Start a franchise
The coffee shop brand has designed its training so that the franchisee is versatile and operational in all positions. Also, Columbus Café has increased its e-learning modules since the crisis. The objective: to allow the franchisee to perfect his skills but also to follow the training of his employees.
Making franchisees operational in all positions is the objective of the training offered by Columbus Café to franchise candidates. Built around two modules, a first practical and a second more theoretical, the training course is intended to be as exhaustive as possible in order to provide all the keys to success to the future franchisee. “In total, there are 8 weeks of training of which 6 weeks are dedicated to practice and 2 to theory., details Frédéric Pastur, Managing Director of Columbus Café. In detail, the first week takes place in our training center located at the head office in Paris. During this period, we discuss the history of the brand, the experience, how to develop its first drinks or even the production of products. ” After this first foothold in the world of Columbus Café, the future franchisee is sent into the field for at least three weeks. This part of the training takes place in one of the brand’s fifteen “welcoming” stores.. “These are training points of sale which have complete mastery of the know-how and which have the capacity to transmit and share their experience”, emphasizes Frédéric Pastur. In his practical journey, the future franchisee will visit at least two Columbus Café stores.
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Practice
In the first, his training will consist in learning the know-how and in honing in on the different positions that he will have to master. In the second, a focus will be on the management and running of the store. “The franchisee must be trained in all positions. He is not asked to be the best, but he must be able to know the basics to be able to train his teams. Concretely, he must be able to make muffins, assemble savory dishes or even produce a drink ”, emphasizes Frédéric Pastur. The last, more theoretical weeks will then be dedicated to the typical day, to team management but also to financial management, in particular margins. “Finally, on the last day, the future franchisee talks with his regional manager to prepare his action plan for the opening.” Throughout his training, the future franchisee will be evaluated in order to know if he correctly masters the processes and know-how taught.
“There is a first evaluation which takes place after 4/5 weeks. Then another at the end of the route. It is not a key step to start the activity, just a way of gauging whether sections need to be accentuated before starting ”, reassures Frédéric Pastur.
Once all the training has been completed, the franchise candidate can get down to launching his activity. You should know that at Columbus Café, as in many other networks, the training course takes place once the project is validated, the contract signed and the premises found. “In the retro-planning that we set up with the franchisee, the training takes place about three and a half months before the opening of the site. We are flattening all the dates which makes it possible to anticipate the hiring and training of employees ”, insists Frédéric Pastur. If the contract provides that only the franchisee and his store manager will be trained, in fact, if the business manager wishes, 100% of his employees can go through the Columbus Café training. “It’s even better, says the general manager of the sign. We try, as much as possible, to bring the whole team together in one or two stores to train them at the same time and create team cohesion. ”
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E-learning and support
And to continue training, the future franchisee will be able to count on the e-learning modules that the brand deployed during the first confinement. “We had an e-learning application in the pipeline which was to be launched in 2020. Indeed, the health crisis has accelerated things and this has enabled us to offer various distance training courses. For example, the entire barista career path is now available through the application. This allows the franchisee to train his team for the practice in his store, and to follow their theoretical learning on the application ”, insists Frédéric Pastur. In the long term, the brand intends to maintain 80% of learning through distance training.
“Whether for the franchisee or his teams. Rather than taking place at our headquarters, we will favor e-learning for these theoretical modules. On the other hand, everything that is practical will continue to be done in person ”, reassures the general manager.
Finally, the future franchisee benefits from extensive support when launching his activity. The regional manager and the trainer are therefore present two days before the store opens. “This makes it possible to prepare the premises for the D-day and to carry out two ‘blank’ days. Then, the franchisee is supported during the first 4 days, to ensure that all standards are mastered and respected ”, explains Frédéric Pastur. The brand is keen to let the franchisee manage things during the first weekend of activity. “Even if we are there to accompany him on the first Saturday, which is usually synonymous with an influx of customers, we let him take the reins.” Once this first week is over, the candidate is operational and in control of his point of sale.
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