Everything you need to know

About Us

The story of how we gave our customers choice.

Have you wasted an entire lunch break standing in line to buy a soggy sandwich made with too much margarine, not enough filling, and even ingredients you don’t like?

Mr Nicholas Bird certainly has, and he realised that like him, other discerning inner-city workers were also being denied the opportunity to quickly purchase the exact lunch they desired. So in 1994, with 20 years' experience in the food and beverage industry behind him, Mr Bird decided to open an up-market fast food outlet for office workers in Perth, Western Australia.

Called MYO (Make Your Own), this revolutionary sandwich and salad bar gives its customers the power to create their own lunch, exactly the way they like it. MYO promises no queues, value for money, an easy to use system and most importantly, choice - a promise the company has delivered on since day one.

The MYO concept is incredibly simple and ingenious. On entering the store customers grab a tray, choose their favourite freshly baked bread and begin assembling their sandwich, wrap or roll from the 60 fresh gourmet sandwich fillings, including deli-style meats and cheeses, as they work their way around the servery.

While MYO may have been born in Australia's most isolated capital city, the concept is appealing to office workers the world over.

MYO are in the UK, Ireland.

MYO is currently recognised as Australia’s most unique sandwich brand and the company anticipates there will be 50 globally by the end of 2013.

The 3 Franchise Models

Customers and innovation. The MYO business model for every location.
• CBD Café
• Kiosk
• Food Court

The MYO target audience is the professional who works in the central business districts and business parks of the world’s major cities. These locations have high populations of office workers who would traditionally buy their lunch from one of a number of food operators in the inner city areas around where they work. The young professional is typically time conscious and demands quality and choice. Rather than having to wait in line to order a pre-packaged sandwich from inner-city lunch bars, MYO offers choice and allows busy, health conscious office workers to have their lunch made just the way they like it.

Although incredibly simple, MYO’s business model is completely unique. At MYO you not only have access to the freshest, tastiest food and beverages, you’re given the freedom to make your own choices at a pace that suits you. MYO’s main competitive advantage is that, unlike its competitors, it literally turns the counter around and puts the customer in charge. Effectively, the customer fills the role of a counter assistant.

Due to popular demand for the unrivalled freshness and choice that MYO offers its consumers, MYO was requested to create a model which allows the retail market to experience our fantastic food offering. Therefore MYO are now branching out into new Food Court & Kiosk models to allow the business to be located in shopping centres, hospitals, airports and tourist shopping strips. So now our unique but simple system can be delivered to consumers anywhere in Australia rather than just the CBD.

This minimal use of labour and subsequent cost savings is one of the key elements to the MYO operation. The fact that labour is expensive and hard to find has made the concept of MYO not only appealing to our franchisees, but also to our customers. No longer do they have to accept poor service or inferior produce any longer.

These savings on labour are given back to the client by way of better value, greater food choices and higher-quality produce. MYO offers its customers up to 60 fresh gourmet sandwich fillings, including deli-style meats and cheeses, which sit alongside freshly baked breads and other mouth-watering product lines including wraps, salads, soups, pizza, coffee and muffins. At MYO there’s a food for all seasons. This business model also suits every customer — the time poor, the fussy eater, the dieter, the big eater and the luncher looking for value for money.

Cost?

MYO is currently recognised as Australia’s most unique sandwich brand and the company anticipates there will be 50 globally by the end of 2013.

The prospective Franchisee will receive a currentdisclosure document of the Franchisor and a currentFranchise agreement. These documents will needto be viewed and explained to the prospectiveFranchisees by their lawyer as well as the Leasedocument.

The Franchise agreement sets out the relationshipbetween the Franchisor and the Franchisee. Thedocument is a legally binding one and it is compulsoryfor each prospective Franchisee to seek independentlegal advice as well as independent financial advice aswith all businesses, there is always an element of riskand the success of this business will hinge greatly onthe ability of the Franchisee.

The term of the CBD Cafe Franchise is to be for 10 (ten) years with an option to renew for a further 10 years. 

The term for the Shopping Centre Model is 5 years with 5 year option or same as lease

A prescribed location will be granted which outlines the area that is exclusive to your franchise store.

Cost of franchise is$250-$350k* andincludes franchisefee, training andstore fit out.

Ongoing Fees:

a) The weekly franchise fee of 5% of turnover.
b) The weekly marketing levy of 2.5% of turnover.

*Subject to site, size & negotiated fit out contribution.

What Do I Get?

10 winning things you receive when opening a MYO franchise.

Turnkey Operation

Your brand new MYO is completely designed and shop fitted to the specifications of the new brand and store image by our national shop fit partner. It also comes with a complete set of equipment and furniture also from MYO partners and managed by the shop fit partner. This takes the headaches out of setting up the business knowing that on day one you are ready and open for business.

MYO System

Our unique MYO system is simple due to the fact that we turn the counters around. However, you still receive 5 comprehensive manuals outlining how to run and manage your business effectively and efficiently. The areas that are covered in your MYO suite of manuals are Your New MYO Store, Operations, Human Resources, Business Management, Image & Brand and Local Sales and Marketing.

