May 19, 2015 (Powerhomebiz.net) Sandwich Baron’s Sandton store is enjoying unprecedented success, having doubled its turnover in its first four months of operation. The store, located on the corner of 5th Street and Norwich Close, is owned by franchisee Maria Strathoulis, a goal-driven entrepreneur who attributes her store’s success to maintaining good relationships with staff and customers alike. Despite operating in a highly commercial area of Sandton surrounded by many other food outlets and office blocks with their own canteens, the Sandwich Baron team’s commitment to serving up high quality, fresh food with personal service is proving a winning formula.
“From the day we opened our doors, our service has been driven by team work and consistently high quality food,” says Strathoulis. “Internally, everyone knows their roles on the team and has respect for each other. On the customer-facing side, although the brand sells itself, we consistently present a friendly and personal service that delivers a wide choice of healthy and delicious foods. Happy customers have helped us grow our client base through word of mouth, and we also do our own personal marketing.”
Strathoulis’ advice to anyone thinking of purchasing a Sandwich Baron franchise is to stick to the rules and regulations set out by the franchisor and to put in as many extra hours as necessary to make the business a success. Establishing and maintaining a relationship of trust with the franchisor is also very important.
Not one to rest on her laurels, Strathoulis is now aiming to position her Sandwich Baron franchise in the top five stores in South Africa. Sandwich Baron franchisor, Sally J’Arlette-Joy is over the moon with Strathoulis’ success, “Maria’s achievements didn’t come as a surprise. Her drive to succeed and dedication towards her customers and employees was set in stone from day one. As a franchisor, we advocate that all Sandwich Baron stores must be underpinned by service excellence, a quality offering and respect for the customer as well as the employee. With Maria’s understanding that a service encounter is not a single transaction but rather the start of building long term relationships, I have no doubt that the Sandton store will achieve many more milestones.”
Sandwich Baron was founded in 1997 and created specifically for the South African market by franchisor Sally J’Arlette-Joy, who today oversees the entire operation. The franchise currently has 48 franchisees and four company-owned stores. In addition to freshly made sandwiches, baked potatoes and salads on offer to the lunch time trade and school tuck shops, Sandwich Baron also serves the business market with a selection of sandwich, cocktail, rib and chicken, cheese and vegetarian platters.