Friend’s Café to franchise its concept of drive-thru food trucks
Coffee shop Friend’s Café will mark its 15th anniversary in Puerto Rico by expanding its footprint through a franchise model, with plans to open five new locations in the next 12 months by offering its turnkey food trucks for between $65,000 and $85,000 each, News is my Business confirmed.
The company currently operates six locations in the western area. Through this planned expansion, 25 direct jobs will be created for each food truck, as well as direct growth for other small local businesses, like dairies, farms, bakeries, baristas, managers, printing, and social media team.
It will also open a new FC Franchise office, generating extra jobs, income and local trade, company officials said.
“The past 15 years have helped us learn about the tastes and preferences of the Puerto Rican consumer and today we’re in a position to expand throughout Puerto Rico,” said Wilmer Ramírez, owner of Friend’s Café.
Friend’s Café began selling gourmet coffee served by baristas in a small kiosk located in Plaza Colón in the municipality of Mayagüez and after its acceptance, it was able to expand by opening another five establishments in Puerto Rico’s western region.
“We have seen the evolution of Friend’s and how it has been involved in collaboration with the communities that have made us grow,” said Ramírez.
“Each product added to our menu and each point of sale that we’ve opened has been part of this evolution process and has gone hand in hand with the claims and requests of customers and their communities,” said Ramírez.
“With our growth, the social impact that we have had since our beginnings will reach more towns,” added Ramírez.
Friend’s Café is entering the franchise business model at the hands of All Around Franchise Consultants and its president Ricardo Rivera-Badía, who has worked with other local franchises, namely, Burrillos, Açai Express, Nacho Libre and Paleteados, among others.
“The Friend’s Café model makes it ideal for growing throughout Puerto Rico and represents an opportunity for proven success for people who wish to undertake through this model,” said Rivera-Badía, adding that his strategy calls for taking the Friend’s Café concept to the US Eastern seaboard.
Future franchise owners will receive training, employee training, an equipped and branded food truck, uniforms and the first purchase of inventory.
They will also have support in the development process and in promotion and marketing strategies, the executives said.
