Village Coffee Franchise Interview
September 5, 2007
Interview with Village Coffee Founder Tommy Lowery
Village Coffee’s licensing program is designed for individuals who want to open a turn-key gourmet, community coffee shop without the high costs and restrictions of a traditional franchise. The Village Coffee license program is designed to provide more freedom, lower costs and a strong community marketing philosophy to help individuals build a business they can be proud of.
Village Coffee Licensing Program details: Year Founded: 2004 Year Franchised/licensed: 2007 Number of units, company: 3 Number of units, licensed: 4 in development; 14 in planning Initial investment: $175k – $225k Net worth/Financial Req.: $250k Priority Markets for Expansion: USA Website: VillageCoffee.biz
Rockn’ Interview With Rockn’ Joe’s Kevin Brennan
March 2, 2007
Kevin Brennan
Rockn’ Joe Coffeehouse and Bistro
Website: RocknJoe.net
Number of units, company: 1
Number of units, franchised: 1
Initial investment: $160,000 to $250,000
Net worth/Financial Req.: $60,000 liquid capital
Priority Markets for Expansion: New Jersey, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas
Contact information for franchise program: (908) 276-4983
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SK: Kevin, Thanks for your time, and congratulations on the successful launch of your franchise program. How do you describe the Rockn’ Joe concept?
KB: Rockn’ Joe was built on the idea to combine three American favorites – Rock
n’ Roll music, coffee and food – into one special experience. A Rockn’ Joe Coffeehouse and Bistro has great music and food everyone enjoys with a hip atmosphere that can’t be beat. Of course, it also has award-winning coffee!
SK: How many Rockn’ Joe locations are there? Is the chain growing?
KB: Currently, there are two locations open and running successfully. Five more are expected to open through next year as we continue to grow rapidly.
SK: Where are you looking to expand?
KB: We are licensed to sell franchises in all non-registered states as well as New York. At this time, our target markets are New Jersey, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas.
SK: What are the different format options available to franchisees? What types of locations work best?
KB: The décor and collateral materials, such as menus and brochures, are all created with the same colors and styles, so the brand stays consistent across the board. This format can be worked into a variety of different size locations within different types of markets. Rockn’ Joe was designed specifically to be free-standing or a part of downtown areas. The concept would even work great within a strip mall.
SK: What are the financial requirements for new franchisees? Initial investment?
KB: A new franchise would need $60,000 in liquid capital and anticipate an initial investment of $160,000 to $250,000. 
SK: Tell us a little bit about the people contacting you about the Rockn’ Joe franchise opportunity. Are many looking to own more than one unit?
KB: The personality and backgrounds of interested franchise owners are very diverse but all of them possess an entrepreneurial spirit and a love for great coffee, food and music. As a result, most potential franchisees have expressed interest in more than one Rockn’ Joe franchise unit.
SK: What qualities are important to you in selecting new franchisees for your system? What makes a good franchisee?
KB: Potential Rockn’ Joe franchisees should be real go-getters with energy, enthusiasm and a strong work ethic. They should be leaders AND followers. I look for franchisees who are going to look for new ways to market the brand and enhance the strong system that is already in place.
SK: What makes Rockn’ Joe different from other franchise opportunities? How is it unique in the coffee and beverage segment?
KB: Many people are offering certain facets of what we offer, but no one is incorporating these successful ingredients into one winning formula. At the end of the day, we are using Rock n’ Roll music, coffee and food in an atmosphere that gives people the feeling of having had an expensive meal in a trendy, exciting environment. At Rockn’ Joe, the opportunities for a good time are endless. Customers can take a break for lunch, invite a date, read a newspaper, have a meeting, listen to great music with a book, enjoy dessert, end the night with a cappuccino or just grab a cup of coffee to go. The franchise serves so many different needs that the average customer has reasons to visit four to five times a week.
People want to stick around and return time and again to enjoy a warm and friendly atmosphere that includes a hint of urban edginess. Our emphasis on a quality product, friendly service and a cool atmosphere makes Rockn’ Joe stand out.
