Australia Franchises
Jessica Sutta (PussyCat Dolls)
Hard Rock Cafe Darling Harbour Media And Celebs Event; Sydney, Australia by Eva Rinaldi
The world famous Hard Rock Cafe has returned to ‘Sin City’ Sydney with a vengeance, based on tonight’s launch event at the brand new Darling Harbour venue.
Hard Rock put on quite a show and rolled out the celebrities and live music including: Hamish Dodds, Matt Sorum, Dave Rich, DJ Lethal, Stan Walker, Angry Anderson, L Huntly, Sarah McLoed, Hamish Rosser, Altiyan Childs, Kris Peterson and Stim McLean. Most of them had turns smashing guitars, which is a trademark of opening new Hard Rock Cafes.
We all know that the cost of living and setting up a business in Sydney is considerable, but Hard Rock is certain their latest Australian venture will be a smashing (as in guitar) success. Sydney is one of the busiest markets anywhere globally for the Hard Rock Cafe, says the global chief of the music-themed burgers and ribs franchise.
Hamish Dodds, prez and chief exec of Hard Rock International, advised staffing costs down under in Australia make Hard Rock’s Sydney operations expensive compared with other global locations, and they are comparing to its other 172 venues which include cafes, hotels and even land based casinos. Yes, casinos, but Australia’s The Star and Crown Casino need not worry, as they have no plans for gaming in Australia – at least not any they are talking about.
Hard Rock International is owned by the well known and respected Seminole American Indian tribe, which purchased the global Hard Rock brand in 2007 after successfully running two Hard Rock hotel and casino operations in Florida in the U.S.
"For us this is an English-speaking country and people understand the history of rock," Mr Dodds said in Sydney on Tuesday ahead of the grand opening of the 500-seat venue in the Darling Harbour entertainment hotbed.
"Part of the downside of this market is it’s a mature economy – staffing costs in this market are very different to what we would experience in India.
"I would say the price mark-up here is about 50 per cent higher than the US – this is probably one of the most expensive markets we have in our portfolio."
Mr Dodds advised the Sydney Hard Rock Cafe was priced at a similar level to comparable restaurants in the area and he expected business to be brisk, averaging between 300 to 700 main meals a day.
Sydney would be among the top ten performers in the global network, he said, and among the top five of franchised outlets.
Tonight signified a return to Sydney for the Hard Rock franchise, which closed its previous venue in East Sydney in 2007.
Mr Dodds said Hard Rock had returned to Sydney with a revised and smarter strategy.
He said the former business was in a great location for the 1980s when the brand was fresh and people would go to the Hard Rock Cafe.
"Copycats harmed Hard Rock’s own business and the market changed to the point where we found ourselves in a B minus location and to a degree we lost a bit of relevance", Mr Dodds said.
The firm bought back its Sydney franchise in 2007 and has been revived by director and franchise holder Lennie Huntly, former GM of the Sydney business during the 90s.
Mr Huntly, who also holds the franchise for the Hard Rock Cafe in Surfers Paradise, said he had been thinking about re-opening a Sydney Hard Rock Cafe since the last one closed.
The waterfront location and views over Darling Harbour are a huge plus and soon a live music stage and 600-person music area will be rocking and rolling.
"We are focused on not only being about lunch and dinner," he said.
Mr Huntly also has the rights to open venues in Melbourne, Cairns and Perth. Melbourne’s former venue closed in 2007, but that doesn’t mean it will return with a hit.
Well done to the good folks at Hard Rock Cafe and we look forward to meeting up with the great guys and girls there again soon. Rock on.
Websites
Hard Rock Cafe International
www.hardrock.com
Darling Harbour official website
www.darlingharbour.com
Guns and Roses
www.gunsnroses.com
Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr
www.flickr.com/evarinaldiphotography
Eva Rinaldi Photography
www.evarinaldi.com
Media Man News
www.mediamannews.com
Music News Australia
www.musicnewsaustralia.com
Subway Franchise Information and Costs
Article by Brian Ernst
Sandwich shops are everywhere, but very few of these establishments carry reputable brand recognition such as Subway. In 1965, two young men opened a sandwich shop with just a few thousand dollars as investment. Both men hoped to earn enough money from this venture to pay their tuition fees for college. Just like other businesses, the sandwich shop struggled during the first couple of years, but the sales somehow took off after some time. That was when they changed the name of the shop from “Pete’s Super Submarines” to “Subway”. Subway franchise opportunities were introduced in 1974, and these now rank at the top of almost every franchise service ratings in the market. Subway excels at categories like franchisee satisfaction, best training program, and customer loyalty. As a successfully created niche in the sandwich industry, Subway continues to develop its menu; its fresh and delicious salad selections provide a remarkable share in the company’s overall revenue. The owners’ mere thousand-dollar initial investment surely paid off very well.
