Andrew Benefield, Managing Director at Cookie Corporation
On being passionate, keeping franchisees focused and strong relationships.
QSR Media: What makes me excited about current position?
Andrew Benefield: I get to work with a great team of employees, franchisees and customers who are very passionate about our brands and products.
This is a great business because customers turn up at our counters looking to reward themselves and their friends with a treat. All we need to do is focus on making the moment better for them.
When I worked in the petrol business, I can never remember a customer getting excited about filling their car.
QSR Media: What 3 Goals are you focused on?
Benefield:
- Driving same store sales growth to above 5% per annum for our franchisees. We achieved it in FY14 and are currently on track this year. We must keep growing ahead of rental and wage rate increases, but at a time when there is real price deflation in fast food we have had to be very creative around our menu and adding value to our products. Just increasing the retail price does not work any more.
- Getting to a network of ninety Mrs. Fields Bakery Café’s. In the last two years the team has worked incredibly hard to transform the 25 year old, Australian Mrs. Fields business into a new look Bakery Café model that is performing exceptionally well. We already have 12 of our current 50 stores in the new look, but next year we are looking to refurbish another 12 including the conversion of some Cookie Man stores, and are on track to open at least another 6 new stores.
- Transforming the 50 year old Cookie Man brand. We have an exciting new business model for this iconic Australian brand and we look forward to piloting that in early 2015.
QSR Media: What long terms changes are you planning?
Benefield: We have some exciting ideas on how to better support our franchisees and keep them focused on what is important to their and our business success. With the increased pace of life and the availability of technology some of the old models of franchise support are clearly out dated.
QSR Media: What are your key business philosophies?
Benefield: Treat you customers the way you expect to be treated. Business, especially franchising, is about relationships and the stronger you make these the better your business will be.
Look after your team, and they will look after your business. It is impossible for me to do everything, so if I focus on helping my team be their best, then they look after the customers and hence the business.
Don’t take short cuts. It is often easier to take a short cut but it always costs you in the long term. We try to do it right the first time.
QSR Media: What previous positions prepared you for this one and how?
Benefield: It was not really the positions but the people. Certainly I have had the benefit of working for some industry leaders including Yum Restaurants and Caltex, and other very entrepreneurial companies such as ActionCoach but it is the people you learn from both the good and bad.
I always remember a previous boss telling me that no matter how good I was, he would never give me 10 from 10 on an evaluation. Because the minute he did that, I would stop looking for ways to improve. There is always a way to do something better.
