Thinking of a franchise

[cassa333]

with Magic Corn.

Has anyone got one with these?

and if you have what do you rate it.

Thank you

[cassa333]

Any one have one of these franchises?

[gingejbee]

No, never even heard of them - probably a bad sign!

[buildersmate]

I had a look at the website. I wasn't impressed. I don't understand what/where the market is supposed to be for this stuff - large corn in a cone, sold from a cart in a shopping precinct, by the looks. The idea seems to originate from the Far East, not the USA.

[bednobs]

ther eis one in a mall near me. it smells great but the flavours sound gross

[cassa333]

I had a cup of it when we visited Ready Butts and the flavour was quite nice.

I think it is a realativly new franchise concept for the uk and that's why I assumed there were so few already in place.

It is an interesting consept and I am looking for something to invest in. As a rough estimate the numbers I wored out I would need to sell at least 100 cups of corn a day and that doesn't seem as if that would be realistic!!

[bednobs]

in the one in reading i have never seen anyone buying it

[EDDIE51]

Looked at the web site , it is just selling cups of cooked sweet corn , you could buy in frozen sweet corn and do it your self .

[EcclesCake]

Mmm, if Bednobs is referring to the one in the Oracle I've not seen any customers either. The Oracle is a pretty big shopping centre with a very good footfall of customers with money in their pockets. Personally I don't understand having a snack in your hand as you walk around a mall as you can't go in a shop with food/drink. Perhaps that is why it isn't a popular snack outlet???

[cassa333]

We got ours in the Butts? centre near the Hexagon.

It wasn't busy but there were people buying..... We did lol

It stikes me as something that would be a better seller at open air events?

[bednobs]

yep, i haven't seen one in the Oracle, but i have seen it in the butts centre (broad street mall)

Mind you, the butts seems much less popular with people than the oracle (unless you are a 99p shop person - in which case you probably wouldn't spend your money on buying sweetcorn)

[cassa333]

I went to Birmingham yesterday and they had one in the shoppin g centre by new street station.

[factor-fiction]

Maybe you should go to have a look at one or two and hang around at different times and monitor the number of customers- or have a chat with the franchisees.

[cathfromsaron]

i would never buy a franchise for any service/business! they reckon the brain work is done, but really it's money for old rope and you get restrictions NOT freedom! usually you have to buy what they say at their prices!

not get a pitch in a local market, or similar venue, and build up a varied and flexible business to suit yourself!

franchisers take money for no return IMHO!

cath x

[rowanwitch]

I see the new street one quite often its been around about 18 months or so... only seen one person buying from it and it smells vile

[boxtops]

Most people round here seem to go to the burger van, I couldn't see it doing well at all in our town.

[Squitty]

So whats the verdict then cassa?
I think it doesnt look good for 100 cups per day - unlikely in a weekday but possibly at events. Some of the events charge a lot for the pitch because they know food always does well.
Whats the cost of the franchise?

[ummmm]

It's just a cup of sweetcorn and nothing more?

[boxtops]

we're back to the Mollykins thread on sweetcorn!

[chas2008]

always remember my accountant telling me with franchise costs ,1/2 the expected profit and double the startup/running costs for a more realistic cashflow projection.
They always make the figures look good to sell the franchise, especially a relatively unknown one.

[ummmm]

Hahaha.....Mollykins