franchising
opportunity
brochure
“We improve people’s lives by making
high quality, healthful homehome-cooked
meals affordable and easy to prepare.”
Our Concept
The Dinner A’Fare makes dinner time less stressful by providing a more
convenient way for our customers to create home-cooked meals. In just
two hours our customers can create 12 dinners that feature either 1-3 or
4-6 servings each. We pre-slice, dice, and chop everything they need!
Our gourmet studio kitchens are designed with meal assembly stations
complete with recipes, fresh ingredients, spices, measuring cups, spoons,
and containers. Customers can choose to either come into our kitchen to
make their own meals or Dinner A’Fare also offers the option of ordering
a Stand-In-Chef, where we make the meals for the customer to just pick
up! During the next few weeks these meals will serve to save time,
money, and stress because they are already prepared. Customers just
follow the provided cooking instructions, and enjoy more time with their
families with much less clean up!
We provide the menu with a variety of flavors and every month include
entrees featuring fresh hand-cut pork chops, pork tenderloins, aged Black
Angus beef, fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts, Black Tiger Shrimp,
and many other high quality ingredients. The flavors vary from American,
French, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and much more. Each month the
available dishes vary, however, the value, quality and exceptional flavor
remain the same. At The Dinner A’Fare, you won’t find a menu filled with
casseroles. Our dishes and monthly combinations are always developed
with nutrition and quality in mind.
We want our franchisees to be successful! We align ourselves with
upscale retail properties, we have an aggressive marketing program
which drives an increased volume of customers into your store, and we
also offer an extensive training program to assist you with everything
you’ll need to know to operate your own successful The Dinner A’Fare
studio kitchen.
Throughout the years, society has changed the responsibilities of those
raising households, making it sometimes overwhelming. Finally, there has
been a change in the way we can accomplish the task of making dinner!
The Dinner A’Fare offers a variety of fresh, healthy, home-cooked meals
that change every month to satisfy your family’s diverse taste.
The fresh approach
The Dinner A’Fare is leading the way in the meal assembly
industry, and it’s no secret what sets us apart: Our Fresh
Ingredients.
All of our meats and vegetables are delivered and chopped daily for
each customer. Because our
customers see each and every
ingredient that is added to their
meals, they can feel the quality
and freshness that goes into
each dish that they are serving
to their family.
The
Dinner
A’Fare
specializes in fresh meats, such
as Black Angus aged beef,
hand-cut pork chops and pork
loins, fresh boneless skinless
chicken breasts, London broil,
and prime rib roasts, all at the
same price as our competitors.
The Dinner A’Fare is also
environmentally conscious. We participate in the Sustainable
Seafood Program as our way of keeping a healthy ocean
environment.
The difference is truly in the details. We are committed to
feeding our customers’ families just as we would our own.
Getting started
Your next step is to fill out and submit to us our Franchise PreEvaluation Form enclosed in this package. If you do not already
have this form, you can download it at www.dinnerafare.com in the
Franchising section of our
website. Upon receipt and
review of your application,
we will contact you to set
up a personal meeting with
a representative of the
franchise. After we have
had the opportunity to meet
each
other
and
the
necessary
disclosure
requirements have been
met,
the
franchise
agreement
may
be
executed.
The Dinner A’Fare helps
you with each step along
the way. We will assist you
with location selection,
lease negotiation, equipping your store, training, marketing, as well
as many other tasks leading up to your store opening.
We look forward to adding self-motivated, hard-working, and
success driven individuals to our team. Please complete the PreEvaluation form and submit it to our corporate office to begin the
process of opening your own The Dinner A’Fare studio kitchen.
We invite you to view our website www.dinnerafare.com for all of
our customer information, and we encourage you to contact The
Dinner A’Fare studio kitchen closest to you and schedule a session
time. We are confident that once you try our dinners, you will love
our concept and our products, and it will be easy to sell to your
customers.
benefits
Franchising Facts:
♦
“90% of franchise businesses are still operating after 10 years, whereas 82%
of independent businesses have failed.” *
♦
Although only 8% of businesses are franchises, they represent 40% of all
retail sales in the United States.
♦
The synergy of a group of people, all contributing ideas and motivation, is a
benefit to each individual.
Memberships and Affiliations:
The Dinner A’Fare is highly regarded in our industry as well as the
franchise industry as a whole. We pride ourselves on not only
being a premier meal assembly company, but a world-class
franchise company as well. Some of our memberships and
affiliations are highlighted below:
benefits
Awards and Recognition:
Along with our standards for performance and continued success
comes industry recognition and awards.
Franchising with The Dinner A’Fare:
1. Our proven system of success is much better than trial and error.
2. You will own a gourmet studio kitchen without the years of developmental
work.
3. Pre-paid registration allows you to operate a business with almost no
inventory waste. This maximizes profits and is unheard of in the food
industry.
4. We offer a professionally designed and maintained website with exclusive
location specific access as well as a company-wide Intranet system.
