Gloria Jean’s Franchisee Ups Sales 30 Percent
Married father-of-two Bill Dennaoui (NSW) says working with his wife and going to work in his pyjamas have been the secret sauce behind their recent sales success tipping the tills to see a 30 percent increase.
Bill and his wife Amal have been touted as the Clooney’s of Sydney, funnelling their romance and shared passion for coffee into their Gloria Jean’s stores in Chipping Norton and across the NSW region.
The familiar face and multi-store owner laughs as he says the ‘secret to franchising is a happy marriage, understanding and communication.’
“I never really go to work…I just travel between four different homes – my three businesses and the house where my family comes together.”
“Times have changed for franchising. You can’t just buy a store, put staff in and expect it to perform. You have to live and breathe the business. I’m there every day – either on the phone, or on the ground, and a couple of times, in my pyjamas,” says Bill.
“Before our lives in franchising, Amal and I could go days without seeing each other and that meant sometimes one of us didn’t get to see our kids either. We’ve encouraged our children to do odd jobs around the house while we were working. It has meant that when we’ve come ‘home’ we’re all home together and have more time to spend as a family.”
“Some people have asked me if I ‘really wanted to work with my wife’, and I say that partnering with Amal has been the best thing for our relationship. Its brought us balance, a shared understanding, a happy family and common goals.”
It’s been big business across Bill and Amal’s bustling stores – the duo says that the new all-day menu offering from breakfast to dinner options, has helped to spike their sales by 30 percent.
“One of the standout performers for us has been the introduction of the breakfast menu. Most weeks we sell more than fifty Big Brekkies at $16.95. It’s not surprising to see why with the value for money. For that, you get two eggs your way, two servings of sourdough, three chipolatas, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon. So many places you’d get that for well over $20.”
Bill believes that a commerce background is very helpful to a franchisee as it’s more natural for them to be able to identify weaknesses and to apply those disciplines for growth.
“One of your main recipes is with the balancing of staff. Franchising is a recipe – and not everyone cooks the same way. You need to bring everyone together to share the same vision.”
According to Bill, the passion to win and a desire to become a part of a bigger formula, is the best combination to get owners out of bed each morning.
“The game is to try and enjoy the challenges and to build your business into your life so seamlessly that you’re always ‘living’ while working. If you can do this, you’ll always be planting seedlings to grow into healthy, giant plants.”
“The unknowns bring excitement, and your future success will be underpinned by those recipes you’ve been working with including staff management, customer service, operations, and by continuing to be connected to your local community,” he says.
Bill’s future franchising game looks strong.
“Franchising is like a guided system and if you’re willing to make it happen and get amongst it by building it into your life as though it’s crucial to it, you’ll become so embedded that you can only thrive.”
#ENDS
Curious about your own Gloria Jean’s franchising opportunity? Read more about becoming your own boss, here.
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For further information, interviews or images, please contact:
Christina Jones, Media & Communications Manager, 0432 161 204 or Christina.Jones@rfg.com.au