Eat-Drink in one Cup – Kerrimo

Kerrimo; pronounced as “ke-ree-moh” in Filipino is a short for “carry mo” (you can carry it). It has a more persuasive meaning: ‘you can do it!’ or ‘you can handle it!’; which is meant to stand out and indicate that anything is possible. In this interview with Mohit Sharma – Director & Head – International Brand Development – Kerrimo, shares more about this fun, innovative and fast growing brand. The best part about this brand is that you can eat-n-drink-in-1 cup!

1. How did you enter the franchise business?

Being a M.Sc. graduate in International Strategic Marketing from the University of Glasgow, my interest area has always been the International movement of brand and businesses. I got an opportunity to work as an India Entry consultant with a leading Franchise Consulting Firm and ended up leading the Asia Pacific region with them in the field.

2. Where and how did the idea of your concept come from?

The original concept was launched in the Philippines almost 12 years back and was inspired by the growing interest towards French fries and snacking keeping in mind the fast-paced lifestyle. At the same time, we wanted to combine the fun of snacking with the ease of doing it, making it hassle-free. Hence, Kerrimo was born!

3. What inspired the brand name?

Kerrimo, in Filipino, stands for “Carry on” or “Carry more”. The idea was to make the concept conveyed to the target audience. The concept was useful in conveying the message that you can always enjoy your favorite snack while carrying it at the same time, and don’t just be limited to snacks, you can carry more, and add a drink to it.

4. What is the story behind the brand’s logo?

Our first and foremost objective was to keep it simple and fun. We wanted our logo to be lively and vibrant. It represents our key USP i.e. fries coming out of a cup with a straw to sip into the refreshing beverage underneath. Different colors symbolizes fun, diversity and optimism.

5. What makes your brand different from your competitors?

The brand holds a patent on its ergonomically customized concept of Eat-Drink-In-One-Cup; fondly known as “Delicious Double Decker” which takes the hassle out of handling cutlery and multiple food holders. The menu offers a wide range of vegetarian & non-vegetarian options for quick bites paired with French fries and a drink that goes inside Kerrimo’s signature packaging. The brand is also open to a local flavor profiles to enhance regional appeal.

Primarily focused on a millennial audience, who bank on the utility of convenient and curated snacking on the go, Kerrimo’s hassle-free Double Deckers delivers what today’s fast-track generation needs-to combine a comprehensive work-leisure experience as one. Therefore the brand is unique, affordable and easy to operate franchise model. Hence, highly scalable!

6. What are the essential qualities that you look for in a franchisee?

Clarity of starting a franchise business is a must. He/She should have answer to a “why” they want to start a business. Someone who’s ready to be involved and evolve.

We have a great track record of our franchisees eventually growing to become a multi-unit franchise, which is primarily due to the fact that they have remained involved in the business very seriously in the first 2 years at least. This has helped them to add more stores to their first store.

7. How long does it take, in an average, for your franchisee to realize their investment?

It takes around 13-15 months on an average, and it reduces to 8-10 months if the store has high-footfall and other important metrics like smooth operations, low rentals, less wastage, regular auditing, and optimization in place.

8. What was the major challenge you faced in your career, and how did you overcome it?

Working with people from diverse cultural and regional backgrounds

I overcame the challenges by finding out as much information as possible about them and identifying the points of their inspiration and concerns. Accordingly, I developed a way to address them.

Also, one strategy that I swear by-Always have a Plan-B or a contingency plan ready as the chances of your original plan backfiring are very high in most of the cases.

8.1 What is your best achievement?

My best achievement is yet to come!

9. How does your business day start?

The day usually starts with scanning all the latest customer reviews about our brand across relevant platforms. We take feedback, comments, and suggestions very seriously. It gives us a direction on what the guests want and work towards it. And right before the start of the operations, I discuss the focus areas of the day/week in the group chats of my partners so that we stay relevant and hit the monthly targets.

10. What was your best moment throughout your franchise career?

This will of course be our first overseas store opening outside the Philippines, which was in India, in early September-2020. It was almost like living in a dream.

11. Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?

Over the next 5 years, we intend to realize Kerrimo’s presence in at least 4 countries and have close to 300 operational stores all across.

12. Any tips you want to impart to our readers who want to be in the franchise industry?

It’s an amazing place to be in if you intend to build something on your own or become self-reliant. Like any other business, being a Franchise owner can be rewarding as well as tiring at times, but you have to have patience and faith in the brand. By purchasing a franchise, you get a turnkey business that is ready and waiting for you to take the reins. Be patient and persistent and the rewards will follow. If you are good at following directions, detail-oriented, comfortable with established systems, and taking the ownership of the brand, then this set-up is for you!

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