scoobynutta555

Anyone know someone that runs a McDonalds franchise? Just browsing through their website and there seems to be quite a bit of outlay by the franchisee and I was wondering if it was worth it all.

Perhaps someone can shed some light on the reality of running a franchise for 20 years.

corradoboy

I'd guess the key is LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. Main roads near busy junctions or motorways, retail parks with leisure and entertainment into the night or shopping centres. Get a good plot and it would pretty much run itself I'd have thought, but how much you see out of the overall turnover after McD has taken their wedge would be the crunch.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

If I ran one I would make sure they had enough BBQ sauce and vanilla milkshake

scoobynutta555

This is a good website McDonald's UK Franchise

StickyMicky

the problem is, that they are over saturating the market a little in some locations, with 2/3 sites

i dont think you can get a guarantee that they will not build a newer one around the corner in a few years time ??


2 near me, main one on a retail park does awesome business, i used to know a mate of the owner and he was what i would consider "rich" never any less then 5/6 staff working whenever i have been

the other one was built into the asda accross the road from the carwash a few years back, only a little one, does not do a full menu, mainly just the basics like a big mac (no 1/4 pounders etc etc)

the owner actually does a good few hours work himself, weather or not this is because he is greedy or can not justify the full staffing costs i don't know. most i have ever seen working at any given time has been 2!

he seams a happy enough chap mind.

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

Absobloodylutely, vanilla milkshake is the only thing I can stomach at Maccy Ds and on the two occasions I want one during any one year they never have it

corradoboy

Why are vanilla milkshakes restricted ? Those FRIJJ things sometimes do vanilla as a 'limited edition' Bloody lovely, but why not just sell it all the time I don't care for banana, strawb or choc

yoza

9 months training, unpaid, hands on behind the counter...no thanks.

Have you ever been in a McDougals at pub letting out time....not nice, every night.

They couldnt pay me enough.

Jer

The one up the road from me have started doing the McDonalds pizza.

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

Suffers from the problem of most franchises - you end up paying out a lot of money for something you could just as easily do yourself - OK, so with MacD's you get the name to trade on, which is worth something, but rather than having to come up with £200K plus to buy into it, plus the ongoing fees, rent for the property etc..., you could open a chippy or get a fast food trailer yourself and probably make just as much money without the risk.

Open a chippy in a decent area with good catchment and not too much competition and you can earn serious money from it.

MacD's is slightly different, but most franchise businesses only look to make their money from the initial costs they charge you, and dont have any real interest in seeing the business succeed - in fact in many cases they are better off if it fails ( as most do within 2 years ) as they can then re-sell the franchise to someone else. A lot of them will also think nothing of selling another franchise to someone else half a mile down the road from you.

Personally I would see a MacD franchise as basically the same as working for someone else - you get no control over what you sell, pricing, company image etc... you dont get to own the premises ( which can be a big bonus when you come to retire and sell the business ) and you pay them a fee each month for the privilege.

Deep Singh

As mentioned you have to prove that you have liquid assets to the tune of £250K!

I know a few people who have Burger King and Wimpys, but they have 3 or 4 each. They make good money but its a family venture (you need the manpower) and they had alot of cash in the first place to invest.

I also know someone who has 5 subway franchises, he doesn't seem to be making loads of money

Abdabz

That What Franchise website is interesting if bordering on unbelievable. They expect an entrepeneur to work unpaid for 9 months flipping burgers? If that is true, then I applaud the franchisees there are today...
If I had 250k for a franchise, I would want to buy it, pay people to flip burgers, manage, clean, hire and fire while I watched my bank balance multiply from my yacht moored at Monaco...

jiffthejiffmanjaffa

iTrader: (10)

My Friend has been running a Mcdonald franchise now for approx 14years, he was lucky enough to find a quaility location at the edge of a new shopping outlet.

He paid for the franchise with 1 1/2years. And so far he hasn't regreted it. I would tell me all, but the profits are unreal. He is planning on retiring afterhe 20 years and will have a massive pension to play with.

But to echo's others thought, it is all about location location location, or take over an exsisting franchise which is coming to the end of its time.

s1lko

Just the ticket to revive St Peters Street...

Eddie1980

Back when I tried the franchise thing (that was a hard year of my life) I learned a few things.
Working for yourself is not all its cracked up to be. After fees etc you make money but not huge amounts, the only people who make lots of money tend to be the franchise masters, think of it as a legalised pyramid scheme. Most of the good ones have been exploited to death and now either cost a lot to get into or the fee's make it unattractive. What you need to do is spot one that will do well before it does, and get yourself higher up the pyramid.