-When and how Bodega La Andaluza was born?

The project started in 1987, but in 2003 it was decided to franchise according to the needs of this type of business. Part of the partners came from the Food and Service sector and others from other franchises, and that experience was very useful in the early days.

We saw that at that time there was a gap in the market  specifically in the traditional and etnic food franchises concerns. With a concept that was already running in Seville, a city of very demanding customers and a wide range of restaurants.

-What is your current Company structure?

We have4 premises, and 13 franchisees in several Spanish provinces: Madrid, where our business concept is having a great success, Valencia, Alicante, Almeria, Oviedo, Cadiz and Seville, of course. And soon we will open new restaurants in Toledo, La Línea de la Concepción, Vigo and Madrid. The ones in Madrid will be located in Cuatro Caminos, Valdemoro and Leganes. We also have a central kitchen in Seville, in which the department R & D+ I  is constantly developing new dishes to add to our offer.

-What initial investment is required to join the network, how long it takes to recover the investment and what turnover you expect to get in the first year?

The minimum investment is 50.000€ existing restaurants, bars that want to enter the franchise. In these cases it is reused almost all machinery of the establishment. In case of new premises it is necessary  full budget, machinery and kitchenware, after visiting the premises. We only request an entrance fee of 15,000€.  We are not asking canon of advertising or otherwise. Any advertising or promotional action is done in a consensual way with each franchisee according to their specific needs in collaboration with the Head Office. The initial investment is recovered in less than three years and according to our forecasts, the billing in the first year can be around 360,000€.

-What do you think are the advantages of your business for people who want to franchise?

We offer a product with an image clearly differentiated in the marketplace, evoking an atmosphere that attracts both domestic and foreign public. It is a business with minimal risk because of its high and real profitability sufficiently tested in establishments opened for more than a decade. We also offer financing facilities through leasing. In addition we offer our franchisees a project labor model, work plans and quality manual for the proper adaptation of the corporation image and the supervision over the work.  Also if the franchisee wants, we can advise in the search for suitable premises locations for seting up the restaurant. It should be taken into account as well, the possibility we offer to start a business without the need for prior experience.

We offer our know-how in this field through theoretical and practical training in our pilot centre in Seville and give support in the establishment during the first few days of opening. Training and information to manage the business with complete mastery. The Head Office will take care  of the franchises profitability at all times. It has a team of professional chefs who prepare the recipes and simplify the preparation and presentation of the dishes so that any person without specific kitchen knowledge is able to reapeat those dishes in each of our franchises, getting the same flavours with which they were conceived.

Another positive aspect is the reduction in purchasing costs to suppliers through our agreements at the national level and the offers achieved by purchasing together with the Central Franchise. In fact,I would like to emphasize that we share with our franchisees the rappel for purchasing, something unusual in the networks of franchises. This is because we see the franchisee as a partner and not as a client.

-Do you establish any specific criterion in terms of requirements for the premises and franchisee profile?

We seek an entrepreneur with initiative, leadership and management capacity, looking for a highly profitable business based on the traditional andalusian cuisine but with the most modern management techniques and with a constant support from the Head Office. There is no need to have experience, and in fact, 90% of our franchisees have no prior experience in franchising. As for premises requirements, the minimum is 50 m2, preferably with a smoke control system, but there are new techniques to overcome this deficiency. We recommend that the premises from 100 m2 to exploit its full potential. And with regard to the location, we look for places with a minimum of 15,000 inhabitants.

- Can you describe the characteristics that distinguish Bodega La Andaluza as a restaurant franchise chain of traditional tapas cousine?

Above all, in Bodega La Andaluza you will find the best traditional food from the South. We have always wanted to give a sample of the authentic Andalusia, the one we have experienced since childhood and not a stereotyped image. It is traditional food Southern-style  based on high quality products, mostly from Andalusia, which have a great culinary recognition around the world for its variety and flavour like Iberian meats, fried fish, chacinas… although there are many products that are achieving high levels of success, not to mention the "generoso" wines.

There is not doubt that the quality of products is the key. It is not possible to make a good dish without good products. But not always it is sufficient, which is why we care to maximize the preparation and presentation. We have some specialties that are in operation throughout the year,such as the Iberian meats, dressings and chacinas and some others, such as stews that are typical of autumn-winter and work better with the cold. Each season has different dishes according to the public acceptance.

In addition, we care of every detail of the premises, since the location of each area of the restaurant until the last decorative element to create a warm, pleasant to the public. Thanks to this, our restaurants are clearly differentiated from the rest. This traditional image of Bodega La Andaluza, is very appealing to the audience abroad, as they identify this image with a typical restaurant in the country. The Bodega La Andaluza premises have clearly distinctive elements, such as bars on windows and doors, with a typical Andalusian style. It is also remarkable the careful decoration of the interior, with many traditional elements, such as pictures hanging on the walls of the main commemorative local events, its roof with wooden beams; marble bar, characteristic of the old wine cellars... All these elements transport customers to a traditional atmosphere typical of the old time wineries.