Six Convincing Reasons Why You Should Open a Fast-Food Franchise Today

Not many of us can say we aren’t partial to a bit of fast-food, grabbing a hot tasty lunch on-the-go or indulging in a cheeky takeaway. When we don’t have time to cook a meal but can’t splash out on going out for dinner, the fast-food industry has got us covered.

Fast-food restaurants are a lucrative branch of the food-service industry, with a persistent demand for cheaper, on-the-go food fuelling the continued growth of the fast-food business. UK high streets have the highest concentration of fast-food outlets in a decade, and with a consumer preference for eating options that feed into busy lifestyles, now is a great time to open your own fast-food franchise and profit off the quick service and happy customers.

The benefits of opening a fast-food restaurant

Fast-food restaurants are popular all over the UK; the success of numerous franchise brands has demonstrated their impact on the consumer market. With a growing range of fast-food options available, you can be fairly sure that your customers are ready and waiting to buy your products. Here are some reasons why you should open a fast-food franchise today:

1. It is easy to market

The fast-food industry profits off the consumer desire for convenience. Paired with rising disposable income, consumers with busy lifestyles working long hours are more likely to eat at fast-food restaurants or order takeaways than to cook food for themselves.

Fast-food restaurants allow customers to eat cheap, tasty food on the go. You won’t need to persuade customers to try your whacky meal ideas or unconventional ingredient combinations or part with a large amount of their hard-earned cash. Simply aiming your marketing campaigns at thrifty, time-poor consumers will bring in profits.

The possibility of late and early hours opening times also draws in a large clientele, looking for fast-food availability when the restaurants and shops are shut.

2. They can be run cheaply

In the fast-food industry profit is made on cheaply priced food, meaning the ingredients are cheap to source too. With so many options on the market, opening a fast-food franchise allows you sell fast-food at a competitive price while still making a profit.

You can also source labour cheaply when running a fast-food restaurant, although you will need some experienced chefs, most of your workforce will be made up of temporary, part-time servers, who will have fairly low wages.

Due to the nature of many fast-food outlets being drop-in, they often do not provide table service and customers tend to pay at a counter before eating. This greatly reduces the need for a manual work-force and the fast-food industry is one that relies increasingly on digital means of service.

3. Not limited to the outlet

While fast-food outlets are quick-service restaurants that prepare and serve food immediately to consumers on the go, many fast-food franchises also make use of user-friendly delivery apps to get their goods to their customers.

With takeaway sales booming in recent years, a fast-food franchise’s menu can be eaten on site, taken away or ordered over phone or app to be enjoyed at home.

Apps like Just Eat or Deliveroo also provide a major source of exposure for fast-food businesses. Marketing online to hungry phone-scrollers, their delivery service lets your food reach further locations and a wider customer base.

4. You can cater to a variety of tastes

Fast-food no longer means junk-food, its rep for being unhealthy is vanishing as fast-food franchises are catering to a growing demand for healthier options and varieties. A more health-conscious public are increasingly veering away from the health dangers of takeaway food can. Leading fast-food franchises are responding to consumer demand for low-fat, low-sugar and low-salt meal options by adding healthier, lighter options to the menu.

The scope of possibility when opening a fast-food franchise is enormous. Nowadays fast-food comes in the form of quick answers to cuisines from around the world, baked goods such as pizzas, pasties and sandwiches, and healthy food and drink options riding the environmental awareness wave.

5. Make it sustainable

The fast-food industry can be damaging to the environment. Plastic knives and forks, polystyrene trays, plastic straws and single-use coffee cups are all commonly found in fast-food outlets. However, consumers are increasingly turning against items that have a negative impact on the environment.

By keeping in touch with public concern and making a point of providing compostable knives and forks, recyclable trays and paper straws, you are likely to attract consumers that are turning away from less eco-friendly competitors. You could even give customers the option to have their drink in their own reusable bottle or flask.

6. Widespread appeal

And of-course, the vegan revolution has made its way into the fast-food industry too. Going vegan is the biggest food trend to hit the UK market in a long time, and plant-based fast-food franchises have been there to cater to the growing consumer demand for vegan products. Orders of vegan meals grew 388 percent between 2016 and 2018 and they are now the UK’s fastest growing takeaway choice.

Even just providing vegan alternatives to the main menu will bring in the wide scope of customers. For example, Veggie Pret was achieving 70 percent profits increase within its first two weeks of operation, and the impact of Gregg’s vegan sausage roll fuelled a profit boom for the famous high-street baker.

Fast-food opportunities with Point Franchise

Humpit Hummus, the only 100 percent plant-based food franchise in the UK, offers great food to the increasingly vegan population and is looking for regional franchises in all parts of the UK. With sit-down and takeaway service, it is possible to operate from small sites with low fit-out and running costs, making a Humpit franchise affordable and accessible to people wanting to run their own food business.

Marugame Udon is an established Japanese fast-food restaurant concept serving freshly made Asian dishes from an open kitchen. The quick self-service food outlet can settle orders in as little as 30 seconds. Their generous portions and affordable price points make Marugame Udon a great value proposition within the quick casual food market, and the successful franchise is on the lookout for UK franchisees to expand its business.

Continued popularity of the fast food industry

Shifting consumer tastes, a range of options and the convenient nature of the industry ensure that fast food continues to grow in popularity. While consumers are dining more frequently, they are doing so doing at a lower cost, and with easy access to delivery, your fast-food business won’t be limited to the outlet. Get in touch to open your fast-food franchise today and reap the benefits of the industry.

The Editorial Team, Point Franchise ©

>> Read more articles on the Food and Beverage sector