Global Franchise 9.2 - Issue 56

What does it take for amulti- unit operator to be successful? Fred Mercer is an experienced multi-unit franchisee for Expedia Cruises, a full-service leisure travel agency franchise backed by one of the most powerful travel brands in the world. Mercer has four total territories across the U.S. and Canada. located in Langley and Kamloops, British Columbia; Lethbridge, Alberta; and San Diego. California. “My journey with Expedia Cruises is unique as I started out as a franchisee, held a corporate position for a decade, and then returned to franchise decent-sized market, but excellence in education is so ingrained into Romanian culture that we’re confident for a bright future for Mathnasium in the region.” The sums certainly add up for Mathnasium. Along with the news of their latest signed franchise agreement, the company projected international development to grow by more than 25% in 2024 compared to the previous year. “For the medium to larger-sized master franchise-ready markets, the master model is the most relevant for faster growth,” says Simon. “It minimizes CAPEX restrictions and immediately enables access to areas of a territory where an investing entity may not have expertise by relying on the local business communities.” Marco’s Pizza is also working with master franchisees, this time to make big inroads into LATAMwith a 50-unit franchise agreement in Mexico City. Behind the development is Grupo Pizza Amantes SA de CV, a Mexican company run by four business partners with more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant, hospitality and retail industry. “The Marco’s franchise model works for several reasons,” says the brand’s CDO, Gerardo Flores. “It’s a simple model that allows for scalability, and managing a single master franchise over potentially a hundred franchisees enables more control and accountability over the systems. It also allows for shared capital costs as you enter new markets.” Marco’s already operates 60-plus locations across the Bahamas and Puerto Rico with a master franchisee for the Caribbean. Company leadership is expecting strong penetration in the United States to continue and is now strategically targeting international development to fuel growth in 2024. Near-term opportunities exist most abundantly in the LATAM region with future sights set on Middle East, Europe and Canada. “We have been able to scale and exceed our development goals in the Caribbean because we have a proven master franchisee that knows the market and understands the restaurant business,” Flores continues. “Since they are on the ground every day, they have established stronger connections with the franchisee base. Entering a new country presents a unique set of challenges from franchise law to supply chain and ideal partners have experience bringing non-competitive food brands into that specific foreign country.” FredMercer is multi-franchise owner of Expedia Cruises with four territories in British Columbia, Alberta, and California 34 GLOBAL FRANCHISE Issue 9.2