Subway Franchise Information
As of today, there are about 21,000 Subway franchises in the United States alone, 2,300 locations in Canada, and more than 5,500 in 80 other countries around the world. The parent company does not own any franchises, which means that franchisees no longer compete with the home office for market share or sales. Based on the number of franchisee applications that the company receives each year, Subway proves to be a popular option among aspiring and determined entrepreneurs. All successful franchisee applicants residing in the United States receive two weeks extensive training at Subway’s headquarters in Connecticut. Outside the country, training facilities are available in Canada, India, China, Australia, and Germany. Subway franchisees learn operational methodology, basic management skills, as well as business concepts in these training facilities. This franchise acts as a training ground for owners to perfect the role of a sandwich artist. Sixty five percent of all franchise owners manage more than one location, with at least six to ten staff for each unit. If you want additional franchise information, you can get it at the official Subway website.
Continuous Support for Owners of Subway Franchises
All new owners of a franchise receive continuous training. This is inclusive in the franchise fee. The training covers field operation evaluations, monthly newsletters, opening assistance, as well as customer service support. Marketing and promotion plays a very important role in a Subway franchise. Its ad campaigns are truly remarkable and memorable that they become part of the social fabric. When buying this franchise, you take advantage of the co-op advertising program, regional coupon mailing, and national marketing strategies that specifically target customers in a particular location.
Subway Franchise Cost and Fees
All franchise opportunities you find in the market today require an upfront payment to franchisors. Subway is no exception to this fact, but compared to other franchises, its franchise fee is quite reasonable. To buy a franchise location, you need to pay an initial franchise fee of only ,000. The company estimates a total investment that ranges between ,000 and 0,000. Differences in figures are due to the varied real estate prices in different states and countries. You need to have a net worth of at least ,000 and a cash liquidity of ,000 to 0,000. The Subway Corporation offers in-house financing to cover the franchise fee as well as the equipment you need to purchase. Third party financing is also available if you need additional capital for start-up costs.
Don Knotts 4 Movie Reluctant Hero Pack (The Ghost And Mr. Chicken / The Reluctant Astronaut / The Shakiest Gun In The West / The Love God?)
Australia Franchises – click on the image below for more information.
Australia Franchises
He’s one of the most popular and admired funnymen of all time, a master of comic timing and physical humor. Now four of the classic films starring the delightful Don Knotts are available on DVD for the first time in this fun-filled collector’s set. After catapulting to national fame as the often impossible but ever lovable Deputy Barney Fife on TV’s The Andy Griffith Show, Knotts set out to conquer the silver screen in a series of unforgettable feature films. Now four of these hilarious farces
Don Knotts 4 Movie Reluctant Hero Pack (The Ghost And Mr. Chicken / The Reluctant Astronaut / The Shakiest Gun In The West / The Love God?)
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FST, MCD, DD, HRB – Notable Stocks with Volume at NYSE
Australia Franchises
McDonald's Corporation franchises and operates McDonald's restaurants in the global restaurant industry. These restaurants serve a varied, limited, value-priced menu in more than 100 countries around the world. All restaurants are operated either by it …
Australia Franchises question by john: Do They Sell Nike Sb’s In Australia?
I’ve seen them in small skating shops but no big franchises i don’t know if they actually sell them here?
Australia Franchises best answer:
Answer by soul
Normally big franchises don’t have them because Nike SB are only sold in selected limited shops. The best ways to find is here http://www.nike.com/nikeskateboarding/v3/storefinder.html. or to ask locals who have the shoes. but now a days most people buy online its cheaper and easier. good luck. nike sb’s are the bomb!
Four classic Don Knotts comedies from the late 1960s,
Don Knotts is a national treasure, one of the most naturally gifted comic actors the world has ever seen. As big a Don Knotts fan as I have always been, and as many times as I have seen all of the old episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, I had actually never seen any of Knotts’ classic comedies from the late 1960s. This Reluctant Hero Pack has helped alleviate this problem. Sure, I could have spent four times as much money and acquired each of these four films on individual DVDs, but frugality is one of the many small-town American virtues Don Knotts’ characters usually embodied. These films have been compressed so that they will all fit on one double-sided DVD, but there is nothing wrong with the picture quality of this disk whatsoever. It’s not like you’re missing out on any special features on the individual offerings, either; unfortunately, there are also next to no special features on this Reluctant Hero pack – all you get are three of the four films’ trailers. Still, what matters are the films themselves, and you’re guaranteed to have over six and a half hours of unadulterated laughter with these four Don Knotts classics.
