Owning a Shake Franchise: Four Key Questions
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The shake has been one of this country’s favorite treats for more than a century, and has become an essential part of both quick-service and fast-casual menus nationwide. It’s helped make the shake franchise a vital and growing restaurant business sector.
Becoming an owner of a shake franchise can make more sense today than ever. And a few targeted questions can help point you to the brand best positioned for the future.
1. What’s the Best Way For My Shake Franchise to Stand Out?
The basics of the classic shake haven’t changed much over the years. Ice cream, milk, and flavorings get blended to perfection and poured, thick and tasty, into a glass.
But building the best shake franchise requires more than that —it takes dedication to the craft and an understanding of the modern customer’s increasing demand for quality across the board.
Fresh, Rich, Creamy, and Delicious
Many of today’s guests have more sophisticated tastes than before, and they want their food and drink to evolve. “Good enough” isn’t good enough nowadays regarding ingredients.
For the franchise owner, that means becoming more selective about vendors and finding the best options. Pick a franchise that partners with a respected and in-demand ice cream brand, and highlight the connection on the menu and in advertising to underline the restaurant’s commitment to quality at all times to customers.
2. What’s the Best Décor for a Shake Franchise?
Too often, the modern experience of visiting a nutrition shake franchise can seem bland and unappealing. Cookie-cutter approaches are all too common and can create dining spaces with no personality or sense of special occasion.
That sense of sameness can be a tough obstacle to growth, but it can also open up options for the brands that take a different tack and develop a franchise aesthetic with flair.
Stylish, Retro, Authentic
One of the most effective ways to leverage this customer desire for a special dining experience is to highlight the brand’s association with its specialties. For example, shakes are often connected to the 1950s and the vintage diner.
Lean into the iconography and imagery of the 1950s. Tile floors, counter stools, and gleaming chrome can lend an air of nostalgia to the business, and give customers a break from the everyday.
3. What Pairs Well with Shakes?
For the shake franchise owner, making the best shakes in town should be a top priority and a key to customer satisfaction. It can also create the opportunity to supercharge brand growth by pairing shakes with food.
One of the beauties of the shake is its flexibility and adaptability. A thick and delicious shake can partner with all kinds of meals and improve them, especially the traditional combination of shakes, burgers, and fries.
The Smash Burger Sensation
One of the most exciting new twists on this long-established pairing is the smash burger. The patty is prepared thin and pressed onto the grill to create a caramelization, deep sear, and fantastic flavor.
Done right, the smash burger and shake go together perfectly. The blend of sweet, rich, cold, and creamy alongside the crunch and unmistakable taste of the burger combine into a meal like no other that customers love and return to enjoy again.
4. How Can I Get the Word Out About My Shake Franchise?
One of the biggest concerns a franchise owner has in the modern marketplace concerns visibility. Restaurants need customer loyalty and name recognition to help them grow while working to ensure they stay true to the brand’s style and tone.
Fortunately, the explosion of social media over the past few decades can help the business connect with people looking for a new favorite hangout, and establish the franchise as a place in touch with today’s trends.
Influencer Endorsed and Approved
The age of the influencer has opened up new paths to the customer. Instead of spending on the same advertisements as every other business, consider working with some of the top names in social media to develop a personality and appeal customers respond to and endorse.
Research the preferred customer base, and find out which influencers they have in common and follow. Become partners with those people, and highlight that association through special branded meals and other promotions.
It can be an effective marketing tool, and signals to the customer base that the business should be part of their lives as well.
Become a Shake Franchise Owner With Harlem Shake!
Building a modern shake and burgers brand requires drive, energy, experience, and a vision for where the industry is headed in the future, along with respect and celebration of the past. It’s where Harlem Shake operates every day.
Our organic shakes are our calling card — everyone is made to order with Blue Marble ice cream and Organic Valley Milk, and prepared with expert care. They’re designed to be the ideal accompaniment to our smash burgers, made with a proprietary beef blend and grilled to a crunchy, savory finish.
Those meals are right at home in our retro aesthetic, with the nostalgic décor of 1950s Harlem. It’s an appeal that attracts some of the hottest influencers around.
Want more information on how to become an owner with Harlem Shake? Contact us today!
