North QLD Takes Top Honours in National Franchise Awards

It was ‘deja brew’ this week at the Zarraffa’s Coffee National Franchise Conference with a number of past franchise award winners proving their staying power, taking out the company’s top accolades.

The 2019 Franchisee of the Year Award went to long-time franchisees, Brendon, Debbie and Corey Blakemore, owners of four stores in Townsville, and whose Fairfield store won them the Drive Thru Growth Award back in 2017.

That same year, Brendon also received the company’s inaugural Brand Ambassador Award for his overall contribution to the Zarraffa’s brand.

Zarraffa’s Coffee CEO, Marnie Sheldon, commended the family’s efforts and all that they have achieved.

“The Blakemores have come such a long way since starting out in our Miami store, then pioneering the company’s first Drive Thru in Worongary on the Gold Coast back in 2009,” said Ms Sheldon.

After the success of Worongary, the Blakemores went on to forge the opening of four drive thru stores within a five-year period, bringing the company’s individual brand of coffee to a whole new market in the north of the country.

“The Blakemores have consistently been a top performer and this year’s win is a fitting tribute to their success and ability to overcome adversity off the back of the Townsville floods earlier in the year, showing clearly that people have an appetite and a love for Zarraffa’s Coffee in NQ.”

In another nod to the north of Queensland, Franchisees of both the Edmonton and Cairns Showground stores – Joanne and Paul Brierley – were presented with the Brand Ambassador Award.

“Jo and Paul have really stood out as brand advocates this year; the perfect example of their commitment was when Paul jumped in a car with a gurney as soon as he heard word of the Townsville floods’ destruction of the Blakemore’s Fairfield store. Both Jo and Paul put in 100% to their own stores and in representing Zarraffa’s as a whole.”

Held in the picturesque Hunter Valley, the Zarraffa’s 2019 Golden Zee Awards highlighted exceptional, consistent performance for a number of previous award winners including Zarraffa’s Coffee Ormeau who took out Store of the Year.

For the second year running, experienced franchisees, Mayur Patel, with business partners Rupa and Nik Patel, have taken out the Store of the Year Award for exceptional management. Between them, the trio own and operate three stores, including Slacks Creek and Browns Plains, in addition to Ormeau, and their success has been recognised with consecutive year wins.

“Mayur, Rupa and Nik have worked hard to ensure their team is delivering excellent customer service 24/7 and that consistent product and service is a key component of their growth strategy,” said Ms Sheldon. “Two years in a row is an exceptional track record and one that their entire team should be very proud of.”

Hosted by comedic MC, Tom Ballard, the awards night also saw Zarraffa’s Coffee Belmont North crowned Rookie of the Year, with owners and former store managers, Trent Moody and Oliver Humphry, proving that working up ‘through the ranks’ toward store ownership is a viable and rewarding pathway to small business success.

“It’s not an accident that Trent and Oliver began their careers as store managers for the Blakemores – our 2019 Franchisees of the Year,” said Ms Sheldon.

“Our company is a family of businesses, most clearly illustrated by how we are able to foster the business aspirations of our staff, who have a frontline understanding of what it takes to be successful.”

The Belmont North store were last year’s CEO Encouragement Award recipients and after fulfilling the minimum one year of trading criteria, were awarded the 2019 Rookie of the Year Award for their business excellence.

Ms Sheldon believes the twenty-two-year history of the Zarraffa’s business has delivered a number of key lessons that are now paying off as the company sets its sights on interstate expansion.

“Our franchisees are reinvesting in our brand with more multi-site ownership than ever before and when you combine consistent results from a large number of stores, a high level of franchisee commitment to improving their businesses, plus the enthusiasm from our customers for new products and our new store locations – it’s clear the recipe for sustained success is just right.”