Why A Franchise Is A Great First Business

July 2022

Owning a business is a dream for many, but making it a reality can be a serious wake-up call. Especially in the restaurant industry, first-time business owners face an uphill challenge. But when you succeed, the rewards can be amazing – both in terms of profit, and in terms of quality-of-life. If you’re looking to become a first-time business owner, a restaurant franchise model is the ideal option. You’ll have the business plan and support you need to start a restaurant model that’s already proven to be successful.

Many of us have heard the intimidating statistic that 30% of restaurants fail in their first year – but a Barrel House franchise will give you the tools you need to thrive in any market. By helping you manage costs, providing best-in-the-business training, and creating a business model that customers are proven to love, our franchise plan is the key to turning you into a successful first-time restaurant owner.

Restaurant Franchises Are Cost-Effective for First-Time Business Owners

For most first-time business owners, the biggest hurdle is cost. Whether you’re investing your own money, or financing the first stages of your plan, you’ll want to be confident that you can afford to open your first business. Predictable costs are key to keeping within that budget, and this is where the franchise model shines – we know exactly how much it costs to open a Barrel House franchise, because it’s been done so many times before. A franchise model means, through opening multiple restaurants, we can provide you with the most efficient possible way to get your new business on its feet. This is especially important when you’re taking out loans to kick-start your new business. The initial investment to open any business can be steep, but banks are more inclined to finance proven franchise properties – like Barrel House – than brand-new concepts with no track record of success. If your bank knows the business model you’ve chosen will work, they’ll be more likely to provide the support you need to get started.

And it’s not just about the cost to buy and open a restaurant, but also the cost to maintain your business long-term. If this is your first business, it’s easy to miss the mark when estimating your costs. With a Barrel House franchise, you won’t be making guesses in the dark. We’ve opened throughout the region, in different markets, and can provide all the support you need to accurately estimate your costs. Underestimating costs is one of the biggest sources of restaurant failure, and working with a proven franchise model like Barrel House can help you plan and budget accordingly. This is another area where our previous expertise can work for you – over the years, through all the different Barrel House restaurants we’ve helped to open, we’ve found the most efficient ways to operate and market your business. When you open a Barrel House franchise, you’ll have access to these years of combined experience to ensure you have a steady, stable stream of income that keeps your restaurant turning a profit.

The Best Training for First-Time Restaurant Owners

A business you can afford to start is just the first step – the real measure of a franchise’s success is the business plan and training. Any Barrel House owner can tell you that our support for owners is the best of the best. After all the restaurants we’ve opened, we can help with every step of the process. 

Training starts with helping you select a location for your new business. We also help with build-out, equipment, and initial inventory, so you’re off to the strongest possible start. Every franchise owner is trained extensively, including in-person, on-location training for up to three people. Your franchise purchase is an investment, and in turn, we invest in your success by ensuring you have a comprehensive knowledge of how to run a thriving Barrel House bar & grill. Training is ongoing and continuous – as long as you operate a Barrel House, you’ll have our knowledge and support. The bedrock of our training is our We Care Culture:

Create a positive experience
Attention to guests’ needs
Respond appropriately and politely
Exceed guest expectations

Over the years, we’ve developed a best-in-the-business operations manual that contains all the wisdom a first-time business owner needs to run a successful restaurant. This confidential manual is a detailed guide to the equipment, recipes, front-of-house, back-of-house, staffing, and reporting that make your restaurant thrive. Poor staff management is another major reason restaurants fail, and especially in the current labor market, our best practices for hiring great staff and keeping them are essential. We’ve designed every part of Barrel House with care, creativity, and flexibility – it’s what helped us pivot to survive Covid, and will prepare you well for any curveballs the world has to throw at your new business.

Opening A Restaurant Your Customers Will Love – Every Time!

Our training prepares you for the long term, because we already know your new business is going to be a success. Anyone who’s stepped into a Barrel House restaurant can tell you why this bar and grill franchise has found success, even without seeing behind the curtain. Tasty food, great drinks, a cozy atmosphere, and recurring specials make it easy to go from visitor to regular at any Barrel House bar and grill.

We’ve developed a plan for a comfortable, casual bar and grill that caters to the customer’s needs – whether that means local beers on tap, or meat substitutes for vegans, everyone is welcome at Barrel House. A well-defined concept is one of the best ways to guard against restaurant failure, and that’s exact what a Barrel House franchise provides for new business owners. Our concept is a proven winner that invites every kind of customer to kick back, relax, and enjoy the great food and drinks in a comfortable atmosphere.

The broad appeal of Barrel House is why we started franchising in the first place. We’ve found that Barrel House can be successful just about anywhere! There’s a good chance your customer base already loves Barrel House, which means you have a built-in advantage when opening your franchise. But our comprehensive business plan would never leave your success up to word of mouth. Since under-spending on marketing is another sure sign a restaurant won’t last, we support your continued growth with the kind of marketing toolkit a standalone concept could never provide, and our business plan includes plenty of marketing spending, so it never comes as a shock to your budget.

Becoming A First-Time Business Owner with Barrel House

With a predictable financial model, insightful training, and a beloved concept, Barrel House stands out as the perfect franchise option for first-time business owners in the Midwest. We’re confident that our We Care culture and delicious menu will be successful anywhere, and we can’t wait to partner with you on your first business venture.But this information is just the start! We know that any business decision requires lots of details and careful planning – after all, we’ve been through this process before. If the idea of running a successful restaurant appeals to you, reach out and we’ll be happy to provide more details, set up a call, and send over our FDD, so you can make an informed decision about next steps. Reach out today, and our team will be in contact soon. In the meantime, you can check our our FAQs, or learn more about how we support our franchise owners.