Franchise Ideas

[vmbplayer]

hold the sun-dried tomatoes, please.

Does it have bacon?

bacon is extra

This is hilarious and I feel sad for those that aren't getting the joke.

Also, there is no swine evil enough to be sacrificed upon this bed of evil, and lettuce.


As far as Ames not needing another chain restaurant I disagree. All we have is unique places. Cocost, Thai Palace, Fighting Burrito, West Cyde Wings, May House, Wallabys, Dublin Bay, Aunt Mauds, Flame and Skewer, The Spice, Old Maine, King Buffet, Mongolian Buffet, Vesuvius (I think), Jeff's, Pizza Pit, Black Market Pizza, West Town Pub, Hickory Park, Great Plains, The Cafe, Scallion, Indian Pallace, La Fuente, Ge-Angellos, Vallentinos, Cazador, El Azteca, Battles BBQ, The Broiler, Bali Satay. I'm at 31.

I would guess by percentage Ames has to be up there with non-chain resteraunts to chain resteraunts, as any city in the nation.

chains: Applebees, B-Bops, McD, BK, KFC, LJS, Little Caesars, Subway, DQ, Red Lobster, Old Chicago, Panda Express, mexican place at lincoln way and grand, Pizza Hut, Quiznos, Q Doba, Pancheros, Jimmy Johns, Wendy's, Culvers, Arbys, Perkins, Village Inn. I'm at 22.

Ames is by far under served by franchises. I would love a Chick Fil A, or a Five Guys. They've been franchised because they're successful concepts.

 

[woodie]

1.set up a cupcake shop.women and kids love them and food costs are great.

2.get a jollibee restaurant franchise out of the phillipines.hamburger restaurant with full line of breakfast,lunch and dinners and they r kicking macdonald's arse in the phillipines on sales and earnings.haved moved into china and there are 2 jollibee restaurants in los angeles that are doing very well.

3.paint ball acrerage that you can rent out to people,clubs,etc. these is one in san antonio,texas, and that thing is lit up at nites and is kept very busy.

 

[MNCyGuy]

This is hilarious and I feel sad for those that aren't getting the joke.

Also, there is no swine evil enough to be sacrificed upon this bed of evil, and lettuce.


As far as Ames not needing another chain restaurant I disagree. All we have is unique places. Cocost, Thai Palace, Fighting Burrito, West Cyde Wings, May House, Wallabys, Dublin Bay, Aunt Mauds, Flame and Skewer, The Spice, Old Maine, King Buffet, Mongolian Buffet, Vesuvius (I think), Jeff's, Pizza Pit, Black Market Pizza, West Town Pub, Hickory Park, Great Plains, The Cafe, Scallion, Indian Pallace, La Fuente, Ge-Angellos, Vallentinos, Cazador, El Azteca, Battles BBQ, The Broiler, Bali Satay. I'm at 31.

I would guess by percentage Ames has to be up there with non-chain resteraunts to chain resteraunts, as any city in the nation.

chains: Applebees, B-Bops, McD, BK, KFC, LJS, Little Caesars, Subway, DQ, Red Lobster, Old Chicago, Panda Express, mexican place at lincoln way and grand, Pizza Hut, Quiznos, Q Doba, Pancheros, Jimmy Johns, Wendy's, Culvers, Arbys, Perkins, Village Inn. I'm at 22.

Ames is by far under served by franchises. I would love a Chick Fil A, or a Five Guys. They've been franchised because they're successful concepts.

Yea, but the food-genre is satisfied with a non-chain, why the obsession with bringing a chain in?

 

[Steve]

I think a Steak and Shake would make a killing in either Ames or Cedar Falls.

Tried Steak and Shake one time and was not impressed. It might have had something to do with finding out that they ran out of hamburger right after taking our order. It would have been nice to know what was going on before waiting 20 plus minutes without getting an honest answer from the staff. When the food finally did arrive, it was a major disappointment.

 

[vmbplayer]

Yea, but the food-genre is satisfied with a non-chain, why the obsession with bringing a chain in?

