ABRAKEBABRA INVESTMENTS IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE MOST SUCCESSFUL IRISH FRANCHISE BUSINES AROUND. APART FROM ABRAKEBABRA, THE COMPANY OWNS BAGEL FACTORY, YO! SUSHI, CHICK KING AND GOURMET BURGER KITCHEN BRANDS IN IRELAND. FRANCHISE DIRECTOR DAVID ZEBEDEE RALKS TO PAUL GOLDEN ABOUT THE COMPANY'S EXPANSION PLANS.With more than a quarter of a century of experience in the food business, Graeme Beere knows as much about this fast food industry as anyone on the island. All this knowledge is being put to full use as the company sets about building new brands in the form of Chick King as well as developing Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Yo! Sushi and overseeing further growth in Bagel Factory and of course Abrakebabra. The latest addition to the Abrakebabra group joins the still relatively exclusive ranks of the indigenous franchise. Chick King is the brand and as the name suggests, it will be competing in the same sort of territory as KFC and Supermacs. According to the company's franchise director, David Zebedee the plan is to open five stores over the next few months in Dublin city centre, Waterford, Arklow, Newbridge and Limerick.

As with most other sectors of the fast food market, competition is pretty stiff. The presence of international brands with massive marketing budgets, however, does not phase David Zebedee one bit. Indeed he is confident that the company's track record and experience in this sector and the indigenous nature of the brand will be strong selling points for Irish customers. "We are promoting Chick King as an Irish brand that uses 100 per cent Irish chicken and a restaurant with a superior menu using top quality ingredients. We also have the experience of building an indigenous franchise from scratch and are especially well placed to source suitable locations."As well as establishing Chick King over the coming months, the company will also be developing Gourmet Burger Kitchen, which recently opened its first Irish outlet at the Victoria Square development in Belfast. Unlike Chick King, Gourmet Burger Kitchen is an idea that was born just about as far away from Ireland as it is possible to get.

In fact it originated in New Zealand with chef Peter Gordon who now plies his trade in London.The menu offers classic flavour combinations such as chicken, camembert and cranberry or beef, avocado and bacon. sakae sushi computer ordering systemIt then goes one step further with new burger combinations such as chorizo and sweet potato; sakae sushi computer ordering systemlamb and minted relish; sushi online bestellen flensburgor the vegetarian portabello mushroom burger. where to get sushi grade fish in fresnoThe oversized sourdough buns are baked each morning by artisan bakers. where to buy sushi grade fish irvine

Fresh beef, chicken and fresh vegetables are delivered daily and Gourmet Burger Kitchen uses only 100 per cent Irish Angus beef, which is sourced from fully traceable, grass reared animals. sushi grade fish boulderThe restaurants are also carefully designed so that the kitchen is clearly visible to customers."ninja sushi menu walnutThe deal with Gourmet Burger Kitchen was that we would run the stores ourselves, although there may be franchisees in Ireland at some point in the future," explained David Zebedee. "This is a learning curve for us and we need to be familiar with the business model before we can franchise it." The second restaurant in Ireland will be located in Liffey Valley and there are two more pending in Dublin city centre with plans to have six in place by the end of this year. As part of the agreement with the company that controls the brand in the UK, there will be 15 outlets across the country, although there is thought to be the potential for more than twice that number in the longer term.

"This brand is pitched at a higher level of spend than the regular fast food outlet and we need to be selective in terms of location, especially as you need about 2000 square feet of floor space. The success of a business often boils down to the old property adage of location, location, location - no matter how good the brand or the product, it needs to be in the right place if it is to fulfill its potential. This applies equally well to another of Abrakebabra Investments' franchise operations, Yo! Sushi restaurant opened in Soho, London in 1997 by Simon Woodruff. Although Woodruff has moved on, the chain now operates 41 restaurants in five countries - 30 in the UK (which are non-franchised) and 11 franchised overseas outlets with partners in Russia, Malaysia and the Middle East as well as Ireland. By the end of 2008 the company aims to have a total of 60 restaurants, of which one third will be based outside the UK.Sushi is based on the concept of a Japanese ‘kaiten' sushi bar offering a quality, fast and fun dining experience for all ages.

Customers can help themselves to colour-coded dishes from the conveyor belt and order their drinks via airline-style call buttons. Condiments of soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger are readily available. Based on a mixture of traditional Japanese recipes, Yo! Sushi's menu has a daily repertoire of over 90 dishes, of which 35 per cent are hot or cooked dishes and addition to growing existing territories, it is keen to acquire a regional partner in the US. The two Irish Yo! Sushi restaurants will soon be joined by a third in Dublin city centre, said David Zebedee. "These restaurants are not rolled out as quickly as the conventional fast food outlets as they require a much larger investment in terms of fit out and cost which could run to, anything from half a million to a million euro." As with Gourmet Burger Kitchen, the restaurants are being run directly by the company. However, its franchise director added that it is constantly receiving enquiries from potential franchisees and that going down that route was something that would be considered, perhaps as early as next year.

"This type of restaurant would only work in specific locations in larger urban areas, but we have been amazed by the reaction from customers. Children in particular have responded well to the menu, which features rice and noodle dishes as well as sushi." Given that Bagel Factory first opened its doors in the same year as Yo! Sushi, Graeme Beere will no doubt hope that his more recent venture can replicate the success of a franchise that now has 50 outlets across the country and an established and loyal customer base. Practically unheard of in Ireland a decade ago, the bagel has become an attractive alternative to high fat, high salt snacks with strong appeal to young, urban professionals. The fact that the product is freshly baked in-store in small batches throughout the day to ensure freshness has helped Bagel Factory become Europe's largest bagel chain. David Zebedee said that while he expects the brand to grow in Ireland, it would be more selective in terms of new sites going forward.