BACKGROUND The Fish & Chip Co was established to address the need for a solid business opportunity that provides customers with a winning value proposition. At The Fish & Chip Co they believe that franchisees and their employees are the most important people in the organisation. This philosophy and its execution give The Fish & Chip Co a competitive advantage in the market. The Fish & Chip Co is a member of the Taste Holdings Group and forms part of the Taste Food Division along with Zebro’s, Maxi’s, Domino’s Pizza and Starbucks. The Taste Holdings Group is a South African-based management group with a portfolio of mostly franchised, category specialist and formula-driven, quick-service restaurants and retail brands. Since acquiring The Fish & Chip Co franchise business in 2012, Taste Holdings Limited has grown and cemented its position as leader in the fish and chip segment of the market. THE CONCEPT The Fish & Chip Co serves the freshest, tastiest fish and a...

The sky’s the limit for career-minded staff at The Fish & Chip Co. Sibusisiwe Dube Sibusisiwe Dube’s rapid rise from cashier to store manager is proof that The Fish & Chip Co . offers ambitious staff members a genuine opportunity to advance their careers. Sibusisiwe joined the Mooikloof Village store in Pretoria East as a cashier in 2011, and in just four months she was running the entire store. “The Fish & Chip Co. team encouraged me to better myself and as soon as I realised that with hard work and determination I could become a manager, so I gave it my all,” she says. “I’m very proud of the position I now hold. I want to continue to improve myself and I’m currently studying towards a Diploma in Marketing Management. One day I aim to own my own franchise.” Dube believes the most important aspect of being a manager is keeping both customers and employees happy. She’s achieving this balance with her excellent communication skills and by showing respect to everyo...

Fast food offerings must reflect the pulse of the economic climate Despite the tough economic climate, fast food remains a popular choice for South African families, but in order to attract and sustain a robust customer base, fast food franchisors need to ensure their menus reflect the financial environment and offer customers “more for their money”. Jan de Beer, Managing Executive of The Fish & Chip Co . says this popular fast food outlet has not only recently revisited its national menu to remain relevant to customers’ pockets, but also offers special promotions to attract more business.  With so many fast food choices, South Africans don’t have to go far to find a meal that everyone in the family would like to eat. The local fast food market is very competitive and each player needs to stay at the cutting edge of marketing to arrive at an approach that prompts people to spend their hard-earned money at their particular fast food restaurant.   Fish is the fourth...

The Fish & Chip Co. puts a student on the fast track to success Student life. A time filled with little sleep, lots of fun and sadly, very, very little funds. While some students are lucky enough to have their own wheels, making life a little more accessible, those who don’t own their own mode of transport have certainly come to appreciate the friends who do.  Fortunately for the recently graduated Mechanical Engineering student, Daniel Molokomme, the days of catching a lift are over – as he is the proud new owner of a Chevrolet Spark Campus thanks to The Fish & Chip Co.  Molokomme, a 22 year old Mokopane resident, thought nothing would come from his entry into The Fish & Chip Co.’s ‘Win a Car’ competition.  “After buying a small fish and chips combo from my local store, I entered the competition, just to try my luck,” shares Molokomme. “I would never have thought that this meal would actually end up being my ticket to mobility. It still feels like I n...

The importance of understanding your USP in business Jan de Beer A USP, better known as a Unique Selling Proposition, is a common term that is frequently used in marketing speak. Known as the factor presented by a seller as the defining element in a product or service that sets it apart from competitors, a USP is an important aspect to consider when positioning a brand to a customer. Managing Executive of The Fish & Chip Co, Jan de Beer, believes that a good understanding of your USP is vital in ensuring the business stays ahead of its competitors. Here’s how. There are a variety of factors that contribute to defining a USP. If the business is focused on a specific product, the USP could be based on the characteristics of the product, or perhaps its packaging and price. A service could be differentiated by price and its added benefits, for instance. These elements are then changed in a way that gives the business an upper hand over its competitors. But what if you don’t k...

Put a spring back in the step of your business A change of season always brings about a sense of renewed purpose. Aside from the obvious changes in weather, somehow seasonal change also brings about the need for refreshed energy and drive. This is especially true in spring where everything awakens from hibernation and starts anew with greater vigour, which is why this is the ideal time to make a business bloom again. Managing Executive of The Fish & Chip Co, Jan de Beer, shares some tips on how a business owner can renew their thinking to reinvigorate their business and put back that ‘spring in its step’.  It’s no secret that as the year goes by, one often loses the drive to finish the year off with the same purpose as when it started. With new year’s resolutions a thing of the past and 2014 well on its way there as well, many business owners are stuck in the slump of the final stretch of the year, which tends to create a ‘go-slow’ effect, among the owner and his/her suppor...

