Written by Rhiannon Frater
When Juici Patties started offering the opportunity to franchise locations a decade ago (after becoming the largest restaurant chain in Jamaica), CEO Daniel Chin was determined to lead the company’s great expansion effort in the United States in a different way.
To bring the brand’s signature Jamaican flavors to new locations, Chin opened his first franchises in South Florida.
“A combination of proximity, the size of the Jamaican diaspora to some extent, and just the diverse, very vibrant food culture in South Florida is a lot of why South Florida became a destination,” Chin explains. “There's a great variety of cuisines to enjoy in Florida, and we wanted to add to that.”
Fast-forwarding to today, Juici Patties has nine locations stateside. Eight are in Florida, and two are in New York. The company’s brand presence is strengthening by the day, but Chin isn’t chasing rapid-fire expansion. As a business with deep roots in family and tradition, his focus is on growing right, not growing fast.
That singular focus on quality is evidenced by the company’s unusually low acceptance rate for franchise applicants. Most franchise businesses are fairly selective when adding new owners to their rosters, but Juici Patties is exceptionally so. It only accepts 0.4% of those who apply.
To some, that number may seem impractically low. However, owners of Juici Patties franchises aren’t just business people — they’re cultural ambassadors. Chin says the company’s patties are meant to be enjoyed by Jamaican and non-Jamaican people alike, and for many Americans, the unique flavors delivered by Juici Patties will be their first introduction to Caribbean food.
It takes more than a certain net worth and access to liquid capital for someone to become a Juici Patties franchise owner. Because customer service and cultural representation are an essential part of the brand’s identity, the company’s leaders are highly selective when adding new franchisees.
To be selected in the screening process for new owners, franchise applicants must be financially qualified, but they must also have a passion for the company’s mission. The small percentage who are chosen become part of the Juici Patties family, and they benefit from the brand’s uniquely robust support system.
Juici Patties began as a family business, and it runs its franchise business with many of the same guiding principles that supported its initial success. The brand’s franchising team offers franchisees support at each step of the process, helping them integrate into the company culture and cultivate their stores to become high-performing, must-try eating destinations within the region they serve.
Juici Patties offers franchisees three store size options to choose from, and it assists owners with data-driven site selection. Individual stores can be customized to combine Caribbean influences with local sensibilities. The Juici team even provides design aid to streamline the branding process and ensure that each franchisee has a location they can be proud of.
When franchise owners succeed, the Juici Patties brand does, too. That’s why Chin and his team provide successful franchise applicants extensive training before the doors of their businesses open. He’s committed to ensuring each franchise owner has the necessary tools and knowledge to manage a location effectively, both for employees and the customers they serve.
However, franchise owners aren’t just left to fend for themselves after training. The brand’s franchise team offers ongoing and on-demand support to help each owner address and overcome challenges they may encounter along the way.
Chin says the Juici Patties brand emphasizes the importance of this supportive culture at every level of the company. Just as the brand lifts up franchise owners, franchise owners are expected to respect and support their employees, ensuring growth for every member of the team.
“I strongly believe in treating employees like owners, having them involved in decisions, and just generally hearing their feedback,” Chin says. “When you treat people like owners, eventually they start to think and behave like they actually are owners. And that's what's been really helpful to us.”
So what’s next for the brand? Chin hopes to continue to expand the company’s presence in the U.S. But as expansion continues, speed isn’t the goal — quality remains the first and most important focus of the company. Each new franchisee becomes part of the brand’s national network, and that network is introducing more people than ever to the bright, bold flavors of Jamaican food.
As Chin’s strategy indicates, it’s selectivity, not speed, that builds stable, enduring brand power.
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