LA PORCHETTA
Brendan Flanagan, national franchise development manager
WHAT HAS BEEN THE TREND IN PIZZA SALES OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS?
Pizza sales continue to strengthen and they represent a significant share of our market revenue, however our accompanying lines of pasta and protein meals have also performed very well.
HOW HAVE THE LOCKDOWNS IMPACTED FRANCHISEES’ BUSINESSES?
Lockdowns have had a significant impact on our franchisees, with dining in-house being the obvious challenge. We have been fortunate in that we were already well set up to provide pickup and delivery options for our customers pre-pandemic and this has helped to further build customer loyalty. It has allowed our franchisees to maintain market position and provide support back to their communities.
HOW HAS LA PORCHETTA KEPT UP WITH TECH INNOVATIONS DEVELOPED BY BIGGER PIZZA BRANDS?
We continually explore areas of opportunity within the tech space, with a strong focus on providing increased value to our customers. We are now implementing a new online ordering platform with a loyalty program on our La Porchetta app.
WHERE DO FRANCHISEES MAKE THEIR MARGINS AT LA PORCHETTA?
Pizza is a clear profit leader, however our focus is on adding value for our customers through a range of accompanying items which assist both top and bottom line performance. Our model is based on volume and repeat custom to support profit margins. We’re also continuing to refine our model to achieve optimal efficiency in both people and processes and we work closely with franchisees to maximise cost efficiencies.
WHAT ARE THE EXPANSION PLANS?
Our focus continues to be on supporting our current network and carefully recruiting for new sites provided where our strict criteria are met. We are also looking at a variation of the model to meet the needs of the shifting market, especially as it’s evolved over the past two years. We are seeing the market model and consumer demand evolving and we are very much ready and excited to be a part of the shift.
WHAT’S DISTINCTIVE ABOUT LA PORCHETTA?
La Porchetta holds a unique place in the market because of our core menu. Offering a range of lines in large volume is also a strong selling point. We do not pretend to offer all things to all people, however what we do really well is offer high quality pizza, pasta and main courses, including seafood, steak and our ever popular chicken parma.
Of course if the customer prefers a vegan option, we also have that covered. Our focus on building customer loyalty is just as important as our menu and we do that by creating an experience for customers to enjoy with their friends and family so they want to keep coming back. Our clear separation from our competitors is our organic family environment, which some may say is our unique selling proposition, but really we believe it is about facilitating family memories and experiences and this is something very few of our competitors can manufacture.