Matthew Williams, General Manager, Property and Design, Foodco (Jamaica Blue and Muffin Break), joined us for a brief chat at the Brisbane Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo, October 2022.

We covered some of the key aspects of the Muffin Break franchise business on this occasion including the type of people that are best suited, what he loves about the business, and any common misconceptions about the brand or industry, and more…

What is your business?

“Our business is Muffin Break. It's a bakery cafe selling specialised bakery products, best muffins in the world, and great tasting coffees. 

Where are you located?

We're located in three countries. 

We've got over 250 sites. We're spread across the UK, Australia and New Zealand, but we're an Australian owned company.

What do you love about the business and what you do?

Well obviously I love our franchise partners and their staff, all the people we work with, but I love the brand and I love that it makes a difference to people's day, giving them a short break and a bit of time out to indulge in some great tasting food and great coffee. 

What do you look for in the right-fit person to be a franchise owner?

Best type of person is, number one, someone who is passionate about working hard and growing their own business. 

They want to be part of the local community and engage with local sporting groups, schools and other community activities. And they are really keen to grow their business and explore all the opportunities that are in the precinct that they're operating in. 

What’s a common misconception you believe people have about your brand or niche?

Yeah, the common misconception with Muffin Break is that the products are produced in a central commissary and then brought in to the stores, but every single product that we have in Muffin break is baked fresh on the premises every single day. 

So even in the small kiosks that you might find operating in a food court, in a shopping centre, they're in there at early in the morning baking fresh muffins and cakes and slices and savoury products. 

And everything they do is made fresh on the premises. 

What would be your advice for people looking to get into their own business?

The key is to do plenty of research, don't rush into anything and just speak to other, whether it's a franchise or a small business, make an effort to go and speak to those people who are already doing what you want to do and ask them about the good parts. 

Ask them what the hardest parts are. 

Ask the tough questions if they're willing to share around financial performance, just to ensure that you have a good understanding of what you're getting yourself into, and get good accounting advice and legal advice before you sign anything with anyone. 

What is your key focus for the next 12-18 months?

Our focus is continued growth. 

We're also looking at opportunities around high velocity models to deal with transit centres, airports, train stations where people are on the move and have limited time.

And also are further enhancing our digital capabilities through online ordering on our app and also using that for targeted marketing activities also.”