Because you benefit from the experience of the company and the business advantages of the franchise support.

For Example if I'm comparing Mongolian Buffet to Hu-Hot. I've found that the sauces at Mongolian Buffet are not nearly as strong flavor wise as they are at Hu-Hot. It's the exact same concept, with nearly the exact same options. However I find the sauces at Hu Hot to be more potent and allow for a better meal.

If an independent joint can come in and do just as well great, but franchises tend to achieve the same thing better just because of institutional memory. I wouldn't trade Hickory Park for a Famous Daves, but that is usually an exception in my experience. Nor would I trade West Cyde for BWW. However, those are the exceptions rather than the Rules. I would trade Wallaby's for a Fridays or a Dave and Busters in a heartbeat.

It's just hard to start a food place from scratch and make it better than a franchise unless you have a truly unique idea, or an excellent chef.

 

[saf]

Ames is by far under served by franchises. I would love a Chick Fil A, or a Five Guys. They've been franchised because they're successful concepts.

Chick Fil A FTW! ...loved when it was in the Union. Always stop there on road trips. Have read that they are very, very particular about franchises, though.

I still hear there is a good chance that BWW is going to open in Ames.

I agree w/ Jason's Deli--good stuff.

 

[clone0]

A steakhouse. Any steakhouse. Ames really doesn't have one.

A chophouse is opening on the 26th in the former Broiler location in west Ames. Is it a steakhouse? I'm not exactly sure yet.

 

[Broodwich]

A chophouse is opening on the 26th in the former Broiler location in west Ames. Is it a steakhouse? I'm not exactly sure yet.

There's no need for a steakhouse in Ames. The World Famous Open Flame is 5 miles away in Gilbert.

 

[JP4CY]

There's no need for a steakhouse in Ames. The World Famous Open Flame is 5 miles away in Gilbert.

If someone put a steakhouse (similar to Texas or Outback) at the old Cyclone Truckstop location it would make a killing. There isnt much between Albert Lea and DM so it could get I 35 traffic, HWY 30 traffic, and visitor traffic for all the hotels close to that area. There is probably a dozen hotels there and your food options are only El Azteca, Subway, and Ames Dairy. Think how many people would stop there.

 

[CycloneGamecock]

This is hilarious and I feel sad for those that aren't getting the joke.

Also, there is no swine evil enough to be sacrificed upon this bed of evil, and lettuce.


As far as Ames not needing another chain restaurant I disagree. All we have is unique places. Cocost, Thai Palace, Fighting Burrito, West Cyde Wings, May House, Wallabys, Dublin Bay, Aunt Mauds, Flame and Skewer, The Spice, Old Maine, King Buffet, Mongolian Buffet, Vesuvius (I think), Jeff's, Pizza Pit, Black Market Pizza, West Town Pub, Hickory Park, Great Plains, The Cafe, Scallion, Indian Pallace, La Fuente, Ge-Angellos, Vallentinos, Cazador, El Azteca, Battles BBQ, The Broiler, Bali Satay. I'm at 31.

I would guess by percentage Ames has to be up there with non-chain resteraunts to chain resteraunts, as any city in the nation.

chains: Applebees, B-Bops, McD, BK, KFC, LJS, Little Caesars, Subway, DQ, Red Lobster, Old Chicago, Panda Express, mexican place at lincoln way and grand, Pizza Hut, Quiznos, Q Doba, Pancheros, Jimmy Johns, Wendy's, Culvers, Arbys, Perkins, Village Inn. I'm at 22.

Ames is by far under served by franchises. I would love a Chick Fil A, or a Five Guys. They've been franchised because they're successful concepts.

Because you benefit from the experience of the company and the business advantages of the franchise support.

For Example if I'm comparing Mongolian Buffet to Hu-Hot. I've found that the sauces at Mongolian Buffet are not nearly as strong flavor wise as they are at Hu-Hot. It's the exact same concept, with nearly the exact same options. However I find the sauces at Hu Hot to be more potent and allow for a better meal.

