Many Hungry Howie’s franchise owners are new to the restaurant industry – and that’s okay! The qualities that make you an ideal Hungry Howie’s franchisee – like leadership, integrity, and positivity – have nothing to do with pizza, and more to do with your character. We can teach you what you need to know about the pizza business and Hungry Howie’s.
We support our franchisees through every stage of the new store opening process – from planning to launch. This includes our 160-hour franchise training program that provides the support and training needed for a smooth grand opening and powerful long-term performance.
Finding Your Place
The first steps in the franchise onboarding process are all about finding the right location. Prior to signing your franchise agreement, you’ll work with our franchise development team to complete market planning. We use data analytics, your local insights, and our franchising experience to identify your development area or areas.
Once you’ve signed, it’s time to drill into your territory to find the right real estate. Look for things like a retail space size of 1,200-1,400 square feet, visibility from the road, retail draw, and residential density. Then, you’ll work with our construction team to choose an architect and a general contractor to build your new store. Our team will help you and your contractor stay on schedule.
Franchise Training
Thirty days before your store opens, you’ll begin the franchise training process. Our franchise training includes five days of online business training and 19 days of in-store operations training at one of our training stores in southeast Michigan. Curious about what franchise training includes? During your operations training, you’ll receive hands-on instruction on opening and closing the store, making dough fresh each day, ordering inventory from our distribution center, and preparing all of the items on our menu.
Your online training will cover:
- Hungry Howie’s brand culture
- Administration, management, and leadership
- Staffing and hiring
- Finances
- Marketing
- Business development
- Operational procedures
- Systems and technology
- We understand that it’s a lot of information, and some subjects – like inventory or software platforms – may be particularly complex. If any of the concepts are challenging to you, or if you feel you need extra instruction, just ask! Your trainers are here to help.
Getting Ready to Open
A franchise business consultant (FBC) will be assigned to you after your franchise agreement has been fully executed. They are experts in Hungry Howie’s operations and will assist you onsite with the pre-opening process, including training your team ahead of opening day. The FBC will assist with initial inventory and supply orders, learning the point-of-sale system, and other operational tasks.
Our marketing team will also help you introduce Hungry Howie’s to your community. We’ll work with you to develop targeted, meaningful pre- and post-opening advertising campaigns, utilizing digital, social media, and traditional marketing strategies.
Post-Opening Support
Our support doesn’t end once your store is open. Throughout the life of your franchise, you’ll benefit from a wide range of resources intended to help you efficiently run and grow your business, including:
- World-class food distribution system
- New product innovation and limited time offers
- National marketing campaigns
- Ongoing communication, guidance, and coaching
- Continuing education opportunities through the Howie’s Learning Center
- Annual convention
- Regional meetings
- Weekly operations emails
- Franchisee advisory councils
Advertising and Marketing Support
A percentage of your gross sales will go toward our national and local marketing funds. Our marketing and branding support gives you resources, tools, and collateral to help bring in customers. Depending on the needs of your area or store, this may include digital, print, broadcast, social media, and in-store materials.
Franchise Training That Empowers You
Choosing Hungry Howie’s means never going it alone. With our 160-hour franchise training program, you get the franchise training and support you need to thrive from day one. See the difference for yourself – inquire now to get started on your pizza journey.
