Francorp Middle East To Work with Mumtaz Mahal Restaurant Chain

Mumtaz Mahal Restaurant teams-up with Francorp to develop its full franchise development program

 

21 June 2009
Mumtaz Mahal Restaurant has signed an agreement with the American based company Francorp through its Middle East regional office in Dubai. According to the agreement, Francorp will design and develop the full franchise program development for Mumtaz Mahal Restaurant, who plans to expand regionally through franchising.

Through this ambitious program, Mumtaz Mahal Restaurant plans to develop and prepare itself for regional expansion and open new branches to compete with multinational companies specialized in the authentic Indian fine dining cuisine. This step is taken after Mumtaz Mahal Restaurant's successful 25-years experience in the local Omani market, where it has secured a considerable market share, acquired customer satisfaction for its quality products and services. The company is known in Muscat by offering high-quality food products with an unforgettable customer experience.

The agreement was signed between Rishi Khimji, Managing Director, Ajit Khimji GroupAjit Khimji Group, and Imad Charafeddine, Managing Partner at Francorp UAE - Middle East.

"Started in 1984, Mumtaz Mahal is an Indian specialty and fine dining restaurant which caters to all palate types - Indian, Western and local. Mumtaz Mahal is the landmark of Muscat and the best North Indian specialty restaurant around.

Truly Indian, the guests are entertained with live Indian band in the evenings. Mumtaz Mahal menu offers popular vegetarian and non vegetarian Mughlai dishes with consistent innovation in preparation of its dishes. The meals consist of starters, main courses and sweet dishes. The main restaurant is situated on a hilltop and offers a magnificent view of the cityscape and the sea. The interior of the restaurant has arches and motifs, typical of the Mughal era with a generous use of wood (Burma Teak) in the pillars, ceiling and arches. The floor is thickly carpeted and the central area of the restaurant has designated space for live music performances - vocal and instrumental".

"We, at Francorp, are very delighted to see franchises expand in the region," commented Imad Charafeddine. "Franchising is becoming a necessity for many local businesses aiming at achieving more business successes. It is observed that the awareness of the importance of franchising is increasing day by day. Successful local businesses started to realize its great benefits and the positive impact it has on their business development. Franchising is one of the most effective options which takes ambitious companies to new destinations and accelerate their expansion plans without their direct investment in developing new branches, especially from emerging markets such as the Middle East."

"We are also pleased to add Mumtaz Mahal Restaurant to our successful client list and to offer them our franchise consultancy for their expansion program. This is due to their remarkable success as industry leaders in Muscat - Oman market, and now it is the opportunity to duplicate and clown their local success and know how to others. It is our commitment now to use our long experience to offer a comprehensive full franchising development program to Mumtaz Mahal Restaurant," added Imad A. Charafeddine.

"We have teamed-up with the US-based Francorp, the leader in franchise development and consultation, because of their vast experience that goes back to 33 years and their track record in the development programs along with their experience in this region," concluded Rishi Khimji of Ajit Khimji GroupAjit Khimji Group.

Francorp opened their office in Dubai and started their regional operation by offering professional commercial services throughout the Middle East. With their extensive experience, outstanding achievements and high quality services, Francorp became one of the largest leading international companies in franchise development and consultancy.

-Ends-

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Imad A. Charafeddine
Off: +9714 3297675
Email: Info@francorp.ae
imad@francorp.ae
Web: www.francorp.ae

 

 

Christopher James Conner

Vice President

Francorp, Inc.

The Franchising Leader.

www.francorp.com / www.francorpconnect.com

BLOG:  www.francorp1.com

PH: 800.372.6244 / 708.481.2900

CELL: 708.606.7260

FAX: 708.481.5885

 

 

 

