Daniel has always been closely involved in the marketing, food and beverage industries and has become a seasoned international C-level executive with broad corporate and entrepreneurial experience in leisure, hospitality and consumer goods sectors.
FranchiseExpo: What’s the story behind Crêpeaffaire?
Daniel Spinath: I used to spend my holidays in France as a kid and my love for crêpes comes from there. After a diverse corporate career I decided to turn my love into practice by creating Crêpeaffaire, a systematic and branded approach to a well-known and popular product with wide scaling potential. Its USP is speed and flexibility. The concept can be implemented in different formats, all without the need for costly and restrictive outside extraction.
FE: What made you decide to franchise?
Daniel: When we realized the wide potential for the concept we concluded that franchising would be a viable way to expand the Brand to areas where we wouldn’t be able to operate it ourselves. Only when we felt confident that the business model had enough proof of concept, we decided to start the franchising process. We today possess a sound franchising knowledge and are working with qualified candidates to bring the Brand to new areas in the UK and beyond.
FE: Tell us a little about the Crêpes Market?
Daniel: The market is very fragmented with a myriad of independent operators, mostly lacking standardized production and management systems. Our concept is a branded proposition with a unique and proven system, ready to conquer the world (one step at the time).
FE: What have some of the challenges been in growing your franchise?
Daniel: Crêpes can be perceived as just a sweet treat rather than also a savoury meal solution. Our approach has successfully tackled this issue and we are close to a 50/50 sweet/savoury split in our current stores, which is quite impressive.
FE: Who has been your greatest inspiration?
Daniel: Howard Shultz, CEO of Starbucks. I read his book when Crêpeaffaire existed only in my mind and his experience helped me formulate my plan.
FE: What are some of the advantages in being a Crêpeaffaire franchisee?
Daniel: First and foremost, a Franchisee benefits from a proven system with strong intrinsic economics and which is relatively easy to operate: no restaurant skills are required. Every Franchisee will receive a wide range of support from Crêpeaffaire to make sure the concept is executed to the highest standard.
FE: What “Gadgets” (Laptop, iPhone, iPad, etc) can’t you live without?
Daniel: I feel I couldn’t live without my iPhone (though I might even be living better without it)!
FE: What do you do in your spare time?
Daniel: Spare time? What is that?
FE: What advice do you have for someone looking to acquire a Franchise?
Daniel: You should research your Franchisor and your local market thoroughly in order to structure your thinking around the opportunity. This will be of great help when you produce the Business Plan. Don’t just go for the first opportunity you come across. Compare different systems until you feel you have found the one you really like. And most of all: meet the people behind the Franchise system; Franchising is like a marriage, you need to feel comfortable with your partner!
FE: In your opinion, why do you think that Crêpeaffaire would be a great opportunity for someone?
Daniel: Crêpeaffaire is run by serious business people with strong strategic and operational backgrounds. They love their concept and want to see it thrive. Its potential is without limits, from London to Limerick, from Denver to Dubai, from Santiago to Shanghai. Entertainment for all taste buds!
