Franchise business booms in South Florida
South Florida is the target of national and locally based brands looking to expand through franchise ownerships.
The tri-county area is booming with franchise opportunities in restaurants, fitness centers and specialty stores, said Richard Lackey, of Palm Beach Gardens-based Lackey Companies. More companies are looking to expand their footprint or enter the South Florida market because of the diverse and growing population in the area.
?We have such a large semi-retired crowd that comes here wanting to start a second career,? Lackey said. ?Franchise ownership is a good option for those looking to get into a business without having to make too many big decisions.? People can own one store under a brand?s name by purchasing a franchise. Initial fees can range from $15,000 and up plus operating costs, but include training, equipment and sometimes marketing promotions. Annual fees often are paid to the brand?s corporate office. Franchising is up across the country. The number of franchise businesses is expected to grow by 1.7 percent this year, totaling more than 14,000 new franchises opening in 2012, according to the International Franchise Association.
?There?s been tremendous growth in the fast casual restaurant sector,? said Lorne Fisher, CEO of Fish Consulting LLC., a communications group behind the Franchise Expo South. ?Those franchises are very popular; think of how many better burger concepts there are.?
In growth mode
7-Eleven is expanding in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. The convenience store chain opened 57 new or remodeled stores in the tri-county area since 2010. There are 15 more stores set to open by the end of this year in South Florida, and 25 scheduled for 2013, said Grant Distel, 7-Eleven?s development director for real estate and franchising in the state. Most are franchise opportunities.
Twenty-eight Subway locations opened in 2011 in South Florida, and there are 20 under construction. Larry Feldman, Subway Development Corp. chief executive, hopes to have about 17 more in the works for next year.
JuiceBlendz and YoBlendz, South Florida-based frozen yogurt and smoothie chains, will open 125 new franchises across the country, with at least 50 of those opening by the end of the year, CEO Adam Ogden said. There are 30 locations in South Florida, including in the BankAtlantic Center, American Airlines Arena and Marlins Park.
Burgerfi, a casual order-at-the-counter burger chain, began in Fort Lauderdale last year and has sold 105 franchises across the country so far, said founder Lee Goldberg. Two franchisees in South Florida have opened stores in Fort Lauderdale and Coral Springs this year, and four more are set to open stores in the tri-county area.
Chick-fil-A opened a new restaurant in Pembroke Pines last month, and Dallas-based chain Corner Bakery opened the first of 15 planned locations in Florida in Boca Raton in January.
100 Montaditos, a pub chain based in Spain, is expanding into South Florida with Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines and Boca Raton locations part of a plan to open 4,000 restaurants across the Americas in five years.
Locals expand their franchise footprint
Johnny and Sabrina Daswani purchased a Kona Ice shaved ice truck franchise for Broward County two months ago. The couple from Weston plans to put eight more trucks on the road in the South Florida area.
?When we moved down here, we wanted to open our own business,? said Sabrina Daswani. ?And we found a concept that really just fit our personality.?
Kona Ice has two more franchisees in Miami-Dade and another in northern Broward.
Brothers Daniel and Nicholas Falzone opened a Burgerfi location in Fort Lauderdale across from the Galleria mall almost three months ago. Their 3,800-square-foot location was the second to open in Broward County. They plan to open a second franchise in Davie in a few months.
?We wanted to establish ourselves with a concept we knew was proven,? said Nicholas Falzone. ?We didn?t want to have to recreate the wheel.?
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