Quesada franchise success stories
What makes Quesada such a success story?
We asked Quesada franchisees and area developers to explain how they’ve achieved their success.
The success of a franchise starts in the initial planning stage. “We are taking a long-term view and keeping the investment and operating costs down for franchisees,” says Steve Gill, Founder and CEO of Quesada. “Our philosophy is that profitable franchisees will buy more franchises.”
This approach has paid off with the area developers who find qualified franchisees, choose locations, facilitate openings and provide ongoing consulting services.
Once a restaurant is open, franchisees credit ongoing business success to the product quality.
“People have become more adventurous about food, but are sticking with healthy choices,” says Swapan Randhawa, a franchisee in Brockville, Ontario. “They have responded really well to our food. They are amazed by the choices we offer and our fresh made salsa and guacamole.”
“Most people expect fast food to be pre-packaged and frozen,” says Stephane Charbonneau, area developer for Eastern and Northern Ontario. “This is comfort food cooked in a small kitchen using natural ingredients. The days of unhealthy, grease laden offerings are numbered.”
Ongoing support from Quesada’s management team is also a key to success – and unusual in the franchising business. During Grand Opening week, franchisees discover just how supportive Quesada’s management is. As one franchisee said, “Greg Gill (Quesada’s COO) spent five days, from open to close, providing moral support and building our courage to face this influx of customers.”
Other franchisees had similar experiences.
“Steve Gill (Quesada founder and CEO) was personally serving soft drinks to customers standing in line during my store’s grand opening,” says Jigar Patel, a franchisee in Oakville, Ont. “The area developer was also there to provide support.”
“The company was there for me when I took over my location,” says Tony Ruberto, a franchisee in Mississauga, Ont., who intends to open more Quesada restaurants in the future. “The training was comprehensive and didn’t end with the preopening phase. The support materials online are really helpful for when I want to train my staff.”
“We are with the right brand at the right time,” says Gary Gandhi, co-franchisee with Nick Pandya in Vaughan, Ont., “and as we open more and more stores, the brand will gain broader recognition.”
This article contains excerpts from a recent cover story in Canadian Business Franchise Magazine.