Ice Cream Business Doing Well

NO COOLING OFF FOR ICE CREAM BUSINESS

Cape Cod Times
By Sarah Shemkus
May 24, 2009

As economic uncertainty encourages families to rethink how much they can spend on vacations, entertainment and dining out, the simple pleasures of the cream parlor seem to be a little luxury that consumers are unwilling to cross off their budgets.
Evidence from past seasons, in fact, suggests that ice cream vendors don't just survive economic downturns, they thrive, said Robert Bryson, the executive director of the New England Ice Cream Restaurant Association.
"In a challenging economy, in a down economy, ice cream shops do very, very well," he said. Business "actually increases because people are going to maybe not be buying a new television set "¦ but they will not be denying their children the treat of an ice cream cone during the summertime."
Across Cape Cod, ice cream purveyors are confident that this phenomenon will hold true this summer.
Last summer, the first hints of economic decline and soaring gas prices did nothing to deter ice cream enthusiasts.
Even with the widespread optimism, ice cream professionals are taking a few steps to ensure strong business in a recession-struck summer.
All of the shops surveyed have chosen not to raise their prices this year.
"Normally, we would have," said Bob Hannon, owner of Ice Cream Sandwich in Sandwich.
Because of the constantly rising cost of ingredients, he usually increases prices by about 5 percent each year, Hannon said.
"This year we're maintaining the prices," he said. "If we can keep a stable price, then hopefully it will make it a little easier for people to enjoy the treats."
Approaching Memorial Day weekend, most ice cream sellers said that their stores' performance during the informal kickoff to the tourist season probably won't provide much indication of how the rest of the summer will go.
Weather, the ice cream shop proprietors said, is easily the biggest factor in determining the success of the summer.

McDonald's

McDonald's same-store sales up, but shares fall
Mon Jun 8, 2009 9:50am EDT


CHICAGO (Reuters) - McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) on Monday reported a 5.1 percent increase in May sales at restaurants open at least 13 months, with demand strong in Europe and Asia/Pacific.

However, the growth was down from April, when global same-store sales rose 6.9 percent. McDonald's shares fell 3.3 percent in early trading.

May same-restaurant sales were up 2.8 percent in the United States, helped by new coffee drinks and snacks. That was significantly slower than the 6.1 percent growth in April.

The world's largest hamburger chain is one of the restaurant industry's top performers largely because its Dollar Menu has been attracting diners amid a lengthy recession that has sent unemployment sharply higher.

The stronger U.S. dollar -- which lessens the dollar value of overseas sales -- led to an overall 0.4 percent decline at worldwide McDonald's restaurants, the company said. Sales rose 7 percent in constant currencies.

Fast-food restaurants generally have held up better in a tough economy than higher-priced sit-down restaurants.

McDonald's May same-store sales increased 7.6 percent in Europe, and 6.4 percent in the company's Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa segment. In April, same-store sales in the two regions were up 8.4 and 6.5 percent, respectively.

McDonald's said the hit by the foreign exchange rates, if they remain around current levels, is expected to be 8 cents to 9 cents a share in the second quarter and about 20 cents for the year.

The company also said second-quarter results, which it is scheduled to report on July 23, are expected to include 2 cents to 3 cents a share of income due to a license deal in Indonesia and the sale of Redbox Automated Retail.

Its shares fell $2.08, or 3.3 percent, to $57.80 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Ben Klayman and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Maureen Bavdek)

Francorp To Exhibit at the Atlanta Franchise and Finance Exposition

Francorp, the worlds oldest and most experienced franchise consulting and development firm will be exhibiting at the Atlanta Franchise and Financing Exposition on May 2nd and 3rd at the Cobb Galleria Center in Atlanta, GA.

Show Dates & Hours
Saturday, May 2, 2009
11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday, May 3, 2009
11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location: Cobb Galleria CentreTwo Galleria Pkwy Atlanta, GA 30339
(770) 953-4099
http://www.cobbgalleria.com/
Hall D
Booth # 215

Francorp has been developing successful franchise organizations for over 33 years and has a client list of over 2,000 franchise systems. Francorp is heavily involved with franchise exhibitions around the world including India, the Middle East and Latin America. Atlanta is a wonderful franchise market place and the Atlanta Franchise and Finance Exposition should be a great show.

Francorp has five clients exhibiting at the Atlanta show also including European Wax Centers, Monster Mini Golf, Patrice and Associates, Omega Learning Centers and Froots Fresh Smoothies. All of these companies are exciting brands that have continued to grow and work with new franchisees over the past year. European Wax Centers now has almost 100 locations in just under two years of franchising, Froots continues to set the trend for the smoothie industry with almost 100 locations as well and Monster Mini Golf has almost 30 locations in only a couple of years in the franchise business.

Froots
http://www.froots.com/
Omega Learning Center
http://www.omegalearningcenter.com/
Patrice And Associates
http://www.patriceandassociates.com/
Monster Mini Golf
http://www.monsterminigolf.com/
European Wax Centers
http://www.waxcenter.com/

Here is a great excerpt from the Atlanta show's site that explains the value and opportunity that the show brings to its attendees.
http://www.localfranchiseshow.com/atlanta/indexatt.cfm

The Franchise and Financing Expo is the perfect event for exploring and investing in opportunities that put you in business for yourself – but not by yourself. Because when you purchase a franchise, you're purchasing a proven business concept designed to help ensure your financial success. The Atlanta Franchise & Financing Expo will give you the opportunity to meet face-to-face with representatives from many of the top franchise concepts, at every investment level – looking to expand throughout Atlanta. All in one place, and at one time, you'll be able to learn about franchises in virtually every industry. Sample products. Attend educational conference tracks. And get all the information you need to find the franchise that matches you skills, interests and budget. Lenders will be on hand to answer questions about financing your venture, or you can start the financial qualification process now when you pre-register for the event. For More Information request to be contacted by the Lender(s) of your choice after Pre-Registering. If you want more information or have questions before you arrive at the Atlanta Franchise & Financing Expo please contact Rick Brunsman.

