Always fresh pastries in 26 countries - Fornetti among most successful franchises in Europe

There is almost no lover of baked goods in Serbia who has not tried Fornetti pastries. Packed in white bags with an orange and blue logo, these mini crunchy pastries have become an inevitable part of the offer in bakeries all around our country. Fornetti pastries filled with cheese, feta cheese, sausage, ham, cream, apricot, cherry or apple jam are baked in ovens of over 400 fast food stores every day. In addition to their original taste and freshness, another reason for such big success of these mini pastries, which can be found in 26 countries, is a well-developed franchise network.

Namely, Fornetti is present in the European market since 1997 when the first factory was opened in Kechkemet in Hungary. According to the European Franchise Association, Fornetti was the third largest franchise network in 2005.

- This company is present in our country since 2002 when the company Fornetti Mini Peciva (Fornetti Mini Pastries) Ltd., the master franchisee of the Hungarian manufacturer, was opened in Subotica. Two years after the opening of the company in the city in the north of Serbia, a factory for production of pastries by the original recipe and contemporary technology was opened. Fornetti Mini Peciva has developed a franchise network with over 400 franchisees in Serbia and about 200 franchisees in Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This company supplies all franchisees in Serbia with its frozen half-baked products - Robert Irge, the Franchise Development Manager at Forneti Mini Peciva Ltd., speaks for eKapija.

Becoming a franchisee without paying a usual royalty

The Fornetti franchise business model includes the famous trademark and visual identity, work equipment (the latest digital Fornetti spot - oven) and free service, product development, free delivery twice a week, marketing and PR service, training for employees, technical and technological services, and, what is particularly important, granting of a franchise without the payment of a usual royalty.

Actually, the most important costs incurred by a franchisee are the ones for lease of an outlet spanning 15 to 20 square meters, equipping of the facility, and payment of the deposit for the spot-oven, which is returned if the agreement is terminated. As Mr. Jirge explains, each franchisee receives maximum support from the company Fornetti so that the partner only needs to bake frozen goods and, of course, keep the books.

Startup costs for a Fornetti franchise range between 2,000 and 3,000 euros, depending on the size and location of the shop.

- Fornetti Mini Peciva Ltd. takes the deposit of 1,250 euros and keeps it as long as the cooperation is maintained, and that money is, actually, a guarantee for our oven and showcase. The necessary work equipment also includes a digital scale, fiscal cash register and freezers. The retail prices of Fornetti pastries are unique, while the margin for franchisees is 30% - Irge explains.

What is also important for potential partners is the information that a Fornetti franchisee agreement can also be signed with people other than bakers.

Robert Irge says that one of the main criteria for granting a franchise is the location of the shop.

- We find it most important to know that a large number of people are passing by that location during the whole year, that it is easily approachable and accessible by car. Although many would think that the vicinity of a school is an ideal location, such facilities are not our priority because of much too long vacations. Also, we make sure not to grant a franchise to someone who would open a shop in the vicinity of one of our existing partners. It happens that many applicants fail to meet our criteria - says the interlocutor of eKapija, adding that Fornetti has also entered rural areas because these pastries can now be found in places with 7,000 or 8,000 inhabitants as well.

Jirge adds that Forneti Mini Peciva does not make a difference between those who want to enrich the offer of their bakeries with Fornetti pastries and those who open shops to sell exclusively Fornetti products.

"Shop in shop"

In "spot" ovens, which are easy to install in any shop, pastries are baked on the spot and no previous experience is needed. The main characteristics of the "spot" oven are cost-efficiency, mobility, easy handling, and simple maintenance. Pastries are delivered frozen in trucks. "Spot" ovens are, actually, mini shops within existing shops.

Production

Fornetti pastries are made in an automated factory that meets the strictest EU standards such as ISO 22000:2005 and HACCP system. Frozen pastries are packed in a kilogram or piece packaging. They are kept at the temperature of -18 degrees, while the life of frozen goods is 90 and 120 days from the day of production. They are delivered twice a week in refrigerator trucks, the temperature in which is -18 degrees, so that a franchisee does not need to store a large quantity of pastries in its shop.

Fornetti - a friend of heart

Fornetti has taken a step forward in the industry of baked goods and started using margarine with significantly reduced content of Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in the production. That requires new production technology solutions, with the preservation of usual flavors and identical characteristics of products. Since April 2008, pastries are made of margarine that is not created through hydrogenation.

Fornetti pastries are made of yeast and yeast-free puff dough. The weight of mini pastries ranges from 10 to 30 g, while piece pastries weigh between 75 and 150 g.

Fornetti products can be found in England, Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Cyprus, Kuwait, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, etc.

T.S.