The team here at Franchise Finance Australia work closely with our clients, and the ability to play a role in helping them achieve their dreams of franchise ownership is one that we value greatly. For this reason, we enjoy celebrating the success stories of our clients, and today we are shining the spotlight on one of our most recently funded franchises.

Alex and Tom opened Delicia Acai and Protein Bar in Elizabeth, South Australia just one month ago after purchasing the business three months prior. The Delicia franchise is a growing powerhouse, with 21 locations and 2 mobile operations dishing up paleo style nutrition to their customers.

 

What does a day in the life of a Delicia franchisee look like?

For Alex and Tom, their day starts at 5:45am, where they get ready and head over to their Playford Blvd location for a 7:30am open. Their morning routine involves setting up the store for trading and most importantly heading up the coffee machine, because as Alex says, “everyone needs a good coffee in the morning!”

During the day, the pair spend their time making food and coffee, ordering stock, answering emails and getting to know their customers. “Working in hospitality allows you to talk to so many different people and you often make friends with them. I have customers from previous jobs that still keep in touch with me and its one of the great things about owning and working in a small business.” Alex notes that one of her favourite part of the job is that every day is different!

After wrapping up each day at 4:00pm, Alex enjoys taking Jujitsu classes, something she shares in common with Delicia founder Scott Dempster, who holds a black belt.

 

What is the best thing about your involvement in the franchise?

Since joining the Delicia tribe, Alex and Tom have had nothing but praise for the network. “Owning a Delicia allows us to be create and have our own ideas, unlike many other franchises where there are strict rules to follow. 

This flexibility provides us with the best of both worlds, having a framework and support of a franchise plus allow us to express ourselves.”

As well as the flexibility of the networking, the challenge of business ownership has been a rewarding experience for Alex. “Being able to work hard for myself and my family rather than someone I don’t know personally. Having a sense of pride and feeling appreciated for what you do is also a great benefit.”

 

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

Despite all the positive moments, the process of opening their Delicia location has been without its challenges. The Elizabeth franchisees note that it is the ‘little but important things’ that posed the biggest challenges; such as getting the power connected to their store in time for the grand opening, which happened less than 24 hours before opening day!

 

How has Franchise Finance Australia helped your business?

Funding is another aspect of franchise ownership that can often be testing. Alex described their experiencing in trying to access funds “We spoke to the banks first about finance and they did nothing but run us around! After speaking to Franchise Finance Australia, we were pre-approved within 48 hours!”

Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence for prospective franchisees, with many struggling to access funding through traditional lenders. Alex continues, “Franchise Finance Australia has been fantastic… being our first business set up, they helped us to understand and guided us through the process of financing the shop fitout and the equipment. They provided us a finance option that allows us to focus on our core business, providing healthy food and great coffee to our customers!”

The team here at Franchise Finance Australia has been thrilled to be a part of Alex and Toms franchising journey and will watch closely as they continue to grow their business! If you want to try out some of the great coffee and healthy eats on offer at their Delicia store, you can find them in Shop 2, 10 Playford Blvd, Elizabeth, South Australia. You can also find them on socials @deliciaacaielizabeth.