Attend These Informative Conference Tracks
The A to Z's of Buying a Franchise
How to Franchise Your Business
Financing Your Franchise
Opportunities in Franchising for Minorities & Women

For more information on Francorp please visit the corporate site, http://www.francorp.com/

United to begin charging very obese for second seat

By Wallace Witkowski

Last update: 2:06 p.m. EDT April 15, 2009

Comments: 42

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- United Airlines, operated by UAL Corp. (UAUA:

UAL Corp

UAUA 6.56, +0.51, +8.4%) , said Wednesday on its Web site that it will join other airlines and begin charging very obese passengers for a second seat. Under the new guidelines, passengers who are unable to fit into a single seat in the ticketed cabin; unable to properly buckle the seatbelt using a single seat-belt extender; or unable to put the seat's armrests down when seated will have to buy a second ticket. The guidelines apply to tickets purchased on or after March 4 for travel on or after April 15.

 

 

Christopher James Conner

Vice President

Francorp, Inc.

The Franchising Leader.

www.francorp.com / www.francorpconnect.com

BLOG:  www.francorp1.com

PH: 800.372.6244 / 708.481.2900

CELL: 708.606.7260

FAX: 708.481.5885

 

 

 

FW: KFC Menu Change

www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-ap-kentucky-grilled-chicken,0,414298.story

chicagotribune.com

Kentucky Grilled Chicken? KFC gambles on changing tastes in launching new option nationwide

BRUCE SCHREINER

Associated Press Writer

2:27 PM CDT, April 14, 2009

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Would KGC ever have the same ring?

In a culinary gambit backed by buckets of big money, KFC is hoping to replicate its founder's recipe for success with the national introduction of Kentucky Grilled Chicken.

This week's rollout is KFC's most ambitious attempt to win over health-conscious customers as the chain known worldwide for fried chicken tries to reinvigorate lackluster U.S. sales.

"It's going to get people who haven't eaten KFC for a long time to come back into our restaurants," said KFC President Roger Eaton. "It's going to get people who have never eaten KFC to come into our restaurants."

Eaton says he spent years as part of the team tinkering with a grilled alternative, and the rollout follows KFC's longest market test ever. It will be backed by a marketing blitz.

Grilled chicken items are staples at some KFC competitors. McDonald's Corp. offers grilled chicken in sandwiches and wraps, and says chicken sales "continue to be extremely good." McDonald's has also recently been emphasizing its new Southern Style Crispy Chicken sandwich, which is fried. Chick-fil-A says its Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich "continues to grow rapidly" as part of a menu offering "balanced choices" for customers.

KFC's slow-grilled chicken drew strong reviews from the lunchtime crowd Monday at a KFC restaurant in Louisville, the chain's hometown. Eddie Collard proclaimed grilled better than fried.

"I think the colonel would be happy," Collard said of KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders.

Like its predecessor, Kentucky Grilled Chicken has its own secret recipe. The original copy of the recipe — a blend of six herbs and spices — will be kept in an electronic safe at company headquarters. It will sit alongside Sanders' handwritten recipe of 11 herbs and spices coating the chain's Original Recipe fried chicken.

The difference is in the nutritional numbers.

KFC says each piece of its grilled chicken has 70 to 180 calories and four to nine grams of fat. By contrast, the Original Recipe items have between 110 and 370 calories and 7 to 21 grams of fat, depending on the piece. The grilled chicken contains from 160 to 440 milligrams of sodium per piece, as opposed to 290 to 1,050 milligrams of sodium per piece of Original Recipe chicken.

Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based advocate for nutrition and health, called the grilled introduction a "major step in the right direction."

While applauding the reduction in sodium, Jacobson said the 440 milligrams listed by KFC in a grilled chicken breast still amounts to more than one-fourth the amount that someone middle aged or older should consume daily.

KFC has launched non-fried chicken before, but each prior initiative flopped. In the early 1990s, it introduced a rotisserie-style chicken that fell by the wayside due to equipment problems and long cooking times. A tender roast product followed but lasted only a couple of years.

