What is there in a name?
For the potential franchisees it is necessary to determine whether a brand name franchise is the key to success? Orion proves that even the smallest name brands can compete well with players of a big name. While you were hanging out in a mall food court or a small counter did the name ever matter to you? Probably it didn’t matter whether it was the part of a national chain with mare than 1500 franchises or were they simply brands like Hot Stuff Pizza, Smash Hit Subs or Cinnamon Street Bakery. Even with such small names the Orion Food Systems Inc. seems to dominate the ‘small name’ business world. Franchisees who want to co-brand with huge and established names (like the McDonald’s) will have to make sure they get the agreement right. Then they will also have to deal with Subway and Chick-fil A. But if this looks a little scratchy then the other option may be that they join Orion and get all those brands through one company which makes it much more easier from the design and layout stand point. With major franchisers you have to use their equipment, you cannot mix and match with other brands but in the second option though you seem two brands in the front in the backroom you are sharing freezer space and other equipments; so you are not duplicating efforts in terms of equipments. That is a big advantage over the McDonalds of the world. The theory for them is that s long as you taste like a national brand consumers accept you as a national brand. Initially they may come in find it weird but once they have tasted the food and experienced the great service, as they look through the menu board system and the promotional materials it soon becomes the brand of their choice.
