Sharon Arthofer discusses the opportunity in beverage innovation and how being a franchisee shaped her role as franchisor
When Sharon Arthofer first met Rick Wetzel and Bill Phelps, she could hardly have known the journey in foodservice that lay before her.
It was the mid-’90s and Arthofer had moved to Pasadena, Calif., from New York for her husband’s job. When she connected with Wetzel and Phelps, they were just getting Wetzel’s Pretzels off the ground and were interested in tapping into her past retail and marketing experience. So Arthofer helped open Wetzel’s Pretzels’ second location — and then became its first franchisee, opening stores around Southern California.
Arthofer went on to build a lucrative franchise portfolio over 30 years. Then, in 2017, having recognized the opportunity for a fresh-fruit beverage concept that could operate in a small footprint, she founded Sip Fresh. The concept has since expanded to four mall locations, and Arthofer has found herself on the other side of the franchise aisle as franchisor.
Arthofer joined the latest episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches to talk about why she’s homed in on malls as the perfect growth vehicle for Sip Fresh, how her past as a franchisee is informing her present and future as a franchisor, and why coffee chains aren’t the only exciting development in beverage innovation today.
In this conversation, you’ll learn more about why:
Beverages are the quintessential impulse buy — and malls the quintessential impulse destination
When marketing in malls, you have only a few moments to make an impression
Your frontline staff are revenue generators
The beverage category is the perfect intersection of simplicity and innovation
Strong core values as a franchisor help you manage the expectations of a diversity of franchisees
Contact Sam Oches at [email protected].
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