The top predictors of success in business The prospect of starting a business is always an exciting one. When starting out, hopes are high, goals are set and entrepreneurs are eager to turn the business into a lucrative empire that will exceed their wildest dreams. The reality is, however, that there really is no crystal ball that can share revelations on a business’ success. Even in the business of franchising, in which the achievement rate can be increased by 80% or more due to the support and structure it provides, success is never a sure thing. Managing Executive of The Fish & Chip Co , Jan de Beer does however feel that there are certain elements and characteristics that a business owner expresses that can predict their triumph in business.  While there are a few determining factors to consider, such as adequate funding and a prime location, the real forecasters to success go deeper than the obvious. Even if an entrepreneur feels they have what it takes to make a bu...

The Fish & Chip Co. now serves the most important meal of the day Nothing gets a day started best than a hearty breakfast. Often referred to as the most important meal of the day, even the word ‘breakfast’ indicates its importance, as this meal helps to break the fast that the body endured since the night before, making it important for good reason as energy is needed to get the body up and going. Without it, the body is essentially running on empty, which is never a good start to any day. After conducting thorough research among its consumers and competitors and bearing the benefits of a good breakfast in mind, The Fish & Chip Co. recently made the strategic move to include fresh and affordable breakfasts to the menu that will fuel the engines of customers, without making their wallets run on reserve for the rest of the month. “We felt so strongly about the importance of breakfast and how it will add value to our customers that we knew the new meal category was a must...

Why change is good for business They say change is as good as a holiday. In the case of The Fish & Chip Co., it’s as good as a menu overhaul. As of April 2014, The Fish & Chip Co. added even more ‘Hot and A lot’ value to the plates and pockets of their customers by refreshing their menu with new meals as well as a whole new menu category, breakfast. The decision to make the changes was not taken lightly, as Managing Executive of The Fish & Chip Co, Jan de Beer, confirms below.  In the business world, brands don’t evolve, improve or remain competitive without change. Change is what keeps it moving forward and relevant in the consumer’s eyes. Brands cannot make changes just for the sake of it, and should base their decision making process on thorough research before anything in the business is tweaked. Change, no matter how minor, could either make or break the brand. Whether change includes a slight alteration to the way stock is purchased or a major shift in ...

The business of good time management It is said when you own your own business that ‘time is money’, and that the amount of time you put in will determine the amount of profit you make. Time management in business is, however, one of the most challenging aspects when running a business, with many owners struggling to strike a balance between the tasks that are essential to success and those that are less so. The business of franchising proves no different, even with a franchise manual that can be used as a guideline. Managing Executive of The Fish & Chip Co, Jan de Beer, shares more on how to practise proper time manage ment in the franchising business, to ensure the most is made of every day. Even though there are many definitions as to what time management actually means, the most common definition is to understand the act of taking conscious control over time spent on various activities. Spending too much time on one activity is not time management, it’s wasting time. To ...

Working on and in your business - a must in franchising   In the business world, owners are often told that the key to steering their company to success comes down to how well they can delegate to others to complete the front-of-store activities, allowing them to do the more ‘strategic’ work. This with the idea that they will then have the opportunity to focus on the brand, with the bigger picture in mind. While it is never a bad idea to work smartly in business, this way of running things will not be effective in all instances. The franchising concept, for instance, does call for a franchisee to be as involved as they possibly can in building the store or brand – from the inside and out. National Operations Manager of The Fish & Chip Co, Werner Hedder, shares more insight on this topic below.   The definition of owner management basically goes that working in your store means physically performing the core functions that the business is built upon. From taking ...

How to make the best of your visit to the International Franchising Exhibition   Franchising is considered one of the most successful business mechanism in the modern world. It is said that franchising increases a business’ success rate by 80% or more, as it is cemented on the learnings and triumphs of other business pioneers, making it an ideal option for the entrepreneur looking for a smart investment. The challenge lies however in the process of identifying the correct business opportunity to invest in. With so many options available, making the right choices can be a time consuming one. Fortunately, events such as the International Franchise Expo (IFE) have been put in place to provide interested entrepreneurs with as much information on the various opportunities as possible – all in one place. The issue of effective decision making does, however, still persist when visiting such exhibitions, as potential franchisees can easily be overloaded with information, which can ...