Big Fig seeks franchisees for unique, ‘slow food’ cafe.
For three sisters brought up in a large family in the dairy farming heartland of Taranaki, the last thing you’d expect them to do is run a lake-front café in the South Island tourist town of Wanaka.
That is, until you learn more about their background.
The sisters - Chrissie, Shaz and Karen Lahood - are granddaughters of Lebanese immigrants who came to New Zealand from their homeland in the early 1900s. Their citti (grandmother) was a legendary cook, famously cooking all day and well into the night.
“Before she died, she passed her recipes down to our (Pakeha) mum, a great Kiwi cook herself,” says Chrissie. “The flavours, textures and love that went into these dishes became part of us too.”
This history inspired them to open their café, Big Fig.
Named after the fig tree growing in the backyard of their Inglewood home, Chrissie says the food, atmosphere, ‘family’ - even the kitchen - informs everything they do.
“The tiny kitchen in the café is more like a home kitchen and gave us the idea that we could produce the sort of family-style eating we grew up with,” she says. “We’d serve it up with the convenience of a fast-food café.”
The slogan ‘slow food, served fast’ was born. Big Fig soon blew the fast food paradigm open with their delicious modern Middle Eastern recipes, made with love, all ready to go.
A family trip to Lebanon in 2009 was also an inspiration. “The hospitality, the generosity, the tables groaning with dishes was amazing. Lebanese people are also very entrepreneurial; these things were definitely in the back of our minds when we opened Big Fig in 2016.”
In the seven years since they opened Big Fig, the cafe has become so popular, queues of diners are often seen lining up outside its doors waiting for a table.
Buoyed by this success, the Lahood sisters - along with general manager and ‘honorary sister’ Ash Miller - are now aiming to franchise Big Fig to other parts of New Zealand and are looking for “like-minded” people to become part of the Big Fig “family tree”.
“Big Fig is about heritage and love and community” says Chrissie “Our staff and customers are part of the family, so too the franchisees.”
“We get so many out-of-towners begging us to open ‘in their towns’ and we thought ‘why not’,” says Chrissie. “Initially we are looking to have three franchises operating, ideally in the bigger cities like Christchurch or Wellington.
“For the last two years we have worked with Franchize Consultants NZ to set up a robust franchise system. Whoever takes it on will know they have a business of proven success backed by the support of good people and excellent, tried and tested systems.”
She says all four owners bring complementary skills - Chrissie in advertising, Shaz in accounting, Karen in event management and Ash in hospitality.
Sustainability is a key emphasis for Big Fig. “We take notes (on this) from our ancestors,” says Chrissie.
They don’t have single-use cups, no plastic is used in takeaways (and work to reduce plastic throughout their system is a constant), three plates sizes are offered to discourage waste, a $1 discount is offered to people who bring their own takeaway containers and 100 per cent of food scraps are fed to local pigs.
Chrissie says Big Fig represents a great franchise opportunity for the right people: “It’s about fast food for people who love good food; as a business it’s perfectly positioned to meet the adventurous, sustainable, conscious and casual eating trends of today. We’re also well-priced and built on the view that everyone should be able to afford to eat well.”
Nor, she says, is the Big Fig opportunity just about a new eating concept. “Over seven years we have built a successful business founded on the values of family, community, and sustainability. To own a Big Fig is really about having a business with heart.”
For more information go to: www.bigfig.co.nz/franchising