Nigel Travis, CEO, Dunkin' Brands talks about plans for Baskin-Robbins in Australia
Dunkin' Brands the global parent company of Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin' Donuts, have assumed ownership of Baskin-Robbins in Australia following the well documented troubles of Allied Brands last year.
Their global CEO, Nigel Travis recently spent a week here visiting many of their 86 stores.What are their long and short term plans for the brand? QSR Media put this and many other questions to Nigel Travis, CEO, Dunkin' Brands during his recent trip to Australia:-
What changes have you implemented since cancelling the master franchise agreement with Allied Brands?
Since assuming ownership of the Baskin-Robbins brand in October 2010 we have taken a very hands-on approach to guiding the brand “back to the basics”. This includes focusing on the supply chain and unit economics to ensure that our franchise partners have the tools necessary to thrive in the Australian marketplace. In addition, we hired Ian Martin as General Manager of Baskin-Robbins Australia/New Zealand. He is an experienced executive with an extensive background in the restaurant industry, and will be responsible for overseeing Baskin-Robbins operations, marketing, supply chain, training and business development activity in Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, he will be focused on building franchisee relationships and working with them to grow the brand’s presence in the market.
Tell us about your visits to your franchise partners this week?
My visit to Australia provided a fantastic opportunity to meet with a number of franchise partners and get some honest feedback from them. I’m pleased to report that the majority of our franchise partners are upbeat about the new direction and expressed that they are keen they are to work with us to grow the Baskin-Robbins brand and offerings in the Australian market.
What are your short and long term plans for Baskin-Robbins?
During the next several months, Baskin-Robbins will focus on franchise recruitment and growth opportunities throughout Australia. We are looking to expand across Australia, and have already ear-marked greater Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, and Perth as key areas to expand the brand’s footprint. To further promote growth, we held franchise expos in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth when I was visiting, whereby a $10,000 reduction on the set up price was offered to potential franchisees that sign a franchise agreement before the end of 2011.
Baskin-Robbins is a very successful brand internationally. Now, with the right management in place, we believe it can be very successful here in Australia. While we can’t provide specific numbers, we consider Australia to be a key growth market for Baskin-Robbins and expect to increase our presence significantly in the coming years.
We also plan to introduce a greater range of products into the Australian market, with the first of many being the Brownie a la Mode pre-packaged cakes that were introduced in January.
Are there any plans to bring out your Dunkin' Donuts brand to Australia?
Like Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin’ Donuts is strategically expanding internationally. While we never rule out any country or opportunity, Dunkin’ Donuts is very focused on developing in other countries including the US, India, and China.
Do you have any other thoughts to add?
We believe that a Baskin-Robbins is a great franchising opportunity. Baskin-Robbins franchisees have the benefits of running their own business with the support of a global company and highly recognized brand behind them. We look forward to helping our Australian franchisees achieve success and to seeing the brand grow in this market.
