Fuelling an expanding burger franchise

“It was a no brainer that BurgerFuel would be a hit in Wellington. It’s a great product, with a lot of soul. They were actively expanding in the North Island, and I knew that it would be now or never.”

A great product is important, but Paul knew that the quality of the franchise system was critical.

“When you visited a BurgerFuel store you could see they were just humming,” he recalls. “You could sense how much they cared. And not just about what they did, but how they did it. They’ve made super-efficient systems to create top quality food. But they’ve done it without losing their heart and soul. We just loved it.”

Paul secured the rights to the Lower Hutt franchise. All he needed, of course, was the funding.

“We spoke to a few banks. But it was ASB that stood out for me. They gave us a term loan for the buy in, and an overdraft to manage the cash. They felt like part of our team, and worked with us to make the business a success.”

And what a success it’s been. “You always start out just getting your head back above water. But the cashflow was strong and our loan terms were good. After a few years we were back in the black, and then we started putting down the accelerator.”

In 2011, Paul opened BurgerFuel Cuba Street, amongst Wellington’s coolest cafes, bars and restaurants. It was a hit, and so was the Hataitai store in 2013 and Upper Hutt in 2015.

Our teams are here to help you with your business. As well as helping our franchise customers get started, we also help with the day-to-day realities of running a busy restaurant.

 “We use ASB’s EFTPOS terminals, and their 7-Day Settlement is awesome. Weekends and holidays are our busiest times and I like seeing our money go into the account each night, rather than waiting until Monday morning.”

He also likes the stability of his ASB team. “We’re still working with the people that helped us start up over 10 years ago. That’s so important. They know us and trust us, so together we just get things done. I’ve referred them to other businesses, too.”

“We have a good product, we work hard to produce the best burgers, and we have a huge passion for customer service. We also have great marketing and operations support from BurgerFuel HQ. We’re always looking for ways to take BurgerFuel to more people in our community. You never know what’s around the corner!”

We have experience working with both franchisees and franchisors, and know what makes a successful franchise tick. For more information, visit our website or contact one of our Senior Franchise Managers today by emailing franchising@asb.co.nz