the Gores opted to use their combined personal savings of $160,000 to create the needed capital. Their startup costs for the store were approximately $210,000, which they used for the fee, inventory, equipment, and supplies.
Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill’s popular Jamaican-style beef patties, Jerk chicken, and Caribbean cuisine make it a much sought after franchising opportunity. The black-owned food service company is ranked 62 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list, with $58 million in sales in 2004. Golden Krust, which celebrated the opening of its 100th store this summer, has 95 black-owned units.
Small businesses are known for being integral parts of their communities, bringing strength to the local economy. Take a look at many franchise concepts and you will find franchisees providing jobs within their local communities. “We hire people from the community, in as much as we want to give that feeling of community,” says Gore. “That’s the whole purpose. We’re in a neighborhood.” His next push is to reach out to some local churches to offer assistance with some of their community events. “We have a lot of ideas that we want to explore and it’s all a matter of timing,” explains Gore, who constantly seeks ideas on how to establish closer ties with local residents.
Mickle’s Athlete’s Foot store is no exception. She hired seven students from local colleges and high schools that have work-study programs. Mickle notes that the students attend classes that teach them how to interview, how to conduct themselves while they’re at work, and how to keep track of the time that they worked. Mickle praises the program because “you have another adult in their life that is reinforcing why basic timeliness, grammar, and how you conduct yourself is important.”
B.E.’s 2005 Franchise Honor Roll