THE HOT SEAT: New Croissant Express Chief on the future of the chain
What changes can we expect?
Following last week's announcement by Croissant Express of the appointment of new CEO Neil Soares we talk exclusively to him about his appointment and what it means for the Perth based bakery chain.
QSR: What makes you excited about your new position?
Neil: This brand has great equity and recognition in the WA market; it has been around for 25 years and seen off some stiff competition. It is also of a size that is small enough to make changes that will have real impact , reinvigorate and build momentum to rapidly expand. Opportunities like these, where you can add true value to your franchise are rare.
QSR: What 3 goals are you focussed on?
Neil: We have three major priorities, firstly to reposition the brand to ensure we are relevant into the future. When you have been around for 25 years, you have clearly done a lot of things right, however with a changing market we need to review our position and ensure we can take advantage of new opportunities and attract new customers while rewarding our many regulars.
We want to increase our top line sales by reviewing and refreshing our product range and looking at innovative marketing solutions to connect and communicate with our customers.
And finally, our franchisees are facing cost pressures so we need to review our internal processes to reduce complexity and costs within our business. This will require a thorough review of our production system, our supply chain and our processes so that we can work smarter and better service our customers.
QSR: What will you do differently in this position?
Neil: Given the size of this business it will allow me to work closely with our franchise partners and be involved across all facets of the business at a coalface level. We have a great history within our franchise group with a number of long serving franchise partners and staff. I am keen to use their insight and knowledge to help shape the decisions that will transform this brand.
QSR: What changes are you planning on?
Neil: The change required for this business to prosper is a total transformation in how we do what we do. We have engaged The Brand Agency to help us with defining our position in the market and we will then use these insights to implement the actions that fall out of this review process.
QSR: What are your key business philosophies?
Neil: of what we sell, we are a people and service business. We cannot lose sight of the fact that franchisees invest both emotionally and financially in our system and we need to engage them through a service model that engages them and supports them along their journey with us.
QSR: What previous positions prepared you for this one and how?
Neil: I have been extremely fortunate to have worked over the past 20 years with leading QSR brands in a range of senior roles. In addition, I have also run large airline catering operations and was instrumental in rolling out the Wild Bean Cafe in the WA market. I have been a franchisee of two different brands and have recently completed a post graduate in Franchising through Griffith University. This apprenticeship combined with a service ethos and deep knowledge of franchising should stand me in good stead; although I'm not looking to bank on my previous innings. I believe it will be my love of this brand and intent to transform and expand it though engagement with our franchisees and my team, that will truly deliver the results we need.
