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Tag: Soul Origin

  • Soul Origin to Double Store Network to 400 Locations over 10 Years

    Soul Origin to Double Store Network to 400 Locations over 10 Years

    Fast-casual chain Soul Origin plans to more than double its store network to approximately 400 locations globally over the next 10 years.

    The company, which marks its 15th anniversary this year, has grown into a network of 178 locations with around 22 million customer visits each year. Opening 15 to 20 stores annually across Australia, New Zealand and additional international markets will drive the expansion.

    Shifting Out of the Food Court

    Alongside continued growth in shopping centres, Soul Origin will add more regional, drive-through, airport, hospital, university and service-centre locations. Six new stores are scheduled to open before Christmas, including a new company-owned flagship at Sydney International Airport.

    Highway retailing forms a central pillar of the push. Soul Origin operates a hybrid service-centre format in partnership with fuel retailer Ampol, with two additional co-located sites scheduled to open before the end of the year. The business is scouting further roadside and regional plots across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

    Trans-Tasman Growth and Extended Trading

    New Zealand represents the immediate cross-border priority. The company currently runs four stores across the country and has mapped out approximately 10 additional openings there over the next two years.

    Longer operating hours in roadside and transit hubs require a wider menu. Kitchens across the network are rolling out hot dinner items, matcha drinks and expanded iced beverage selections. Soul Origin is also taking side dishes and add-ons first tested in its drive-through prototypes and adding them to traditional metro counters.

    Franchise Pressures and Highway Formats

    Transitioning from enclosed shopping mall food courts into roadside and transit locations alters the underlying store economics. Food court units rely on captive foot traffic with heavy daytime peaks, whereas highway service centres and airport terminals demand split-shift staffing, higher capital expenditure for kitchen fit-outs and steady evening volume to recover rent.

    Competing quick-service operators across Australia and the wider region have pursued identical fuel-convenience partnerships to escape rising mall occupancy costs. For Soul Origin, sustaining average transaction values during afternoon and dinner trading will determine whether these extended-hour formats generate acceptable returns for franchise partners.

    Management Transition at Fifteen Years

    The expansion plan arrives as the company marks 15 years since its founding as a single family-run food outlet. Current chief financial officer George Gebran will step into the chief executive role on October 1 to manage the operational expansion.

    Co-founder and current managing director Hao Quach will step down from day-to-day management on the same date. Quach will remain with the business to focus on long-term strategy, market entry and corporate development.

    Network development will center on the delivery of the six pre-Christmas openings, the performance of the new Sydney Airport terminal site, and the execution of the 10-store pipeline planned for New Zealand through 2028.

  • Soul Origin offers free toast

    Soul Origin offers free toast

    Cafe chain Soul Origin is giving away a free slice of Vegemite toast with any coffee purchase on Wednesday, after an imprompt national debate broke out yesterday over the correct amount of Vegemite on a slice of toast.

    The debate started when a customer took issue with the scant serving of Vegemite on their toast and posted an image to the Breakfast sub-Reddit page, calling the Soul Origin cafe in the Domestic Terminal of Sydney Airport that served it to them “un-Australian”.

    The image was widely shared across social media, where thousands of Vegemite fans and haters weighed in.

    “I’m fairly sure that’s illegal in Australia,” one Redditor commented on the original photo, while another noted, “I hate the stuff and even I know that isn’t quite enough.”

    On the other side of the fence, some pushed for the option to throw the toast in the bin and replace it with peanut butter instead.

    Soul Origin chief executive Chris Mavris took the frenzy in stride. He released a statement Tuesday afternoon announcing customers would receive a free slice of Vegemite toast with any coffee purchase on Wednesday, and encouraging customers to tell their local cafe exactly how they like it.

    “There’s nothing more Australian than Vegemite on toast but it’s no secret that everyone has their own personal way of enjoying this national delicacy,” Mavris said.

  • Soul Origin eager to hit “golden century” mark

    Soul Origin eager to hit “golden century” mark

    Health fast food brand and coffee chain, Soul Origin, has recorded 12 per cent same store sales growth and continued to achieved double digital growth in its coffee sales.

    The fastfood chain has also continued its expansion with the opening of its 75th store last week in Melbourne Central, Victoria.

    Chris Mavris, Soul Origin chief operating officer, said Soul Origin plans to reach 100 stores before the end of the 2018 financial year.

    “Soul Origin’s growth plans have stepped up a notch this financial year as we continue to expand in our existing markets of Queensland, News South Wales, Victoria and South Australia,” Mavris said.

    Mavris said they will also open their first store in Western Australia later this financial year.

    In the past 12 months, Soul Origin has opened 30 new stores, expanding from New South Wales into the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

    Mavris said the rapid growth was on the back of strong double digit same store sales growth across the network, highlighting high customer demand for Soul Origin’s offering.

    “In addition, we have strengthened our corporate support team, which has doubled in size in the past six months, to assist with our store expansion and continue to provide our high level of support to our franchisees and their stores,” he said. “We have boosted our capabilities in both store and coffee training, property, recruitment, marketing as well as our store opening teams. We have no plans of slowing down!”

    Mavris said he was eager to hit the golden ‘100 stores’ mark over the coming months.

    “We are building a solid foundation that will help expand the Soul Origin brand into more communities and new territories. It’s very rewarding to see the business continuing to go from strength to strength,” Mavris said.