Diana Thurmann of Franchise Direct spent some time in Iceland this summer. On the blog today, she describes the role of some of the world's biggest franchise brands play on this tiny island nation with a population of 320,000.
Being successful in Icelandic franchising isn't easy. In the wake of the country's economic meltdown in 2008, McDonald's decided to close its Icelandic restaurants because the cost of operating their were prohibitive. Diana did find three huge franchise brands - Domino's and KFC - enjoying some success there.
KFC in Iceland:
In many countries there is something that reflects the culture at local franchises. In Iceland, you'll find chicken back and cocktail sauce at KFC.
Subway in Iceland:
The first Subway restaurant opened in Iceland in 1994. Subway has seen the joy hungry Icelanders want to take a loyalty and sweet fast. The Subway pioneer in Iceland was Skúli Gunnar Sigfusson. He established that first restaurant in Faxafen, Reykjavik. He had encountered Subway as a student in Phoenix, Arizona in the U.S. but he was fascinated by the business inside and of course, he felt the food was great. Now, there are 19 Subway locations in Iceland: Reykjavik, Keflavik, Akureyri, Hafnarfjordur, Reykjavik, Mosfellsbær, Selfoss Akranes, and most recently in Egilsstadir.
Domino's in Iceland:
The first store Domino's Pizza Island was opened on August 16, 1993 in Grensásvegi 11 in Reykjavik. Operations have been successful from the date of opening, and the company has grown rapidly since then. Today, Domino's Pizza operates 14 stores in this country. Seven of them are in Reykjavík, one in Gardabaer, Hafnarfjordur and two in Reykjavik. In addition, one site in Madrid, Akranes Keflavik.
In addition to these 14 stores are Commodity Processing Ltd. Terminal for shops and business center, taking customer orders over the phone. Commodity Processing Ltd. Helpdesk and its business offices are located at Lóuhólum 2-6 in Reykjavik.
Domino's Pizza in Iceland aims to be a leader in the fast food market. Their main goals are image, service and quality that contribute to their customer satisfaction.
Great emphasis is placed on working always with top quality ingredients and high quality products. Stability is important in this respect and the client can expect to receive the same or similar quality products, even if they are bought at different times and in different retail outlets of the company.