Java Brands Born Out Of Retsol Restructuring
Posted on 15. Feb, 2010 by admin in Uncategorized
Quick service restaurant group Retsol has restructured its business to optimise growth and fine-tune the development and management of well-known brands Ola Milky Lane, Juicy Lucy, Chicken King and Corner Bakery.
As of February 1, 2010, the Corner Bakery business will continue be supported by Retsol, while the holding company supporting the Ola Milky Lane, Juicy Lucy and Chicken King brands and responsible for the newly introduced Java Heights Specialty Coffee brand will be known as Java Brands (Pty) Ltd.
“During 2009, the Retsol management team recognised the need for greater focus and improved efficiencies, hence the split of management responsibilities between the Corner Bakery business and the Ola Milky Lane, Juicy Lucy and Chicken King brands. This decision proved effective, resulting in a seamless split and an improved support structure for the respective business units. Going forward, the businesses will be run independently. This makes it necessary to trade under separate identities,” explained Craig MacKenzie who will head up Java Brands.
Craig MacKenzie (left) and Claus Kuhl
MacKenzie, a pioneer in the fast food sector and a franchising guru, co-founded pizza giant Debonairs Pizza in 1991. He believes the key to growth in this sector is constant innovation and strong management support for the growing network of Ola Milky Lane and Juicy Lucy, particularly with the ice cream franchise being rolled out across southern Africa.
Juicy Lucy, a franchise which introduced South Africans to healthy eating in the early 1970’s, is now owned by Java Brands. The Ola brand falls under fast moving consumer goods giant Unilever. Unilever bought out the Milky Lane franchise in 2003 and brought Retsol on board to manage the business. Java Brands will continue to manage this rapidly expanding brand that also holds the enviable accolade of being one of South Africa’s oldest franchises.
MacKenzie said that, with the growing diversity in the number of brands under the wider Retsol banner, it was imperative to revise the company’s structure and create a highly focused management team.
He confirmed that Estelle Botha would remain as financial director while Shanon MacKenzie had been appointed standards director. She will apply her considerable operational skills across all platforms of the business with a view to optimising efficiencies. The team, which has embraced the recent changes with enthusiasm, will be headed by managing director Claus Kuhl, who is recognised as a hands-on manager who leads by example.
Up until February, Kuhl was general manager of Ola Milky Lane. He brings considerable experience within the food and hotel sector to this new position. This includes a stint as a highly successful Debonairs Pizza franchisee and, ultimately, as managing director of the Debonairs Pizza brand. He joined Ola Milky Lane six years ago and was instrumental in not only relaunching the brand but also doubling turnover.
MacKenzie pointed out that this opportunity to create a more intimate company culture co-incided with the introduction of a sophisticated web-based enterprise management system that would see Java Brands migrating towards a completely paperless and seamless system within a very short space of time.
“It’s highly automated and will ensure better management. This system allows for better reporting and evaluation and provides meaningful benchmarks, online training and examinations. For example, franchisees can do waiter tests online and get the results immediately. Franchise consultants can access reports immediately and present franchisees with online evaluations, as well as the ability to benchmark against other outlets.”
Although others in the industry are beginning to introduce similar systems, Java Brands is at the forefront of this technology in South Africa, according to MacKenzie