Eaton said the difference this time is partly in the cooking process. Chicken is cooked on grill racks in custom-designed ovens in a patented process that takes about 20 minutes per batch.

The grilled chicken rollout is offered only at KFC stores in the United States, though Eaton said the product may eventually expand to international markets.

KFC had 5,166 U.S. stores at the end of 2008. All but about 100 franchise stores are selling grilled chicken, the company said. Some stores couldn't fit the oven into their kitchens, and in other cases franchisees opted not to sell the product, the company said.

KFC won't say how much the ovens cost, but Eaton said the company helped franchisees with the expense and would have made such an investment only if it was "incredibly confident about the outcome."

Larry Miller, a restaurant analyst with RBC Capital Markets, said expanding beyond its fried staple offers a huge opportunity for KFC. But perceptions won't be easy to change.

"They still have the credibility barrier to overcome," Miller said. While achievable, "it's tough when your name has 'fried' in the middle."

In late 2008, Yum Brands Chairman and CEO David C. Novak said KFC had been a drag on the company's U.S. performance while sister brands Pizza Hut and Taco Bell had a good year.

Miller said this week that Yum would hit "the trifecta" if it turns around KFC's U.S. sales.

Mike Ash, who ate a grilled chicken lunch at the Louisville KFC, remembered the rotisserie chicken as "mushy and bland." He liked the new grilled offering, having picked it to the bone.

He said he might be more apt to pick up a bucket of chicken on his way home, though he predicted he might still "fall off the wagon every now and then" and choose the fried option.

The grilled chicken will cost the same as Original Recipe chicken. KFC will offer customers a free piece of grilled chicken on April 27.

But the push for grilled chicken doesn't mean KFC is abandoning its roots, Eaton said. The chain is testing new fried chicken products, and remains committed to its core product.

"It would be incredibly arrogant to think we could create a product that could supersede Original Recipe chicken," Eaton said. "But this product is easily good enough to sit alongside it."

___

AP Business Writer Lauren Shepherd in New York contributed to this report.

 

 

Tom DuFore

Executive Vice President

Francorp, Inc.

The Franchising Leader.

www.francorp.com / www.francorpconnect.com

BLOG: www.francorp1.com

PH: 800.372.6244 / 708.481.2900

CELL: 708.606.7264

FAX: 708.481.5885

 

The Scariest Monster of All Sues for Trademark Infringement

The Scariest Monster of All Sues for Trademark Infringement
Fancy Audio-Cable Outfit Defends Its Brands; A Mini Golf Course Fights Back
Article
Comments (62)
more in US »
By STEVE STECKLOW

