History of Maxi's

Maxi's was founded in Pretoria in 1993, by an entrepreneur who saw an opportunity in the market for a family restaurant franchise, offering a wider range of food and focusing on a quality offering.

In April 2005 Maxi's was acquired by Scooters Pizza (Pty) Ltd with 28 outlets. Both brands now operate under the holding company Taste Holdings Ltd. Since April 2005 the Maxi's chain has grown to over 50 outlets. Maxi's became a member of the Franchise Association of South Africa in June 2006.

In March 2008 Maxi's acquired all BJ's franchise agreements located in Caltex service station forecourts within South Africa. The intention is to convert all the current eight high performance sites of BJ's to the latest generation new image Maxi's outlets with the potential to increase this to approximately 13 sites within the Caltex highway network.

Recent Successes at Maxi's

Since the launch of Maxi's new store design, 7 strategic existing outlets have revamped into the new image and 19 new stores have opened, resulting in almost 50% of the system being in the new store image. The first Caltex site, The Bridge in Midrand has been converted to Maxi's.

The site is over one of the busiest highways in the Southern Hemisphere, raising the bar for the Maxi's brand. The Bridge consists of two Maxi's take-aways in the Caltex forecourts and a 300 seater restaurant upstairs catering for businessmen and families alike; the restaurant has plug points at most tables, WI-FI hot spot throughout and a kiddies play area. The Maxi's Take- aways are a new concept for the brand which presents a fantastic opportunity for future growth with the opening of 60 square meter take away outlets.

Maxi's has also opened new stores in prime regional malls (like the Boardwalk in Richards Bay and Northgate Mall in Johannesburg North). Maxis is recently pushed the boundaries of their store imagery with a larger than life restaurant in Hatfield. The restaurant is two and a half stories high with the exterior made of windows, this is complimented by four 4.5m x 3m graphics and a spiral stair case cascading from the 2nd floor into the restaurant.

Superb Site Location

The brand's positioning drives the site selection for the brand. Prerequisites include high traffic areas with an emphasis on morning, day time and early evening trade near the anchor tenant. The size of sites required is between +/-_160 - 300 square meters and we look favourably on concession areas in malls.

EE Test

Each prospective franchisee who has paid the joining fee undergoes an EE Test which is an industry aptitude test. This test provides a good indication whether a prospect is a suitable candidate to function within a franchised environment such as Maxi's. Once the prospective franchisee passes the EE test he is interviewed by two Maxi's management members to further establish their fit with the business.

The cost per test is R500.00, which is paid by Maxi's Support Office. If for any reason you decide to terminate your application after the test has been conducted the cost is deducted from the joining fee.

The Franchising Industry

Maxi's trades in the fast food industry and, within that, the franchising sector - a very dynamic and fast growing industry. Franchising is without doubt the most successful business mechanism today. It continues to provide the widest possible entrepreneurial opportunities for people from all walks of life and from all backgrounds. Franchising ability to duplicate successful businesses from a wide range of business sectors is the key to its success across the globe.

Buying a franchise can be likened to getting a recipe for that "to-die-for-chocolate-cake". You have in your hands the formula to make things happen, but it's up to you
to activate the recipe. Similarly, a franchisor provides you with a blueprint for business success - he will receive the tried and tested recipe, but he won't bake the cake for you.

The Team Steering The Brand

The management of Maxi's has a wealth of experience in the food franchising industry. Christo Calitz is Managing Director of Maxi's. Christo was previously the CEO of Pleasure Foods (which included brands such as Wimpy, Juicy Lucy, Milky Lane and Whistle Stop).

The management team comprises of the Managing Director, General Manager,
Training Manager (supported by training consultants), Marketing Manager, Development Manager, Project Managers and Franchise Managers who support franchisees on a day to day basis.

Costs

Joining Fee
All new franchisees pay a joining fee of R100,000 (excl VAT) for the rights to the use
of the Maxi's brand.

Set up costs
The set up cost of the outlet is dependant on the size. Maxi's caters for 80 to 200 seater restaurants. Set up costs start from R1.8million to R2.2million (excluding VAT, Working Capital and Landlord Contributions). 40% of the total cost is required in cash.

Costs include:

Building
Signage
In store signage/branding
Point of sale equipment/computers
Kitchen Equipment
Project Design & management
Shopfitting
Kitchen Smalls and opening stock
Training
Uniforms
Marketing (Opening Campaign & materials)

Working capital
Working capital amounts to approximately R300,000. This cost includes items such as stock, training wages for staff while in training; provisions for rental & electricity deposits, and sundries such as legal fees & stationary.

Royalties
Management royalty: 6% of monthly net turnover Marketing royalty: 4% of monthly net turnover

Facilitation from Head Office

Maxi's Support Office assists the prospective Franchisee to prepare a business plan which is required by the financial institutions. This assistance comprises a projected income statement, breakeven and cash flow projections.

Before opening a store the Maxis Support Office will discuss breakeven and cash flow projections for your store.

Taste Holdings

Taste Holdings Ltd. was the first food franchising company to list on the Alternative Exchange (ALTX) of the JSE Limited, on 21 June 2006. Management group Taste invests in a portfolio of franchised restaurants and retail brands. The stable is characterised by sustainable and compellingly-branded names where the brand itself is the differentiating factor, particularly given the tough trading environment. By listing on the ALT X, Taste Holdings raised capital amounting to approximately R20million. This capital will be used to further the company's store expansion plans as well as acquire new brands and increase its multi-brand portfolio.

6 National Highway Caltex Service Station Maxi's are now open!

Take a Delicious Detour to Maxi's!
Come have a bite on your journey at any of our new
Maxi's sites: The Bridge, Ventersburg, Bloemfontein,
Polokwane and Harrismith (East & West)