Tiger Bills Cover Story

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cover story
Tasty opportunity
JAMES EYRE, THE MAN BEHIND TIGER BILLS, EXPLAINS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND
THE FOOD FRANCHISE AND WHY IT IS SUCH A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT
B
uilding on a food service career
spanning businesses including Taylor
Walker, Beefeater, Old Orleans, Pontins
and Eldridge Pope & Co, James Eyre set up the
Lifestyle Hospitality Group in 2004 and opened
the first Tiger Bills restaurant in Exeter in 2006,
followed by Tiger Bills Torquay in 2011.
The brand offers an ‘East meets West’,
back-to-back menu of Western grills and authentic
Thai street food, and the first independently
owned Tiger Bills franchised restaurant opened in
Birmingham in May this year.
The franchise offering was launched after five
years of dedicated brand development, using the
company-owned sites in Exeter and Torquay as
models. Since the launch of the Birmingham site,
two more franchised outlets - one in Whitley Bay
and a 200-seater in Consett - have opened, with
an additional four restaurants (in Surrey, Worcester,
Cheltenham and Lymington) due to start trading in
the new year.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Tiger Bills is also
experiencing considerable interest overseas, with the
international operation currently agreeing heads of
terms in Malaysia.
James Eyre, the man behind the brand, explains
the inspiration behind Tiger Bills and why it is such a
worthwhile investment opportunity.
WHAT WAS YOUR
INSPIRATION FOR TIGER BILLS?
I set up the Lifestyle Hospitality Group and this now
incorporates nine managed sites all located within
the south west. Out of these, I felt that the Tiger
Bills concept had the most potential in terms of
scalability and I passionately believe the ‘East meets
West’ neighbourhood dining experience not only
has a wide demographic appeal in the UK, but can
also be easily transferred into the overseas market.
The inspiration for Tiger Bills was that it
combined classic Western grills alongside Thai food,
which I could see was going to be the next big
cuisine. A young Thai chef working in one of my
businesses persuaded me to try his cooking and
it was excellent. As well as tasting good, the raw
ingredients are economic to source.
As well as a dual menu, integral to the Tiger
Bills offering is creating a neighbourhood dining
experience. Neighbourhood dining literally means
a restaurant in the heart of the local community, a
place where families and friends go for a drink or
bite to eat on a regular basis. Tiger Bills is effectively
a local restaurant with an emphasis on good
hospitality.
I saw a gap in the market for neighbourhood
dining and wanted to create a venue that would
appeal to as broad a demographic as possible, so
creating a brand with two themes rolled into one
was an important and strategic decision. Authenticity
is key. We serve Thai street food, such as Pad Thai and
curries, from an open plan kitchen where customers

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can see the food cooked in the wok by Thai chefs.
Teaming a more exotic menu with a Western-style
menu means Tiger Bills can pretty much cater for
everyone - it has dishes suited to those wanting to
try something more exotic, while also providing food
suited to a more Western-style palate.
WHY FRANCHISE THE BRAND?
Five years after the launch of Tiger Bills in Exeter, I
opened a second restaurant in Torquay - this site
hit the ground running and was profit making from
day one.
It was clear we had perfected the model, so the
idea that this could have wider, more far reaching
potential soon became apparent. I met with the
Approved Franchise Association in order to learn
more about the process of turning a business into
a franchise and they helped shape Tiger Bills into a
solid franchise opportunity.
WHAT IS THE ENTRY
COST FOR A FRANCHISEE?
The franchise fee is £47,000 and for that franchisees
will receive comprehensive support, including a
website, marketing, hands-on project management
for openings and negotiation on sites. The cost of
the restaurant development will depend on the
site and a territory franchise requires the franchisee
to open a specific number of restaurants in a given
time. There is also a single-unit franchise option.
WHO SHOULD THINK
ABOUT BECOMING A FRANCHISEE?
Essential traits in any new Tiger Bills franchisee
include a passion for the hospitality sector and a
drive to succeed. We insist on a thorough interview
process, which is for the benefit of both parties.
It offers an opportunity for both franchisor and
franchisee to ask any pertinent questions relating to
the decision making process. We are very particular
about the kind of things we are looking for in a
potential partner. It is not just simply a case of having
the capital; it is as much about demonstrating
a shared vision and understanding of what we
are trying to achieve, and compatibility is also of
paramount importance.
We have a responsibility to recruit the right type
of candidates - this will ensure the long-term success
of Tiger Bills for both the franchisor and franchisee.
In terms of having direct experience in the
hospitality sector, a potential investor does not
need to have industry experience. We are happy to
do as little or as much handholding as necessary
- our initial consultation with a potential investor
will quickly establish which approach is most
appropriate.
WHY BECOME A FRANCHISEE?
In addition to the attractive, industry supported fact
that less than seven per cent of franchise owners fail
within the first three years, we have spent five years
honing our business model and now have a proven
and profitable system of operation. And, unlike other
franchise models on the marketplace, we have, with
the support of the Approved Franchise Association,
helped create an offering that benefits the franchisee
more than the franchisor.
Becoming a franchisee means individuals have
control over their investment and earnings. We also
allow some flexibility within the brand, so franchisees
can have a bit of creative licence. We are happy to
be as hands on/off as needed and will be guided by
the franchisees as to what support is required in the
early stages and over the longer term.
Seizing the opportunity now, when the brand
is gaining momentum here in the UK and overseas,
will put any early adopter in a very attractive financial
position.
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPANSION
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
This year we opened four individual restaurants in
the UK, which was right on target. We aim to open
another 10 next year and the same number the year
after.
Internationally, we’ve had a lot of interest from
Asia because of the appeal of the marriage of Thai
cuisine with the Western grill and we are confident
of having at least two master franchisees signed up
in Asia in the next 12 months. What’s exciting for
us is the prospect of taking the concept overseas.
At the moment we are at a critical stage, agreeing
heads of terms in Malaysia, which is great news for
the brand as a whole.
We are taking expansion overseas seriously and
have an international franchise director who has
created a strong international support structure
partnering high calibre international hospitality
organisations in Singapore, Africa, Japan, India and
Dubai. MM
FOR MORE INFORMATION
n For more information email
info@tigerbillsfranchise.co.uk or visit
www.tigerbillsfranchise.co.uk.
More info: www.makingmoney.co.uk/r/4941