As a “hands-on” operations driven company, Hotshots has a lot of history and knows what it takes to operate a sports bar & grill. As a Hotshots franchisee, you will benefit from this dedicated experience and knowledge. We view each franchisee as an extension of the Hotshots family, and their success is our top priority. It is essential for us to provide attention to each franchisee to help them achieve their maximum potential. With our Corporate Support Team providing this attention.
Pre-Opening Guide
Once you sign your franchise agreement, each franchisee has a designated opening specialist who works with them during the initial phases of every project. Your dedicated opening specialist will provide you with the Hotshots pre-opening guide and is there for you every step of the way from site selection, to construction, to opening.
The pre-opening guide is the roadmap to opening your new Hotshots location. This guide will provide weekly step-by-step instructions of what needs to be accomplished each week on how to run a bar, doing it in a timely and efficient manner. Your opening specialist works with you to answer any questions and ensure we stay on track with the opening process.
Real Estate
Site selection and lease negotiations are significant parts of the franchise opening process. Once your franchise agreement is signed, and financing is in place, our team will work with you to find the perfect fit for your new location. Our real estate team will first do an in-depth analysis of all the available lots in the market that meet our site criteria. Next, we narrow that search to all of the locations within a 30-minute drive of your home. We want to ensure that your first location is convenient for you.
Once we have identified several great locations, our team will make visits to personally evaluate each site. Together, we will visit and discuss the pros and cons of each location. Ultimately we want to narrow it down to an area we all feel has the best probability to maximize the return on investment.
After identifying the best locations, we will submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) on your behalf, addressing all the main business points required. Depending on the market and the number of desirable locations, we may choose to submit multiple LOI’s. This allows us to compare various options and identify the best probability to maximize the return on investment.
Once we’ve narrowed it down to the best option, we’ll negotiate and finalize the main deal points. From there, your attorney will secure the lease negotiations with the property landlord based on the LOI and your attorney’s recommendations.
Construction
Each franchisee will be assigned a dedicated project manager during the opening process. The Hotshots project manager will work closely with the architect, contractor, and you to ensure your location is opened in a timely and cost-efficient manner. We find many franchisees are very excited to own a Hot franchise opportunity, but few want to learn how to be a project manager or construction supervisor. Our team doesn’t want you to learn how to build a Hotshots, but instead on how to open a bar and operate it succesfully. Our team has countless years of experience, making numerous Hotshots locations. They are incredibly familiar with the in’s and out’s of the construction process.
Building a beautiful location and minimizing speed bumps during the construction process starts with choosing a great architect. We have a recommended architect who is experienced in developing blueprints based on the Hotshots construction manual. Using an architect who is familiar with our brand will minimize the chances of costly construction mistakes.
During the developmental phase, we will work together to assess potential construction companies to build your location(s). Once we have blueprints from the architect, we will submit these to the recognized companies for bids. As the proposals come in, we will work together in evaluating, questioning, and comparing them side by side. Keep in mind, the cheapest bid is not always the best, but neither is the most expensive.
While you’re attending training, our project manager will be communicating with the contractor on site as well as the chosen construction company to ensure the project is running smoothly. We find this to be a massive relief to our franchisees, allowing them to focus on training and operating a Hotshots instead of worry about the construction phase.
Franchise Training
Before opening your Hotshots, all operational owners and managers will attend a six-week training program at multiple corporate training facilities. This is a hands-on training program to ensure you and your management team know every aspect of the operation from the back of the house to the front. Owners and general managers receive additional training regarding the financial requirements of the business, top bar trends in franchising, and more.
Each owner and manager will take a final test on each department. Once graduated from all training, the team will return to their location to complete any final tasks before opening.
A day prior to opening your Hotshots, our training team will arrive at your location. The Hotshots training team consists of members from each department. They will initially be leading each division, but will gradually turn the responsibilities over to your team. The Hotshots team will stay at your location for a minimum of one week. This is to ensure a seamless transition into operations.
Operational Support
During day-to-day operations, questions and situations may arise that you will need assistance with. Our dedicated support specialists have years of hands-on experience and are available daily to assist you. Hotshots’ belief in an excellent support system is key to a franchisee’s success! Our support personnel are hand-selected people who have worked for Hotshots for several years. Simply put, they are the best that our operation has to offer, and will be with you every step of the way.
Marketing Support
Our marketing department is also in full support of each franchisee. With almost three decades in operation, we’ve certainly seen times change in the marketing world. Part of our success is adapting our marketing to the current environment. We have a complete annual marketing plan that includes traditional media like radio, print, and TV as well as web and social media. And it’s simple to implement for each bar franchise.
In addition to traditional marketing and advertising, we will also teach you the ins and outs of in-store marketing. This includes weekly promotions, pool and dart leagues, on-site promotions and events, as well as spontaneous promotions and tournaments. We try to provide these types of entertainment when significant sporting events aren’t being televised. Our customers come to us to have fun, and it is our job to create that atmosphere, all day every day!
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