If an independent joint can come in and do just as well great, but franchises tend to achieve the same thing better just because of institutional memory. I wouldn't trade Hickory Park for a Famous Daves, but that is usually an exception in my experience. Nor would I trade West Cyde for BWW. However, those are the exceptions rather than the Rules. I would trade Wallaby's for a Fridays or a Dave and Busters in a heartbeat.

It's just hard to start a food place from scratch and make it better than a franchise unless you have a truly unique idea, or an excellent chef.

See i pretty much see it the opposite way. I don't think franchises generally hold a candle to mom and pop shops. There is a reason you never hear someone say "the best bbq/pasta/seafood/whatever i ever ate was at <insert chain here>" without being laughed at. Also why in the visiting team threads where they ask where to go eat nobody says the applebees is a can't miss. Its a balance for sure but we already have wing places in pizza pit and west cyde so why the need for buffalo wild wings. Although a 5 guys or Chik Fil A in campustown would be great if they could make a go of it because its really hard for a burger place to make it down there.

 

[ribsnwhiskey]

1.set up a cupcake shop.women and kids love them and food costs are great.

That's hilarious. Someone just opened a 'cupcakery' in the old Jimmy John's location in downtown Ames. I give it 6 months.

I'd like to see chik-fil-a come back to Ames.

BWW is still most likely going to open on Duff sometime in the near future.

 

[jsmith86]

See i pretty much see it the opposite way. I don't think franchises generally hold a candle to mom and pop shops. There is a reason you never hear someone say "the best bbq/pasta/seafood/whatever i ever ate was at <insert chain here>" without being laughed at. Also why in the visiting team threads where they ask where to go eat nobody says the applebees is a can't miss. Its a balance for sure but we already have wing places in pizza pit and west cyde so why the need for buffalo wild wings. Although a 5 guys or Chik Fil A in campustown would be great if they could make a go of it because its really hard for a burger place to make it down there.

But there is also a reason franchises turn into franchises and mom and pop shops stay that way.

 

[bluestarcyclone]

But there is also a reason franchises turn into franchises and mom and pop shops stay that way.

Exactly. And for every exceptional mom and pop, there are plenty that people view as a 'nice (insert chain here) knockoff'. And plenty more that just end up failing.

Some more chains in ames would not be a bad thing. It has tons of unique places. Now west des moines, it could use some more unique non-chains.

 

[Cychl82]

Can you imagine a tasty tacos in campus town when the bars let out? That would be a license to print money.

agree 100%, ive thought about this before myself and should look into things a little more seriously :yes:

 

[MNCyGuy]

But there is also a reason franchises turn into franchises and mom and pop shops stay that way.

The mom and pop store is dependent on the mom and/or pop store to work and you can't pre-package that and send it to another town?

 

[simply1]

Runz's onion rings are outstanding.


Best places are mom and pops. Great Plains, Hickory Park, rocky rococo back in the day! In Ames, I think the ability to shuffle down your staff and remain open would be a big consideration given the number of down months population wise. Why a subway is successful in campus town, can scale down to 1-2 people working and keep the lights on.

 

[bostrem00]

Chipotle or a Whataburger in Campustown.....

 

[simply1]

. I am looking for input on smaller franchises that are not established in these cities (mainly restaurants, not the major chains like Buffalo Wild Wings, but something like the size of a Jimmy Johns or Pancheros). So, are there franchises you have frequented that you think would be a good fit? Also, are there mid size towns (20,000+) that would be good for a franchise like Pancheros?

Most of you ignored this I guess?

 

[CycloneErik]

I'm not sure how well that would do in Ames. I'm not saying it wouldn't work at all, but it would do better in other cities besides Ames. The one in IC has a great location, just off of I-80 and IC is larger than Ames. I can't think of many good locations in Ames for this, especially when trying to pull from I-35 traffic.
Those types of places seem to do well along Interstates and Ames isn't really a prime stopping point for travelers, when they have DM and Ankeny just 15 mins down the road.

I think you're right, but I wish you weren't.

 

[simply1]

so why did davinci's die anyways?