Chester's seeking partners to grow Jamaican chain
Published:Wednesday | March 23, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Happi Foods Jamaica, operators of the fast food franchise, Chester's, is recruiting business partners in the food industry and retail outlets to expand the distribution channel for its meals.
Chester's meals, which include fried chicken, chicken tenders, potato wedges, festival biscuits and other side orders, are sold in seven of the more than 50 Total SA service stations across Jamaica.
"We were expanding along the line of the Total service stations," said Jean Moss-Solomon, managing director of Happi Foods.
"While we have done some, growth has stopped at a point, so we are now putting the proposal to anyone with an existing business."
Total operates another food business, Bonjour Café, at several of its dealer-ships. At some service stations, such as Liguanea, the food chains operate side by side.
Moss-Solomon said negotiations were still ongoing with Total, as the plan was to get Chester's established in all the stations.
Meantime, Happi Foods is seeking to lure canteen operators and other concessionaires into co-branding with the fast food chain's quick-service programme, and serve its meals, without paying franchise and royalty fees.
In addition to co-branding with Chester's through requisite signage, Happi Foods says it will provide training for staff, promotional tools as well as operational support.
Moss-Solomon said they were seeking to continue growing the business by using "the store-in-a-store concept", in which franchise opportunities are created in convenience stores, supermarkets, travel centres and service stations.
She said branding is optional, but may be used by those who want it and see it as a means by which they can grow business and get more sales.
For those businesses wishing to use the brand name an initial investment outlay will be required - a figure Moss-Solomon said was minimal, but declined to disclose the amount.
Chester's is a franchise of the Alabama, United States-based Chester's International, which operations span more than 1,700 restaurants worldwide in Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Haiti, Santo Domingo and Bermuda.
Chester's was introduced to Jamaica in 2000 by Happi Foods, and was first set up at an Esso Tiger Mart in Kingston before spreading to other locations nationwide.