Defining Gourmet
The definition of gourmet can be a little difficult to pin down. However, it is one of those things that you it know when you see it. But in an effort to produce a definition, The Spruce Eats says the term gourmet may refer to one or a combination of characteristics:
- Someone who is a connoisseur of good food and drink.
- Food of the highest quality and flavor, prepared with precision and presented in an artful manner.
- A restaurant and its chefs where food is prepared and served with the highest quality standards.
- A store that stocks and sells high-quality, unique, or hard-to-find ingredients needed to prepare gourmet dishes.
- A kitchen that is well-appointed with professional-grade appliances and storage areas for specialty items and equipment.
Quality is the main selling point for gourmet food franchises. Customers often choose gourmet establishments because they are looking for higher quality dining options, which can include ambiance and customer service in addition to food ingredients. Chef-driven kitchens provide innovative menus and higher quality foods, which customers by-and-large respond positively to.
Gourmet Food Franchises Cover a Wide Array of Options
You can find a gourmet franchise for virtually any kind of food. Additionally, gourmet food franchises extend far beyond fine dining restaurants. They can also include quick service restaurants, fast-casual restaurants, cafes, and other kinds of franchises.
The diversity of gourmet options can be partly attributed to the degree of specialization these franchises embody. For instance, consider breakfast. Toastique, founded in 2018 in Washington, D.C., is a gourmet toast and juice bar franchise.
The franchise, which “aims to provide a fresh new take on a beloved favorite,” was born out of founder Brianna Keefe’s experiments while she was a D1 athlete in college. She needed the perfect combination of protein, carbohydrates, and (healthy!) fats in an easy, to-go format. The toast creations she came up with would go on to help her imagine and realize a café that had yummy toasts as well as smoothies and cold-pressed juices.
Other gourmet food franchise options for breakfast alone include restaurants for crepes, waffles, coffee, and more.
Charcuterie is also popping up in the gourmet franchise food world. Franchises like Fig + Brie and Graze Craze are leaning into the personalized aspect of gourmet to provide customers with unique experiences for social gatherings and gift-giving.
Gourmet food franchises have experienced great success in the dessert realm. Franchises like Pinkberry elevated the profile of frozen yogurt. Gourmet dessert franchises have also been used to introduce sweet treats from around the world to America. For example, Le Macaron and Woops! make the world of French pastry more accessible to the masses.
And if you don’t want to be in foodservice, there are several franchise opportunities for you in gourmet food retail.
Franchises such as Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and other gift-focused food retail franchises allow their franchisees to offer customers unique and tasty presents during the whole year. There are also gourmet food retail franchises, like Southern Steer Butcher, that focus on products such as meats, vinegars, oils and other ingredients people can use in their own home gourmet food creations.
Initial Investment and Opening Costs for Gourmet Food Franchises
The amount necessary to open a franchise varies depending on the unique business system and execution requirements.
The opening costs for a food franchisee can depend on many factors, including but not limited to: the franchise fee, land and building costs, training expenses (such as travel and living expenses, not the actual training courses), grand opening advertising and marketing costs, and more.
One of the most important variables in how much it costs to open a gourmet food franchise is the type of franchise being opened and how big it is. The two types of food franchise most commonly offered are traditional and non-traditional. Traditional franchises are usually the biggest option. They are typically standalone buildings where the service of the franchise is the only business offering. Non-traditional franchises are smaller, and typically located within another building like malls, airports, or gas stations.
In addition, food franchises are increasingly being run from a small or shared kitchen facility, referred to a “ghost kitchen,” and is only used for pickup or delivery. Food truck franchise opportunities are also on the rise.
Our franchise profiles will present you with a basic range for the initial investment required to open a gourmet food franchise. But when it comes to finding out the details of an initial investment, the franchise disclosure document (FDD) is the best place to look. Franchisors offer itemized estimates in their FDD based upon their experience establishing, and in some cases operating, units.
Franchisors offer estimates in their FDD based upon their experience establishing, and in some cases operating, units. However, prospective franchisees should keep in mind these estimates are just that—an estimate. Prospective franchisees should review the figures presented with a business advisor, taking into consideration their unique circumstances, before making the decision to enter into a franchise agreement.
Ongoing Costs for Gourmet Food Franchises
Throughout the length of the agreement there are costs for being a part of the franchisor’s business system. These costs include items such as royalty fees, charges for technical support, and continued advertising/marketing costs.
The most common is the royalty fee. Royalty fees are assessed for the continued use of the franchisor’s trademarks and patented processes, along with certain types of operational support. In addition to regularly assessed fees, other fees are charged on an “as needed” basis such as audit fees, or costs for additional, non-mandatory, training.
In addition, it’s important to note that while many initial and ongoing costs are detailed in the FDD, there are some costs inherent to business ownership, like employee wages or utility costs, that aren’t.