Cafe suited to someone with a passion for gourmet food

Jones the Grocer has huge pantry and display counters and good parking for customers. Photo / NZ Herald

The flagship grocery store and cafe of Jones the Grocer in Newmarket is for sale to a motivated franchisee by Hooi Hing, franchise broker for ABC Business Consultants.

Jones the Grocer is an established international gourmet food brand with more than 10 stores across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Expansion plans are under way for Southeast Asia and Europe including new stores in Hong Kong, Dubai and London.

Hing says the New Zealand master franchisee has an extensive rollout plan for the next two years across key locations in New Zealand and requires an experienced and skilled operator to run and own the Newmarket flagship store which is being sold to allow the franchisor to open a new store in the network.

"This is a one-off opportunity to secure a high-quality international gourmet food brand, where the hard work has already been done to create a loyal customer base," Hing says. "There is huge potential in this store for a hands-on, experienced operator to grow the business in sales and profitability and create their own unique service offering. This is an opportunity for someone who will love coming to work each day and who will be proud to own this business."

Hing says Jones the Grocer is synonymous with quality gourmet food, where customers select from a wide range of groceries or "simply relax and enjoy the great coffee and food served in the cafe".

The retail outlet is famous for its signature walk-in cheese room with more than a hundred imported and local cheeses where slices can be bought cut freshly from the wheel.

"Jones the Grocer in Newmarket is a beautiful, large-format store that comfortably seats around 40 people in the spacious cafe area," Hing says.

"The retail space offers their premium signature-brand products, plus a complementary range of exquisite fare. It is truly a gourmet paradise for food and cafe lovers. Most products are now locally sourced ensuring a lower carbon foot print and supporting the local economy while giving the owner better margins on sales."

Jones the Grocer consists of a large and well-maintained kitchen, the separate cheese room, huge pantry and display counters, plus retail floor space. The mezzanine floor houses an administration office and a conference room which is a popular venue for customers to hold meetings and private functions for up to 25 people. There is a separate winery shop/office which is on a sublease and does not form part of the business.

"A big bonus for discerning clientele is the availability of car parks in this prime Newmarket area," Hing says.

He says that despite the recession last year, Jones the Grocer has experienced continual demand for its products and services. "Despite the doom and gloom, this flagship store has managed to achieve healthy growth. The vendor believes that this is due to a strong brand, high-quality products and the excellent service provided by personable and well trained staff."

Sales turnover for the Newmarket store is in excess of $1.5 million per annum "and growing". The net monthly rental of the store is $7398, plus GST, plus operating expenses.

Hing says the business is priced to sell competitively at $450,000 including all chattels, the franchise fee, training fee plus the goodwill of the business. A small royalty is payable as an ongoing part of the business which provides the full support of Jones the Grocer franchise system along with the purchase of stock estimated at around $50,000.

Hing says the opportunity will appeal to someone looking to buy an established business with quality systems, people and processes.

Full training and ongoing support, as well as a complete handover of all store operations, form part of the franchise package offered.

"However Jones the Grocer is not for just anyone," Hing says. "The vendor is looking for committed food lovers, who will ideally have experience in cafe and food retail store operations, coupled with sound business knowledge. They will also need to have the passion and motivation to create a successful business of their own while contributing to the growth of the Jones the Grocer network in New Zealand."