Recent CEO Interview with Edmund Woo, Saskatoon Steakhouse Franchise Restaurants

Edmund Woo spent his entire life in the restaurant industry.  He was in his twenties when he decided to get serious about being a restaurateur.   After reading about the restaurateur he admired, Chicago’s legendary Richard Melman, he picked up the phone and called until he got through to Melman himself.  He asked Richard Melman if he could come to Chicago; follow him around in order to learn from him.  Admiring his initiative, Melman agreed and provided him with generous mentoring and advice.  Edmund continued to learn from the successes and failures in the restaurant industry – both his own and that of others.  The Saskatoon Steakhouse Franchise concept is his crowning achievement, incorporating the elements that create a highly appealing franchise opportunity for the operator and a unique and fulfilling dining experience for the customer.

Tell us about Saskatoon Steakhouse Franchise:
The Saskatoon Steakhouse franchise is the culmination of all my years of experience in the restaurant business, a lot of trial and error and fine-tuning.

A top franchise, the SASKATOONÒ Steakhouse Franchise is a dinner only casual fine dining steakhouse franchise/seafood franchise serving Steaks, Fish and Wild Game in a captivating décor of a North woods lodge. To be a top franchise, Franchisees need a unique brand image. For example, how many sandwich franchise opportunities or coffee franchise opportunities or pizza franchise opportunities are out there?  There are tons of sandwich franchise opportunities and coffee franchise opportunities and pizza opportunities, right?  With so many of these sandwich franchise opportunities and coffee franchise opportunities and pizza opportunities, how can they be the best franchise opportunities? Now, tell me, how many truly unique franchise opportunities that the uniqueness would make it a top franchise or the best franchise have you seen?

The SASKATOONÒ Steakhouse Franchise menu offers unique wild game dishes such as wild boar with peppercorn or hickory-grilled Emu or Elk tenderloin, herb-roasted Pheasant, and Kangaroo Steak.  While most of the menu offerings are of tamer fare, from Sizzling’ Rainbow Trout (like a Seafood Franchise) and Campfire Chicken to aged, hand-carved beefsteaks, the wild game offerings generate substantial word-of-mouth advertising and memorable experiences. Heck, one of our best sellers currently is a 14 ounce Yak Rib eye, farm raised in Nebraska!  Is that not so unique that this Steakhouse Franchise with the best menu selections from a Seafood Franchise would be the top franchise or the best franchise in most areas?

Why dinner only? I realized that the problem with most restaurants was that long hours took their toll on the operator’s quality of life, draining the passion for the restaurant franchise business right out of the operator, which typically makes most restaurant franchises or food franchises not good small business opportunities for the operator.  Furthermore, many hours were financially unproductive.  I designed the Saskatoon Steakhouse Franchise concept to focus solely on the productive dinner hours, thereby reducing staffing and administration to a single shift.  With just one shift, the operator can maintain both his passion for the business as well as his quality of life, truly a good small business opportunity!

A sports bar franchise would be an example of a restaurant franchise or food franchise that has long hours. For instance, a sports bar franchise would typically be opened for lunch, mid day, dinner and late night. In many markets, a sports bar franchise would be opened for seven days a week! Compare the four shifts of a sports bar franchise with the one shift of a Saskatoon Steakhouse Franchise! Which would have a better quality of life?

How did you settle on the lodge theme? People want to escape when they dine out.  They want to be transported to a different place and time. Our SASKATOONÒ Steak Franchise dining lodge décor has recreated the look and feel of a Northwest lodge, filled with beautiful pine wood ceiling beams, wall coverings, and furnishings.  Dining at SASKATOONÒ Steak Franchise provides a total experience, and a welcome break from everyday routines.

What are the capital requirements for your opportunity? Based on retrofitting existent restaurant spaces, the capital investment ranges from $260,000 to $350,000 depending on the location.  Many of the franchisees we’re talking to make an initial investment of $150,000 to $250,000 and SBA the rest of it.

What kind of locations would work for a Saskatoon? The SASKATOONÒ
Steak Franchise concept will work in less costly locations – The uniqueness of the concept and the creative marketing programs make  the SASKATOON Steak Franchise viable as a destination location, unlike generic casual-theme restaurants that require higher visibility, higher dollar locations!

It’s a concept that could be adapted for large cities or even very small towns, and could be a perfect addition to a hotel or resort.  It’s a truly innovative concept with opportunities as vast the great outdoors!

Why should a potential franchisee consider a new franchisor like Saskatoon Steak Franchise rather than go with one who’s been around, for a while like an Outback Franchise? Many reasons.  First, unlike the Outback Franchise, there’s vast growth potential: many prime territories and locations still available for a Saskatoon Steak Franchise.  Also, they’ll get personal attention because they’ve joined us at the most exciting stage of growth.  Unlike a large steak franchise like Outback, they’ll learn directly from the founders of the company and get the full benefit of our undiluted vision and personal guidance. And, because we’re a smaller franchise opportunities company, we’re more agile in seizing new opportunities and can adapt to trends much faster than larger companies like the Outback Franchise.  Moreover, because we’re smaller, we have much less bureaucracy.  We know our franchisees by name, not store number!  Finally, as an early franchisee, their opinion and input is highly valued.  Their success is integral to our growth as a top franchise opportunity.

For these same reasons, the Saskatoon Steak Franchise would be a good minority franchise or a good minority small business. Many times a minority business person wants an extra edge (besides an indomitable work ethic) in the minority franchise or minority small business that select as the best franchise for them. The uniqueness of the Saskatoon Steak Franchise along with the comprehensive infrastructure and operating manuals and training systems makes it the best franchise for a minority franchise or minority small business.

What’s the key for an interest franchisee looking to get into the steak franchise restaurant business? A number of things: Is the concept unique to your market?  Does it fit the demographics of your market?  How many hours will you be open for?  A business should provide for you financially and allow you the time to live your life.  Make sure that you’re not buying a job!

The key is doing what makes you happy.  You’ve got to have passion for the food franchise and restaurant franchise business.  You got to love dealing with people, whether they be customers or your employees.  Just like me, there are many restaurant franchise opportunities where I could never pull a shift at, but to go into Saskatoon Steak Franchise where the place is filled with regular customers enjoying great unique food served by a staff of service professionals, it’s a rewarding environment…it is the best franchise opportunity!