Les Dalton's du Bagel emphasise the family spirit in the network. The most important selection criteria when they meet a candidate is their ability to adapt to the brand's DNA, their good humour and their desire to make the brand more attractive to customers.

To find out what the ideal Bagel Corner candidate looks like, here's an interview with Ludovic Senet, who has been running the Annecy Bagel Corner for nearly 3 years. He is about to open his second Bagel Corner restaurant in the city centre (scheduled for early summer 2019).

Hello Ludovic, what do you think is the main quality of a Bagel Corner network partner?
Hello, I think that above all you have to be a businessman. I set up my vinyl sales business 7 years ago and I quickly realised that customer loyalty is the key to success. With a warm smile and lots of attention for my customers, I managed to develop the shop that my mother gave me on the lakeside. After that, I wanted to get involved in the Bagel Corner project, via a second and then a third shop, because of the quality of their products!

And in terms of the teams you manage on a day-to-day basis, it's not too complicated?
Bagel Corner restaurants are ideally located in areas of between 20 and 70 m2. The concept is fairly simple, involving the assembly of ingredients prepared before the customer's very eyes, and you don't need to extract anything from the premises to set up. Above all, you have to be a local manager. As with my customers, I respect my 5 employees who do their utmost to maintain a good working atmosphere... even on busy days.

Isn't belonging to a network too restrictive in terms of freedom for the company director?
To be successful, you need to be autonomous. But as independent entrepreneurs, we can't do everything. We have to be accountable to the brand, which provides us with its trade name and processes. While this may sometimes seem restrictive, we soon realise that the safeguards put in place are intended solely for the collective success of the network.

So success is guaranteed if you stick to the concept?
The brand image manual put in place by the Bagel Corner management teams and the daily advice I get from the network are competitive advantages that led me to sign my first contract in May 2015. The world of fast food was foreign to me, so I needed the support of Meriem, Rachid and Michaël to get my business off the ground. Without them, I probably wouldn't have gone all the way.

Are you planning to open other outlets in your area?
After going through all the procedures, I decided, like other partners who had already set up shop, to open my second Bagel Corner restaurant in the town centre, to complement my first Bagel Corner restaurant in the Bonlieu centre. I'm repeating myself here, but it wouldn't have been possible without the assistance of the head of the network who, after validating my ability to manage several restaurants, advised me on the search for several commercial locations. The advantage of working with Nicolas, Bagel Corner's property developer, is that we can avoid any surprises. He also brings us premises that the brand receives directly via its network of estate agents!

Thank you Ludovic, there's no need to ask "what if I could do it all over again?
I would do it again with my eyes closed. I'm happy to be part of the Bagel Corner family!

A look back at the results of Franchise Expo Paris 2019

With regard to its participation in the Salon de la Franchise de Paris 2019, the company is delighted with this new event, with 97 qualified leads (12 of whom have already made appointments for discovery days at Bagel Corner in the 2 weeks immediately after the show). In other news, 4 new candidates (Angers, Villefranche, Strasbourg and Narbonne) had been signed by the brand just before the show, because they wanted to secure their locations before the event.

Join the network

Recognised since 2011 as one of the specialists in this new sandwich from Eastern Europe, Bagel Corner offers its expertise to applicants from all backgrounds, in formats ranging from 20 to 70 m2. The young network, which is aiming for 55 restaurants by the end of 2019This is the closest the Group has ever come to reaching its target of 100 restaurants by 2022 and 700 across Europe! To apply, candidates do not need to have any experience in the restaurant sector. Bagel Corner offers assistance at start-up and throughout the restaurant's operation. However, they must have a minimum contribution of €70 k, be true merchantsand have real qualities as a local manager and administrator.

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