5. The Dinner A’Fare offers a service program that includes, but is not limited to
the following:
a. Site Selection Program with Exclusive Territory Rights
b. Extensive Training
Program which covers the
following:
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
Facility Design
Lease Negotiation
Marketing
Business Management
Financial Management
Operating Procedures
Personnel Management
And much more…
* According to the U.S. Department of Commerce
questions & answers
Q. How much does it cost to develop a The Dinner A’Fare franchise?
A. There is a wide range; however, $135,000 may be sufficient for an individual
franchise. The estimated costs of owning a The Dinner A’Fare franchise
break down as follows:
Initial Investment
Initial Franchise Fee
Initial Rent & Deposit
Initial Inventory
Leasehold Improvements
Signage
Furniture, Office Furniture & Fixtures
Equipment Package
Grand Opening Marketing
Pre-Opening Salaries
Travel for Pre-Opening Training
Cleaning Supplies
Insurance Deposits
Permits, Licenses & Fees
Utility Deposits
Legal & Accounting Fees
Computer Hardware & Software
Petty Cash
Office Equipment & Supplies
Décor items
Telephone System
Printing Costs
Uniform Costs
Architectural Fees
Working Capital
Royalty (1st 3 Months) – 5% of total revenues
st
Advertising Fees (1 3 Months)
Totals
Low Range
High Range
$35,000
5,200
3,600
26,253
3,500
11,400
3,365
4,000
1,200
250
100
150
100
0
900
300
100
600
270
50
350
950
2,500
15,000
$35,000
12,600
5,400
56,000
8,400
15,000
36,500
4,000
3,500
4,500
200
600
500
800
2,500
1,900
200
750
2,700
250
550
2,400
7,200
30,000
7,500
7,500
$122,638
$238,950
Q. Must I buy my equipment and supplies from you?
A. No. Items necessary for operation of your business may be purchased from
company-approved manufacturers, suppliers, and/or distributors. We have
recommended equipment suppliers nationally with negotiated prices.
Questions & answers (continued)
Q. Do I receive guidance on the purchase of inventory and supplies?
A. Yes. Our Operations Department evaluates suppliers based on the ability to
provide products that equal or exceed our specifications and standards and
recommends these sources for your use.
Q. What is the royalty fee?
A. The weekly continuing service and royalty fee for the individual franchise is
6% of the total gross receipts, exclusive of service, sales, and use taxes.
Q. Where may I locate my The Dinner A’Fare studio kitchen?
A. Many markets are still available. You may designate where you wish to
locate, so long as the location you select meets The Dinner A’Fare criteria
and does not infringe on any other The Dinner A’Fare studio kitchen. Of
course, the more flexible you are, the quicker a location can be found.
Q. Will my territory be protected?
A. Yes. Each franchise owner is allotted an area based on population and
demographics in which no other franchise is awarded.
Q. Do I receive training by The Dinner A’Fare?
A. Yes. In addition to your initial training period, The Dinner A’Fare will send an
Operations Specialist to work with you at your location for at least 3 days
during your first month of operation.
Q. What form of continuing operational guidance will I receive?
A. You will receive The Dinner A’Fare Operations Manual which covers the
many important aspects of your business operation. As manuals are
updated, you will be able to download revisions on our corporate Intranet
system. You will also receive regular visits from our field reps who will
consult with you and offer useful advice and counsel on your operation.
Q. Does The Dinner A’Fare have inventory control forms and other
business aids I can use?
A. Yes. We have a variety of forms you can use for inventory control, daily and
weekly sales, payroll registers, and other business aids vital to the correct
and efficient operation of your studio kitchen. You will also receive stock ads,
flyers, and other marketing materials, which have been professionally
prepared to promote your business.
Q. Who decides what prices I will charge for The Dinner A’Fare meal
packages?
A. You do.
Questions & answers (continued)
Q. Can I sell my The Dinner A’Fare?
A. Yes. Like any other business, your business can be sold to any company
approved buyer.
Q. What is the term of my franchise agreement?
A. The basic term is 10 years. You may renew for one additional 5-year term.
Q. How long before I can get my The Dinner A’Fare studio kitchen started?
A. That depends on a number of variables including selecting a desirable site
and the number of prospective franchisees on our waiting list. You may be able
to arrange financing, complete training, and make leasehold improvements in as
little as three or four months.
Q. I would like to study the Franchise Agreement. Will you send one to
me?
A. Our Franchise Agreement was developed by attorneys and specialists in
franchising and is a valued document which we do not distribute indiscriminately.
Following the procedure outlined in the next question, we will be happy to provide
you with a copy of the Franchise Agreement and our Uniform Franchise Offering
Circular.
Q. How do I get started?
A. First, complete the enclosed Franchise Pre-Evaluation Form and submit it to
us. Upon receipt and review of the application, we will contact you to set up a
personal meeting with a representative of the franchise. After we have had the
opportunity to meet each other and the necessary disclosure requirements have
been met, the Franchise Agreement may be executed.