The Micro Franchise
Most food franchise companies have
started moving past the idea of having actual restaurant locations in
many places in the City. The cost of maintaining, staffing and
supplying a location in the lower levels is not only expensive but at
time dangerous as well. Delivery drivers may pass right through a
street turned warzone or have their entire shipment hijacked from
underneath them. So they kept the stores in he high end and low crime
areas and everything else went to micro franchising.
They basically made it dirt cheap to
buy into the company as a business owner. That person is then
responsible for providing their own location with little to no
constraints by the contract. Also they have to pick their supplies up
at designated locations, usually a small guarded warehouse that may
supply up to a hundred or more micros.
This has created a huge market of
entrepreneurs selling name brand food out of carts, food trucks, pop
up stands and some even sell out of a window in their home as a 'walk
thru' experience. While some may gain an actual building or
storefront to operate out of they are becoming more rare. Everything
is being made to be eaten on the go instead of any sort of dine-in
with seating.
Another side effect is that it has
created a turf war in many areas. Since nearly anyone can get a
franchise permit there are areas saturated with franchisees and a
struggle for customers begins. Except in the City this has led to
assaults and bloodshed. There have been many cases of stronger owners
outright killing their competition to keep their foothold.
But hey at least you can get your ten
pack of hard shells at Doc Tacos on nearly any street while on your
way down to deal with some two foot rats that are chewing wires
outside an old stadium.
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