By Andy Malthouse, Construction & Development Manager, Papa John’s UK
Ever wondered how to launch a new Papa John’s? Opening a successful store is about finding the best location, a great building and creating an unparalleled customer experience through correct fit-out and branding.
It’s a complex mix of ingredients which requires expertise to find a suitable property in a competitive marketplace, the need to deal with legal arrangements and planning permission plus the management of the project for the refit and construction of the retail unit. All this needs to run smoothly while the franchisee focuses on training, so dates are coordinated and the handover of keys coincides perfectly with a completed induction.
Papa John’s has an experienced team look after the acquisition of sites on behalf of our franchisees. Initially franchisees work closely with us, so we can unlock strategic opportunities for suitable store locations. This may be through new site acquisition or through the purchase of an existing re-sale store. We then manage the planning permission, lease negotiation, design and construction for fit-out in order to offer the complete turn-key delivery of stores for our franchisees. Our goal is to ensure stores are ready for business so franchisees can start trading as quickly and as smoothly as possible.
Finding the best locations is the result of careful analysis of household counts and the general location assessment to ensure a store is viable. A5 planning permission is necessary, so if the site doesn’t already have this we will need to obtain it before moving forwards.
Once a suitable site has been selected, a building survey will identify any necessary areas which need attention including things like drains and services. A detailed look at the site on behalf of our franchisee will enable us to ensure the landlord ‘puts right’ anything that needs attention. A feasibility drawing undertaken by an architectural technician is the first step towards more detailed design work.
Most stores follow the same basic design for front and back of house, but each store may have subtle differences depending on its size and shape. We aim to create an approved layout that makes the business of making pizza as straight forward as possible while creating a warm, welcoming space for customers at the same time.
The shop fit-out is put out to tender to pre-approved suppliers which Papa John’s has worked with over the years. The contractor who ultimately carries out the fit-out enters into a legally binding agreement which adheres to a strict timeline. It means everyone is clear on the scope of the work and expectations are fully understood well in advance. We have weekly site meetings with contractors to ensure the build is on-track. One of the ingredients for a successful build is the careful management of sub-contractors. Our relationships built up over the years ensure a level of trust and it means the usual timeframe for fit-out is around 21 days.
We also go through the necessary CDM health and safety regulations which confirms the fit-out is completed in a professional manner. This protects both the contractor and franchisee.
The store is then ‘snagged’ before the keys are handed over to the franchisee for opening.
Franchisees are provided with an operation and maintenance manual which includes instructions for appliances and any legal certification. We sign off the accounts with the contractor after opening.
The whole process is designed to be efficient and has been well-defined over the years. As a franchise, we supply all the assistance needed to get a successful Papa John’s up and running.
One of Papa John’s newest franchisees is Abbeyford Leisure’s St Andrews Holiday Park, in Fife, Scotland. David J Evans, chairman, Abbeyford Leisure explains: “As one of the leading holiday park brands across East Central Scotland and North Wales, we take great pride in providing the best available caravan holidays available. We were looking for something different and special to introduce as a food offering at our St Andrews Holiday Park and were delighted when we secured the Papa John’s franchise.
“We provided Papa John’s with the ‘shell’ building on the holiday park site and the construction team looked after the fit-out. We were amazed how quick and efficient the contractors were. Papa John’s provided us with full turn-key opening of the store, so we were ready to trade as quickly as possible. The new store, which is one of the first to showcase the new Papa John’s branding, looks fresh and fantastic! Customers have given us great feedback and they just keep coming back for more!”