The four films included here are not necessarily Don Knotts’ best four movies, but each of them is hilarious. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken puts Don Knotts inside a haunted house overnight. Remember how funny that haunted house episode of The Andy Griffith Show was? Well, this film is even funnier. It also features the lovely Joan Staley as the object of affection of Knotts’ character. His character, by the way, is a truly reluctant hero, one whose heroics and honesty are put to an extreme test. Then you have The Reluctant Astronaut, which I consider to be the funniest of the four films included here. Knotts plays a grown man who goes off – very reluctantly – to become an astronaut – despite the fact that he is terrified of heights. Once he gets to Houston, he finds out his job is actually that of a janitor rather than a spaceman, and he is forced to live a lie because he is afraid to admit the truth to his proud father. Just when everything falls apart for him, though, he gets the chance to put everything right – if he can muster up the courage to answer the heroic call.
The Shakiest Gun in the West pits Knotts in the role of a newly graduated dentist who goes West to spread oral hygiene along the frontier. Along the way, he finds himself suddenly married to a mysterious redhead with all sorts of secrets. Despite his obvious weaknesses in the gun-fighting department (they call this film The Shakiest Gun in the West for a reason), he finds himself celebrated as a fierce Indian-killer and hero of the West. At the time, he doesn’t realize how undeserving he is of the respect he garners, but he does get the chance to prove himself a true hero in the end.
The last of the four films included here, The Love God, is unlike any other Don Knotts film. This was a film way ahead of its time, as it addresses issues of sexual behavior and censorship head-on in an hysterically satirical manner. Knotts plays a timid publisher of a bird magazine who somehow ends up becoming famous as the country’s premier playboy and smut peddler, the very standard bearer of the forces of the sexual revolution. This film has garnered a retroactive PG-13 rating, so it is not quite the true family film that the three other movies are, but there is nothing here that the most sheltered five-year-old hasn’t already seen and heard in this day and age.
Why am I even trying to give a quick description of these films? This is, after all, Don Knotts we’re talking about, so you know good and well these movies are basically guaranteed to be hilarious. Don’t deny yourself – especially at this price – of the enjoyment of four classic films from one of America’s funniest and most beloved comic actors.
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|Don’t be reluctant about grabbing up the Don!,
This DVD is a true bargain compiling 4 of Don Knotts’ most popular films onto one nicely priced disc! This DVD collects 4 of the 5 films that Knotts made in the 60s where he had the lead role (the exception being 1964′s “The Incredible Mr. Limpet”). The DVD is a flip disc with two films on each side. Side A has “The Ghost & Mr. Chicken” and “The Reluctant Astronaut”, while side B has “The Shakiest Gun in the West” and “The Love God?”. Another great aspect is that these films are in chronological order of original release from 1966-1969. In other words, these 4 films were released back to back. For those that are fans of Knotts’ films or the live action Disney films of the 60s & 70s, these will be a rare treat to own. Great fun, exceptable for the entire family (with the possible exception of “The Love God?” which contains some mild adult humor, obviously tame by today’s standard, but still maybe inappropriate for some ages). Knotts plays almost the same character in every film and just as the title of the set implies, he is at first reluctant, then the hero. For those unfamiliar with the films, here are some very brief plots:
Side A
The Ghost & Mr. Chicken (1966) – Knotts is Luther Heggs, a local wanna be reporter who stays a night in the local haunted house on a dare. After Arthur witnesses some spooky happenings, no one believes him, including his boss George Beckett (Dick Sargent). It’s up to Arthur to prove to the town that the old house has a ghost. Considered to be one of Knott’s most successful films.
The Reluctant Astronaut (1967) – Knotts stars as Roy Fleming, employee at the local carnival where he dresses up as an astronaut. After his Dad sends his application to NASA, Roy is actually contacted, but to be a janitor! Luckily Major Fred Gifford (Leslie Nielsen with dark hair!) gives him a big chance to take a test flight into space. Classic stuff.
Side B
The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968) – from the same director as Mr. Chicken, Knotts plays Dr. Jesse W. Heywood, a nervous dentist who you’d think would be the last guy to get involved with gun selling bad guys. Along the way he meets a beautiful sharpshooting outlaw, Penelope ‘Bad Penny’ Cushings (Barbara Rhodes). You might call this film a precursor to the Apple Dumpling Gang films where Knotts starred alongside Tim Conway.
The Love God? (1969) – definitely the most unique in the bunch because of it’s subject matter. Knotts plays Abner Audubon Peacock, owner of Peacock Magazine for bird watchers. Abner himself is a bird watcher and is on the verge of losing his magazine when a second party offers to help him keep publishing it. While Abner is away collecting photos for his return issue, he arrives home to find his magazine is being used to publish pornography! For me this was the most enjoyable only because I had never seen it and watching Knotts within the context of the subject was hilarious. Again the humor is mostly for young adults and older here, the film was actually rerated PG-13 while all three other films are NR or G ratings.
I highly recommend the set to fans of the genre or style. For Don Knotts fans it’s a no brainer. 4 great films on one low priced DVD. I can tell you all four films look and sound great. Also recommended with Don Knotts:
The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)
The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)
Gus (1976)
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979)
Private Eyes (1981) – My personal favorite!
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