What-Franchise-Issue-20.1

HANIFAH T, The Knot Churros, London Kiosks were never on the cards for The Knot Churros. The luxury churro brand is a somewhat newcomer to the franchising space, having been cultivated by Anisah T and her sister Hanifah over the past few years. The business proposition had always been a dine-in restaurant experience centred around what the brand markets as the ‘world’s first churros afternoon tea’. However, when the offer came to open a pop up inWestfieldWhite City –Western Europe’s largest indoor shopping centre – the duo decided they couldn’t turn down the opportunity. “We thought this might be a good opportunity to see how a kiosk would work as a concept type,” says Hanifah, director at The Knot Churros. “However, the biggest concern was that people weren’t going to stop by because our concept wasn’t grab and go.” Hanifah and Anisah set about adapting the brand to appeal to customers on the move – putting heavy focus on its glazed churro boxes, hot drinks, and takeaway milkshakes, as opposed to its sit-down afternoon tea experiences. “After three months of operating, we’d done extremely well,” says Hanifah. “We even brought more footfall to the area whereWestfield had put us.” The positive reaction from shoppers, confirmed that making the kiosk permanent was the right choice. It also indicated that making the kiosk concept available to franchisees could be a good move as The Knot Churros looks to expand. “For franchisees, it’s definitely a great way to get your foot in the door when starting a franchise as it’s lower risk and low cost,” says Hanifah. “We always recommend this if you haven’t had the food and beverage sector experience.” For theWestfield kiosk, it was decided to keep the location corporate-owned so the team could decipher the challenges that come with the business model, before encompassing the solutions into a franchise package. One such learning was the importance of aesthetics, especially for a brand that has built a big following from social media activity. “We didn’t initially invest that much into the interiors,” says Hanifah. “Now we’re there permanently, we’ve invested in it more.We’ve definitely seen an increase in revenue, our sales have doubled just from our redesign.” Having had the opportunity to witness the impact of positioning a brand in a busy walkthrough area has also confirmed that opening up in the right place is vital. “You 100% have to be very strategic with the locations that you choose,” confirms Hanifah. “You need to be somewhere which is going to have a good amount of footfall and will showcase your brand. The kiosk option is now a big part of the franchise, however, we’re still very specific about the area.” The marketing director, who has built up 282k Instagram followers for The Knot Churros, adds that its success has been truly underscored by a solid brand presence online. This has coaxed customers to stop off at the kiosk, having recognised their brand from social media. “If you’re going to invest in a kiosk franchise, it’s definitely worth taking the time to find the correct brand and correct location,” says Hanifah. “Even if you have a great location with great footfall, if you don’t have brand awareness, it’s going to be difficult to bring people through the door.” For The Knot Churros, the venture into kiosk franchising has become part of the brand’s wider growth trajectory. It now plans to open another grab and go concept later this year as well as appeal to franchisees looking to invest. The Knot Churros was founded in 2019 and has partnered with brands such as Disney and Care Bears. Its menu comprises churros, hot drinks, bagels, burgers, and fries as well as its specialty: churros afternoon tea. Having successfully adapted the restaurant’s concept to a kiosk model, Hanifah believes this smaller outlet can be a good starting investment for eager entrepreneurs without previous food and beverage experience. “For franchisees, it’s definitely a great way to get your foot in the door when starting a franchise as it’s lower risk and low cost” – Hanifah T 65 WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM Interv iew | FEATURE