SK: Anything else you’d like to share?
KB: I’d urge people who want to own their own business – and to be enormously proud of that business – to contact our corporate offices immediately. We are receiving strong interest from potential investors across the country and anticipate that key territories will be claimed over the next few months. As the founder of Rockn’ Joe, I am available to all potential franchisees who want to learn what makes this system so unique, successful, and, most importantly, fun.
SK: I think that having access to the founder is one of the benefits of joining a new or small franchise organization. For better or worse, I’m sure your franchisees have your cell phone # on speed dial. Thanks for your time, and best of luck. We’ll be watching for big things from the Rockn’ Joe franchise program!
FAMILIAR WITH ROCKN’ JOE COFFEEHOUSE? Leave a comment and tell us what you think!
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Daily Grind Coffee Franchise
February 12, 2007
WINCHESTER, Va., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ — Winchester, Virginia based Daily Grind Coffee House & Cafe, one of the largest coffee house franchises in the country, was recently ranked #234 out of 500 by Entrepreneur(R) Magazine in its annual FRANCHISE 500(R) listing.
Entrepreneur’s FRANCHISE 500(R) is widely considered the best and most comprehensive rating of franchises in the world. It uses a complex formula to identify today’s top franchise opportunities. The factors considered in the ranking include financial strength, stability, growth rate and size of the franchise system.
This is the first year Daily Grind has been ranked by Entrepreneur(R) Magazine, placing #2 in the competitive coffee house category.
“We’ve always been a leader in the coffee house franchise industry. I applaud our franchisees, area developers and corporate staff on this laudable achievement. To be recognized by such an esteemed publication for our accomplishments is truly an honor,” says Leo Tudela, CEO of Daily Grind corporate. “As we continue our national expansion, we are absolutely committed to providing the support new and existing Daily Grind franchise owners need in order to be successful and as Ed Chapman, one of our founders is fond of saying, ‘Lets Drink Some Coffee!’” Tudela added.
With over 100 coffee houses currently open or in development located throughout North America, Daily Grind is one of the nation’s fastest growing coffee house franchises with an excellent reputation for providing high quality specialty coffee beverages and freshly prepared food in a comfortable environment. Opening their coffee house in 1995, Daily Grind Coffee House & Cafe began franchising in 2000. They began marketing their coffee house and cafe system and local level of store owner support necessary concept to entrepreneurs seeking to own and operate their own successful business.
More information about Daily Grind’s locations, product offerings and franchise opportunities is available on http://www.dailygrindunwind.com/ or by calling 877-855-6828.
Real Estate Franchise Blog Launched at InsideNRG.com
February 4, 2007
The FranBest blog network has launched the first real estate franchise blog: InsideNRG.com.
The blog is focused on providing up-to-date information and an in-depth look at the new and growing National Realty Group franchise. It’s being published in cooperation with the National Realty Group.
National Realty Group, LLC., a California based franchise company headed by president Jeff Maas, not only provides real estate services, but also complete mortgage and escrow services.
Other realty franchisors only offer real estate services, while National Realty Group provides all of the necessary tools and resources to complete real estate transactions. Their services also include complete processing services for loans. This allows franchisees to offer mortgages without the additional burdens of establishing accounts or hiring appropriate outsourced staff.
National Realty Group plans to open 25 new units within the next twelve months, and they are targeting new franchisees with experience in the real estate industry. Escrow services are not offered in every state due to local business practices, as well as some local laws, so where applicable, services are limited to both real estate and mortgage brokering.
Visit the National Realty Group real estate franchise blog at InsideNRG.com.
Rockn’ Interview with Rockn’ Joe’s Kevin Brennan
January 29, 2007
Franchise Pick’s Coffee Franchise Week(s) continues with an interview with Kevin Brennan, Founder of the Rockn’ Joe Coffeehouse and Bistro franchise.
