For those aspiring to invest in, or run, their own business, a franchise model is the logical first step. It requires passion, dedication and an entrepreneurial mindset to sustain and grow a franchise, but franchise owners are not alone – their hard work is combined with the support and backing of a well- established, well-connected and recognised brand.
Industry leader Scott Bush started his career in franchising – working his way up from delivery driver to franchise owner at one of Australia’s largest pizza delivery companies. Fueled by ambition, Scott purchased his first franchise at the company and expanded his network to eighteen locations across Australia, within a decade. Scott’s growth and success in franchising took him international, with company leadership roles across New Zealand, Ireland and the UK.
Now, Scott Bush is the Chief Executive Officer at iconic dessert brand, The Cheesecake Shop, working with the 250-store franchise network across Australia and New Zealand.
Scott Bush shares his five insights on finding that *sweet spot* between sustaining and growing a successful franchise business model in today’s climate.
1. Brand Consistency
A rudimentary yet integral step to growing a successful franchise is maintaining brand consistency across your stores. This is a constant challenge in the franchise industry, but working with your franchise owners to invest in your vision can make all the difference.
When investing in an established brand, franchisees acquire untapped access to an existing customer base, a recognised brand and established products that have been tried-and-tested with market success. Tapping into a known entity – and using it to their advantage – will help franchisees flourish and expand.
This brand consistency goes hand-in-hand with service consistency. Providing a reliable, high-quality experience to meet customer needs should be priority for your franchise model, no matter the location.
At The Cheesecake Shop, we actively collaborate with our Franchise Partners to ensure we’re maintaining a consistent level of service and brand integrity, so customers – new and old – keep coming back for more sweet treats!
2. Customer Experience
Your next slice is the customer experience – investing in the shopping experience, both in-store and online, can make an invaluable difference to growing (and maintaining) your customer base.
In 2023, The Cheesecake Shop invested in a results-focused rebrand, which included a commitment to redesigning our bakery shopfronts that whisk together brand nostalgia with modern fixtures to meet evolving customer needs.
Extensive research found that while loyal customers valued The Cheesecake Shop for its known products and nostalgia, lapsed or prospective customers found the brand was ready for a change, which resulted in a new bakery design that drove a 32 per cent increase in perceptions of modernity and a 26 per cent uplift in bakery attractiveness – addressing the need to modernise and constantly evolve to ensure our customer’s experience is a positive one.
Now, The Cheesecake Shop stores feature curved glass cabinets to display the cakes, pricing boards to improve accessibility, click-and-collect counters for convenience and an open kitchen where customers could see the desserts baked, whipped and decorated.
This in-store experience extends to the online experience, too. We’re constantly reviewing our e- commerce experience at The Cheesecake Shop, and working towards online enhancements that will “cake” our customers happy!
3. Remain Competitive
Remaining competitive in the market enables franchisees to show value to existing and prospective customers, while increasing market share. The quick service restaurant (QSR) industry is rapidly evolving, and franchisees need to maintain a competitive edge, or risk failure.
This is where product innovation and diversification can help you stay competitive – adopting this strategic approach has seen incredible success at The Cheesecake Shop.
Amid The Cheesecake Shop’s rebrand, we conducted extensive audience research to further understand our customer base, as well as evolving industry standards. Our research, coupled with business data that indicates a growing demand for smaller products that align with dietary needs, found the younger demographic wanted snackable dessert options. We discovered that our existing customer base was seeking simpler products too. We always knew our products were perfect for celebrations, but customers revealed they craved them for everyday indulgence too. They wanted single serve treats and options that they could enjoy alone at home, or treats that could be shared at picnics, morning teas, or intimate gatherings with family and friends
To meet and drive this demand, and ultimately remain competitive in market, we launched The Cheesecake Shop’s Daily Treats Range – offering tailored single serve products that customers can indulge in various forms or occasions. Or for no reason at all – they are the perfect solution to the everyday indulgence. A sweet treat is never amiss!
4. Invest In Your Franchisees
Franchise owners will remain the backbone of your business – empowering and investing in existing and incoming franchisees is integral to success. Franchise owners are not only hard-working and determined to succeed, but they’re the face and entrepreneurial minds behind your stores.
We work closely with our Franchise Partners at The Cheesecake Shop by offering professional development opportunities and a considerable support network for ongoing guidance and business expertise. We recently introduced a new communication model to support franchisee collaboration, including weekly newsletters, monthly webinars and biannual roadshows where our Leadership Team visits each state. The Cheesecake Shop’s Annual Conference was also introduced to drive transparency and collaboration, as we invite our Franchise Partners across Australia and New Zealand to get amongst industry leaders, innovators and decision makers for a dynamic exchange of ideas, networking and collaboration.
At The Cheesecake Shop, we see our Franchise Partners as the delicious layers in a multi-tier cake, with our Support Office team as the icing and cherry on top! Their success is our success.
5. Operations & Digital Enhancements
Digital and operational advancement speaks for itself – in a digital world, integrating technology into your business strategy is non-negotiable.
More than 17 million Australians shopped online in 2024, which accounts for approximately 63% of the country’s population and shows a 45% increase from 20201. Additionally, e-commerce accounts for 16.8% of total retail sales, which is a significant increase on the pre-COVID retail landscape at 10%2.
It will be imperative for franchises to invest in e-commerce moving forward, particularly as the younger demographic that prioritises this retail format mature, and will soon make up a high percentage of prospective customers.
The Cheesecake Shop will be hyper-focused on e-commerce investment as we expand – making our online shopping experience seamless, and a piece of cake!
Biography
Scott Bush was appointed CEO of The Cheesecake Shop in Australia in 2022, eager to reignite passion for the nostalgic brand as he and his team pursue ambitious expansion plans for the business across Australia and New Zealand.
The versatile and dynamic business leader joined The Cheesecake Shop after two decades with Domino’s, where he oversaw operations inside the brand, most recently as CEO of Domino’s in Ireland.
Scott brings his appetite for the franchise industry to his role as CEO, alongside an innate ability to build connections, innovate and lead franchise teams to success. With exceptional leadership skills and business acumen, Scott is focused on growing The Cheesecake Shop’s sales and improving company and franchisee profits.
1 https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1471759/australia-number-of-e-commerce-users
2 https://ecommerce-report.auspost.com.au/