Mama Fu's Chain Plans Expansion in Southern States
Austin-based Murphy-Adams Restaurant Group, which owns the Mama Fu's brand, plans to open two more Central Texas locations by mid-2009 and 150 more across the Southeast United States by 2013. There are 13 Mama Fu's in Texas, Arkansas and Florida, including the four in Austin. It plans to open new locations in those areas as well as in North and South Carolina and Oklahoma.
Murphy-Adams, at the time the largest franchisee of Mama Fu's, bought the now five-year-old brand from Georgia-based Raving Brands earlier this year for an undisclosed sum. Murphy Adams is a partnership between entrepreneurial restaurateurs Randy Murphy and Mark Adams. Restaurant industry veteran Steve MacManus was recently brought in as chief operations officer to help grow the franchise portion of the business.
Since buying the brand, the partnership, which employs 10 people and has about 35 limited partners, has made extensive infrastructural and operational changes ranging from franchisee training and advertising self-fulfillment to implementing financial systems and intranets.
Murphy says the company's expansion projections are based on initial franchisee interest and franchise consultant's estimates. He says each restaurant has sales of about 1 million annually, but he declined to disclose the brand's revenue.
The brand also spans two fast-growing industry segments - pan-Asian and fast casual.
"These are huge segments of growth with consumer tastes changing. They want more variety and spice, and it's healthy. You can also get it fast, but it doesn't have to be bad for you," Murphy says.
Murphy says because the brand is positioned within two niche segments, he doesn't expect to be impacted by the economic slowdown. Also, when the economy is down that creates a pool of prospective franchisees, he says.
"The best franchisors will succeed in this down economy," Murphy adds.
Mama Fu's came to Francorp earlier this year for assistance in the development of their franchise strategy.
4 comments:
Francorp is such a dynamic company. They work with so many great companies. Mama Fu's is a strong brand with a great concept. It just needs to be managed correctly. The new management of Mama Fu's is doing this the right way, they are structuring the the systems and putting in place the operations that need to be there for them to take the brand to the next level.
Francorp is such a great organization.
Mama Fu's is a great brand with a great product. THey should be a national chain before long.
Mama Fu's is a great concept that really could be a national brand if given the right support and guidance.
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