Setting our sites on expansion isn't easy

Following our recent management team meeting we decided to make a concerted effort to find suitable sites for expansion.

Our previous reliance on property agents hasn't been very successful, so I have been pounding the streets of our favoured towns looking for empty property or closing down sales. Too late, the maiden cried, as one after another vacant site had just been taken.

A few days later my phone rang and an agent told me his deal had fallen through and asked if I was still interested. We had another good look at the shop, measured it, and decided that while it was not an ideal shape, it was in a great location and so would be OK.

We have now started the no doubt tortuous negotiation towards acquiring the premises. There's many a slip, but it looks promising.

Susan & I had a couple of days in London last week - business and pleasure. One of the business reasons was to visit the offices of Durand, the Arcoroc glassware people, to look at their range with a view to replacing our existing glassware. They were incredibly helpful and agreed to send samples of the ranges we were interested in.

That was on Thursday and on the following Monday the samples arrived from France. I can think of other suppliers who could learn from Durand!

Another reason was to view the contents of the Dome before the auction the following week. All was going well until the tube ground to a halt just before Canary Wharf.

An hour later we arrived at the station and were instructed to "de-train" because the line had been closed. It was agreed that London Transport would provide a taxi to take us to North Greenwich, but after some 20 minutes' wait we decided to give up.

We have been considering franchising the business for some time but were unsure how to proceed. Enter the franchise consultant, who would advise us on costs and whether it was viable.

It didn't take long to be told that £50,000 wouldn't go very far towards start-up costs and that we would need seven or eight franchisees before any sort of critical mass could be achieved. For £50k we can almost fit out a new restaurant and make a profit from day one, which on the face of it looks much more attractive.

Exit franchise consultant, unless you know better?

JOHN DOWNS is managing director of Lincoln-based Jay-Dees Family Restaurants

Next diary from John Downs: 19 April