When Christina and Patrick Vitagliano dreamed up their Monster Mini Golf franchises -- 18-hole, indoor putting greens straddled by glow-in-the-dark statues of ghouls and gargoyles -- they never imagined that a California maker of high-end audio cables would object.
But Monster Cable Products Inc., which holds more than 70 trademarks on the word monster, challenged the Vitaglianos' trademark applications. It filed a federal lawsuit against their company in California and demanded the Rhode Island couple surrender the name and pay at least $80,000 for the right to use it.
"It really seemed absurd," says Ms. Vitagliano.
Video
Watch the YouTube video of Monster Cable's Mr. Lee and Monster Mini Golf's Ms. Vitagliano.
The legal actions were nothing new for Monster Cable, which was granted its first "Monster" trademark in 1980. Since then, the company has fought more monsters than Godzilla did.
Over the years, it has gone after purveyors of monster-branded auto transmissions, slot machines, glue, carpet-cleaning machines and an energy drink, as well as a woman who sells "Junk Food Monster" kids' T-shirts that promote good eating habits. It sued Monster.com over the job-hunting Web site's name and Walt Disney Co. over products tied to the film "Monsters Inc." It opposed the Boston Red Sox trademark applications for seats and hot dogs named for the Green Monster, the legendary left-field wall in Fenway Park. All in all, Monster Cable says it has fought about 190 monster battles at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and filed around 30 monster lawsuits in federal courts.
Along the way, it has attracted its share of ire from those who say it is overreaching and trying to corner the market on a word, not a brand. "If Monster Cable prevails, the Gila monster will become just another lizard" and "the monster under your bed will have to become an ogre," wrote Michael Meadors of tabberone.com, a Web site that sells fabrics and also keeps tabs on trademark issues.
"Monster Cable's practice of suing anyone using the word 'Monster' in their name is nothing short of playground bullying," says Robert Holloway, a computer contractor in Iowa who set up a Web site called monstercablebully.com to support the Vitaglianos.
Monster Cable says its trademark challenges are a matter of necessity. "If you don't defend your mark, and people use [it], it runs the risk of becoming generic and then you lose the mark," says Noel Lee, founder of the Brisbane, Calif., company, whose corporate title is "Head Monster." Mr. Lee says the company sells many other monster-branded products besides cables that it has to protect, including music, clothing and candy mints.
To a legal novice, it may seem odd that a common word like monster can be trademarked at all. But in the complex and sometimes murky world of trademark law, common words can be registered, provided they are associated with specific classes of goods. Apple Inc., for example, holds trademarks for the word apple when it's related to computer products, not fruit.
Sometimes, trademarks can obtain a higher order of protection, known as "famous marks." This category is supposed to be reserved for words that have become so entwined with a product and a company -- like the word visa and Visa Inc.'s credit card -- that the trademark owner can argue that no other product may use the word in its name.
David Tognotti, Monster Cable's general manager and an attorney, says the company considers "Monster" a famous mark -- on a par with Barbie dolls or Camel cigarettes. "We're protecting our mark as if it's a famous mark," he said in an interview in Monster Cable's headquarters, where the walls are lined with framed copies of the company's trademarks and patents.
Mr. Tognotti cited a chapter on famous marks in the law book "McCarthy on Trademarks and Unfair Competition" by J. Thomas McCarthy, a noted expert in the field.
But in an interview, Prof. McCarthy expressed doubt that Monster Cable possesses a famous mark. He said such determinations are made by courts. Mr. Tognotti acknowledges Monster Cable hasn't obtained such a court ruling.
Most of the company's lawsuits have been settled privately under confidential terms. In some instances -- such as the case of the Discovery Channel's reality auto show, Monster Garage -- companies have surrendered their trademarks to Monster Cable, which sometimes licenses them back for a fee. Discovery Channel declined to comment. The show is no longer in production.
In its federal civil lawsuit against Monster.com, Mr. Tognotti says owner Monster Worldwide Inc. agreed to pay Monster Cable's legal fees and post a clickable link to its Web site on Monster.com that says, "Looking for Monster Cable?" A spokesman for Monster Worldwide acknowledged the lawsuit was resolved but wouldn't discuss details.
A Disney spokesman says the company settled the lawsuit over Monster Inc.-related products without paying any compensation. Mr. Tognotti of Monster Cable says his company dropped the lawsuit after determining there was no trademark infringement.
He says Monster Cable has no plans to pursue the new DreamWorks Animation film, "Monsters vs Aliens." Says Mr. Tognotti: "We do not have a concern if a company is using the word 'monster' in a purely descriptive sense to describe actual monsters."
As for the Red Sox, Mr. Tognotti says the team agreed to withdraw or modify some of its trademark registrations for Green Monster-related products after Monster Cable argued there was "confusion in the marketplace." At the time, San Francisco's Candlestick Park was called Monster Park because Monster Cable had bought the naming rights. A Red Sox attorney referred questions to Major League Baseball, where a spokesman said the team had agreed with Monster Cable over a "procedural matter" but declined to elaborate.
Occasionally, Monster Cable has retreated. After it sued MonsterVintage LLC, an online used-clothing store based in Oregon, owner Victor Petrucci says he drove a rented truck to Monster Cable's headquarters and around San Francisco for two weeks. It was emblazoned with a giant sign that read in part, "Monster Cable S-." Monster Cable dropped the lawsuit.
"We have to balance what we do legally to protect our mark with that of public opinion," says Mr. Lee, adding, "We're very sensitive to our reputation."
The Vitaglianos say their monstrous fight erupted in 2006, two years after the couple opened their first mini-golf course. "It never occurred to me that a cable company might not like it," she says. Adds her husband, "We just all assumed it was going to go away."
Their attorney, Arthur L. Pressman, says he suggested they consider changing the name to Scary Mary's Monster Mini Golf to play down the word monster. But the couple refused to back down. By late last year, with their legal bills approaching $100,000, they agreed to try mediation. But after 10 hours, "we got really angry and sort of stormed away," says Ms. Vitagliano.
The couple then launched an Internet-based guerrilla campaign to generate public support. "We blogged nonstop, around the clock, for weeks, and enlisted much of our staff to do the same," she says. The couple offered to sell symbolic slices of "Justice" for $1 on eBay and raised about $4,400 for their legal defense. Two days before Christmas, she sent Mr. Lee a DVD of the film, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
Monster Cable's Mr. Lee says the company also received at least 200 angry consumer complaints. After speaking with the Vitaglianos, he decided to drop the lawsuit, withdraw his company's opposition to Monster Mini Golf's trademark applications and pay up to $200,000 of their legal expenses.