Puckles Family Bakehouse has launched a new franchise offer in response to a market trend that’s seeing more ‘first timers’ entering the bakery and café franchise sector.

Owned and managed by the Plarre family, of Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses, Puckles has opened four stores in Queensland after launching in December 2011. Products on offer include home-style cakes, savouries, party food and celebration cakes, as well as barista coffee.

Director Steve Plarre said the business is based on a model geared for simplicity and as a result, is attracting the majority of its interest from people new to franchising.

“There’s a clear trend toward people seeking more independence in their lives and we knew we had to create a franchise approach that would support people who may have no business or retail experience,” Steve said.

“We provide a full training program at no extra cost. Quality training from the start is a huge influence over a franchisee’s success and it’s critical to giving potential franchisees more confidence.”

The training program equips franchisees to manage the final stages of baking and finishing in-store, creating fresh products without the space or skill needed to start from scratch.

In the face of a widespread retail downturn, Puckles has also reassessed its financial model.

“Franchisees are looking for more value in a tight economy,” Steve said.

“When we first started Puckles we planned to franchise via a royalty system and quickly realised that our biggest point of difference would be having no royalties. It’s a practical way to create a strong profit base for the business while giving our franchisees more control over their own profit – and the feedback on our ‘no royalty’ offer has been very positive.”

Puckles’ bakery model ensures fresh products for customers without the hurdle of needing skilled pastry chefs and bakers in-store.

“Everything Puckles sells is made 100 per cent in-house. It’s unique in the market to have a franchisor that’s also your baker – with nothing outsourced,” Steve said.

“It gives us full control over our supply chain, the quality of our ingredients and product innovation. With the right training and support that’s how we ensure a consistently excellent product range.”