Habitual Fix seeks new franchisees

Fresh and healthy Habitual Fix is seeking franchisees. Photo / Supplied

Fresh and healthy food business Habitual Fix is expanding with a focus on regional locations throughout the North and South Islands and is seeking new franchisees, says LINK business broker Rafiq Bhamani.

Habitual Fix, is part of Mad Group, and was rated New Zealand's fastest growing consumer brand company at the 2016 Deloitte Fast 50 - which ranks fast-growing companies in 32 countries.

Habitual Fix will open its first regional store in Palmerston North in three weeks and has signed an agreement with a multi-site operator in Tauranga, says The Mad Group's CEO James Tucker. He says the regions provide an opportunity for new growth with expanding populations, a market moving to healthier options and rent costs which provide excellent returns to franchisees.

"With this in mind, we have committed to a company site in Hamilton and engaged Nick Giles and Rafiq Bhamani of Link Business to seek out potential franchisees to fill these new store opportunities," Tucker says.

"We feel their experience in finding operators ready to immerse themselves in the Habitual Fix culture is the key to success. Our Habitual Fix business now operates 13 stores, selling salads, sandwiches, wraps and smoothies all made in front of the customer and we have found our extensive healthier take on fast food has really hit a chord.

"With our existing sites we knew we had lunch stitched up, so wanted to then go after breakfast trade which we know is anchored with good coffee and a more cafe-type environment. With this in mind we embarked on a redesign of both new and existing store concepts and it appears to be paying off with the most recent store openings entering the top band of sales performers in the group."

Tucker says a key driver in the company's growth has been the relatively low investment level for franchisees to open the business.

The company employs its own in-house design and project management team and has some of the same contractors it started with nine years ago. The result, according to Tucker, is that an initial start-up is significantly lower than others at under $200,000 depending on the site.

"We also reward our franchisees with discounts on their second and subsequent sites," he says.

"We think we have found the recipe for a model that can go into any region and be a successful lifestyle business for a local operator ready to roll up their sleeves and take on the challenge of turning the local population into fresh food addicts."