial story. A person who wants to acquire the Chocolate Girl franchise must have a successful business history.
Having become the owner of a franchise, it is imperative to comply with corporate brand standards. This applies to everything from the assortment to the interior style of the room.
It was mentioned above about entrepreneurial history. The leadership of "Chocolate Girl" welcomes the positive experience of running a restaurant business, which may be not only the owner of the franchise, but also a person who claims to be the manager.
Another important aspect is the location where the coffee house will be located. It should be a large center - business, entertainment or shopping. There must be a parking nearby. The size of the room should be 120-150 square meters. In addition, it is allowed to open institutions near hotels, cinemas, train stations, airports and next to educational buildings.
How much is the franchise of a Russian coffee shop?
You can open “Chocolate Girl” under a franchise by purchasing a license, which costs an average of 6.5 million rubles. (115 thousand dollars). Moreover, the down payment is at least 3.1 million rubles. (55 thousand dollars). Full payback is achieved in about 18-36 months. By the way, many are interested in the question of how risky it is to open the Chocolate House during a crisis. Experts say that running a franchise business is much safer and cheaper than starting it from scratch. Especially if we are talking about "Chocolate Girl". It is a recognizable brand you can trust. The company's management helps both during the opening of the coffee shop, and at a time when it is already fully operational.
- Help in choosing a room and developing a design project.
- Support for a team of professionals, regular training courses.
- Organization launch coffee houses.
- The provision of consulting services: legal issues, recommendations for doing business, consulting support for the management of the cafe and its promotion, and so on.
- Providing a technological project and the necessary equipment for a coffee house.
Positive aspects of cooperation with the Chocolate Girl
Having familiarized with the cost and terms of the Chocolate Girl franchise, it remains to consider in more detail all the pros and cons, as well as study the reviews. Let's start with the positives:
- A popular, well-recognized brand that inspires consumer confidence.
- Comfortable coffee shop style.
- Extensive business experience, long work in the catering market.
- Own center for training and professional development of employees; own learning strategy.
- The opportunity to get discounts in a small town.
- A delicious menu that uses predominantly natural products.
Cons that can play an important role
Everywhere has its drawbacks. Here is a list of the downsides of acquiring a coffee shop franchise:
- Big financial investments. It is necessary to have a sufficient amount of funds, which will be enough to buy the franchise of the Shokoladnitsa coffee house, to pay for the rental of the premises, and for its arrangement.
- High requirements. The kitchen should be equipped with high-tech and powerful appliances, and the premises for customers should be spacious.
- Accommodation The place where the Chocolate Girl will be located plays an important role. It is required that it be located in the historical center of the city, or in a place in which there is a large cross of people. It is welcome if there is a metro nearby. This is not just a requirement on the part of the company's management, but also a recommendation, since patency is a decisive factor in the payback period of investments.
Reviews about the franchise coffee house "Chocolate"
According to statistics, over time, Russians increasingly prefer coffee, although before tea was a favorite drink. Therefore, many coffee lovers, enjoying the unique taste and aroma in the cozy room of the Chocolate Girl, are increasingly thinking about the possibility of opening a similar institution for a franchise. Of course, many of them want to share their business experience under license. Is the game worth the candle? According to franchise holders, the company is too protective of its subsidiaries. It is difficult to argue with the management about the location of the cafe and the choice of premises - the last word will still remain with them. In addition, in their review, the owners write about the portion size and cost of the products. Such a business is quite difficult to conduct in a small city where people are not ready to give relatively large money for a small portion of dessert or a cup of coffee.
There are also positive reviews about the Chocolate Girl franchise. As a rule, in big cities, the institution brings good profit and quickly reaches self-sufficiency. The company's management helps in every way to develop, and this is important in the restaurant business.
From the reviews it is clear that the place in which it will be located is of great importance in the matter of opening a coffee shop. If you approach the issue very carefully, carefully choosing the premises and the area of the city, no problems will arise in the future, and all the invested funds will pay off, perhaps even earlier than in a year.