Community is essential to the culture of our brand. It’s who we are and who we’ve always been. And as the company grows, the HoneyBaked community grows, which means all the crew members, corporate staff, consultants and franchisees are all part of that growing community. And we wouldn’t want it any other way.
But what does that mean for our franchisees? It means they run and represent a family-owned and -operated business with a strong emphasis on community, and it means that a nationwide network of franchisees is there to support them at every turn.
Community Means We Support Each Other
At HoneyBaked, we are fully committed to creating a healthy system that fosters the growth and success of our franchisees. We focus on strong communication and establishing lasting relationships between every member of our franchise community to ensure everyone has the tools and guidance they need.
Franchisee Training & Corporate Support
When franchisees sign on to own a Honey Baked Ham Co.® store, we get to work right away to prepare them for their transition to business ownership. Our real estate and construction specialists help each new franchisee select the best site, contractor and designs to bring their store to life. Then, we’ll bring them out to our headquarters in Atlanta for a few weeks of training to get them acclimated to our system. But the support doesn’t stop after they spend time learning from the experts in our Customer Support Center and take a more hands-on approach in our certified training store.
As grand opening approaches, our teams work together to help our franchisees prepare and make the most of their first days on the market. We help develop a marketing plan to bring customers in, which includes a range of collateral, promotional materials and strategies to make the biggest impact. We also assist with crew member training and make sure our franchisees know about helpful connections they can make within their communities.
Franchise Business Leader
Each of our franchisees is assigned a dedicated Franchise Business Leader. Our consultants serve as liaisons between our franchisees and our corporate team, creating relationships and keeping up an open line of communication between them. They’re business masters, franchise experts and HoneyBaked aficionados – they know the brand inside and out and they know what it takes to succeed at the helm of a HoneyBaked store – and their top priority is to be a helpful resource for our franchisees.
Franchise Advisory Council
Our franchisees are also supported by their Franchise Advisory Council (FAC). The council is a board of HoneyBaked franchisees who’ve been elected by HoneyBaked franchisees to represent and advocate in favor of all HoneyBaked franchisees. The FAC is a big voice in the franchise community that plays a role in the initiatives, promotions and marketing materials adopted by our franchise system.
Network of Franchisees
In addition to the FAC, our franchisees are often each other’s best resource. Our network of 400+ locations means there are franchisees nationwide with varying levels of expertise, knowledge and personal experiences that can help new franchisees get the hang of things as they start their journey to franchise ownership. Our franchisees know they can depend on each other for advice or ideas. That’s just the way our community works.