MYO Web & POS

“You cannot manage what you do not measure” is critical in business. This rings true in any franchise system hence the reason that in your MYO store not only do you have a point of sale system linked to a central database called MYO Web which collects this data and your MYOB accounts giving you ongoing benchmarking and reporting on your business on continuous basis. The MYO Web allows you to review your performance to give you the tools to make the necessary changes quickly to adapt to the market and make your business more profitable.

MYO Brand Core Values

MYO is a contemporary, fresh together with the new brand image in the market place appealing to a wide demographic. It achieves this through sound brand core values which are:

Clarity – our system is simple and we must do everything to keep it that way. Taking time to educate and assist our customers
Freshness – bright, light, efficient and fun from our offering to our customer service.
Choice – enabling customers to have it their way

National Marketing & Communications

The Brand Core Values are consistently communicated through a national marketing strategy and communications campaign. MYO achieves great exposure through professional creative campaigns to cut through all the noise delivering the MYO clear points of difference to our target market. Achieving brand recognition and driving customers to MYO.

MYO & Diabetes Health Partnership

In MYO you can feel good about promoting healthy living by our educational campaign on healthy options with Diabetes Associations from around Australia. Our diabetes partnership also demonstrates the philanthropic side to an MYO business by assisting Diabetes Associations fundraising efforts throughout the year to help fight the increasing issues of the onset of type 2 Diabetes in Australia.

Site Selection & Lease Negotiations

Location, Location, Location is what is commonly said. One of the most important decisions in owning a retail business is the location. In purchasing your MYO franchise not only do we assist you with locations and site selection but your lease negotiations as well. MYO give you options on sites we do not make you have a particular site that you are not 100% comfortable with as it is your business.

Training & Development

As a new franchisee you receive operational training on how to run your MYO plus a unique business management program run in a classroom. Running the business is only half the battle working on the business is the most difficult challenge for any new franchisee. In this program you learn about Business Planning and Strategy, MYO Customer Service Values, Human Resource management, Financial Dynamics, Book keeping and Food Safety.

Business Management

Support is the buzz word around the franchise industry these days. However at MYO we believe due to the previous experience of having been a franchisee and a franchisor before the management team at MYO can deliver on this promise of supporting you to grow your business and prosper from this endeavor.

MYO Lifestyle

How many other franchise systems allow you to keep your weekends free to either spend with your family or take a well deserved break. Research states that most Australians today would rather reduce their income or working time to achieve this greater life goal. MYO believe that you can achieve both and our unique franchise model allows our MYO franchisee’s to have this 5 day a week food business and there MYO lifestyle.

However our new models will operate on a 6 or 7 day cycle providing increased revenue opportunities for new franchisees.

Why MYO?

Read the testimonials from just some of our successful franchisees!

Peter and Celia Scott.

“We have recently sold our MYO franchise in Perth’s QV1 building. We had opened the store in September 1996 and ran it as a team with the involvement of all the members of our family at various times.

“Prior to this we had looked at a number of other businesses. The business sold itself to us thanks to its “wow” factor, which still strikes you when you initially walk into the stores. The concept was then years ahead of its time and it is only recently that the fast food industry has appreciated the need to provide a wide selection of healthy foods.

”The concept sells itself but at the end of the day the main point of difference has to be the loyalty of repeat customers and the service that is provided. Over the years we have derived a good income from the store and have been supported by a great group of staff and suppliers,”

Ilias Tsangaris

Life as a MYO franchisee gives me and my family a life as well as a business. I choose MYO because it is mon-fri. Working 5 days in hospitality is very difficult to find. I enjoy going to work every day. We still need some work on the operational side but we are working on that matter. The new look is amazing, the amount of positive feedback that we have received is amazing, they love it. I enjoy hearing from customers “this shop is awesome”. Customers enjoy having there own way so that’s why I think MYO is a great idea.

Jennine Kingston

I have been with the MYO Franchise for just over 2 yrs. After having looked at several different retail outlets I was very taken with both the concept and lifestyle that MYO offered its franchisee’s. Demand for the healthy alternative to fast food has never been greater than it is at present. The unique MYO concept offers a diverse range of healthy foods with the customer creating their own recipe for the perfect lunch.

The support I have received from the Franchisors has helped me immensely in the growing of my business. Their approach is very pro-active yet they constantly involve the franchisees in all decision making processes. Regular National, Regional and Individual meetings keep both the franchisee, and franchisor, with their fingers on the pulse of our business. With the newly installed Point of Sale system, and the intricate data it provides, I feel better paced to make informed decisions to ensure further growth of my business.

I love the 5 day week, I love the support I receive, I love the warm welcoming feel of my store and I love the product. How could I not be on a winner?

Owen Manning

Prior to the purchase of my MYO I had three franchised bakeries and I was at that stage, a supplier of bread products to the MYO chain in Brisbane. I got to know the MYO business quite well from a supplier’s point of view. I watched my bakery business grow quite rapidly with the MYO group. I eventually bought an MYO and have been part of the group going on eight years. I have refurbished my store twice and am about to embark on a third refit — we keep growing.

I continue to be part of the MYO franchise and continue to invest time and money in the group for reasons as follows: great return on investment; great return on effort; trading with office workers allows (us to operate) Monday to Friday; great lifestyle — you have a life with weekends and public holidays off. Finally, the make your own concept is unique. We have a point of difference and the system is simple.