Esquires Coffee Houses has more stores opening in NZ and all over the world

Not many people would compare a franchise to a snowball, but that’s how Stuart Deeks describes the progress of Esquires Coffee Houses in New Zealand. The company launched here four years ago and only started franchising in 2004. ‘Since then, we’ve grown like a snowball running down a ski-jump, getting bigger and picking up speed all the time,’ says Stuart. Now the company is preparing for lift-off at the far end – not only do they have six or seven new stores due to open around New Zealand before Christmas, but the New Zealand operation has been so successful that Stuart and his brother Lewis, who hold the master franchise for the chain here, have been granted first option on the master franchises for the Asia Pacific region, Africa and the Middle East. ‘This is a great tribute to the abilities of the New Zealand team and the confidence their franchisor has in them,’ says lawyer Miles Agmen-Smith.

There are now 19 Esquires Coffee Houses throughout New Zealand, with more opening all the time. Despite that, the company is still looking for new franchisees for around 15 new sites to open in 2007. ‘Our major focus for next year is the big cities: Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch,’ says Chris King, the company’s general manager. ‘In fact, we have two prime opportunities in Auckland right now – before we franchised we opened three pilot stores to test the waters. One of those has now been sold but the other two are available to the right people as established and highly profitable stores.’

As part of that growth, the company is investing heavily in new facilities and people. ‘We’ve moved on from the start-up phase and now our focus is on becoming a great franchisor,’ Stuart says. ‘We’re creating a new franchise office and training facility with a built-in store, and we’ve appointed new people such as Chris to help develop our franchisees’ businesses even further. Chris has had leading roles in marketing and finance for such well-known organisations as Ogilvy & Mather and Harrods, and he brings a wealth of experience to the role. Ideas such as the adoption of 100% Fair Trade organic tea and coffee throughout our stores have given us the reputation of being New Zealand’s most innovative coffee franchise, and Chris’s team will be building on that. We’re also aiming to live up to the Food & Beverage Franchise System of the Year title we won in 2005.’

At the same time, Stuart will also be exploring the new possibilities offered by the new master franchises overseas. Having worked in the food and beverage industry internationally before returning to New Zealand and taking on Esquires, Stuart believes the brand has huge potential. ‘We are already negotiating with various people in Australia, Fiji Dubai and Cameroun and will be moving fast, just as we have here. Enterprising Kiwis are very welcome to apply for opportunities in Australia or further afield, as well as in New Zealand.’ Existing franchisees include sportspeople, bankers, experienced businesspeople and investors, proving that you need no previous experience in the food industry to succeed with Esquires.

For those looking at an Esquires franchise in New Zealand, the total investment required is from $200-350,000, plus a $69,000 franchise fee. Outlets can vary from mall kiosks to high street locations, but all feature the same comfortable mix of high quality beverages and a range of food prepared off-site. ‘We can tailor the opportunity to the franchisee,’ says Chris King. ‘Such is our reputation with the bank, they are usually prepared to lend 60% of the funds based on the turnover of the business. Once mature, an Esquires Coffee House should provide an attractive six-figure return.’

Contact details for Esquires Coffee Houses

This advertorial was originally published in Franchise New Zealand magazine 

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