Healthy Food Franchise Opportunities

We live in a world that’s increasingly focused on well-being. Many people look for healthy food franchises that can become their new daily destinations, places that support them as they work to pursue health-conscious lifestyles.

In recent years, Americans have been trying to eat healthier. Yet most people are not willing to sacrifice flavor for nutrition, thus creating the ultimate dieter’s dilemma: to eat what’s healthy or to eat what tastes good? Fortunately, this creates an opportunity for healthy food franchises to make healthier food both flavorful and fresh.

While the market is right for healthy franchises, it is important to understand the basics of consumer and market demand before finding the franchise opportunity that is best for you and your community.

But, what is a healthy restaurant franchise?

And, which one could be right for a potential owner who wants to become part of this growing business sector?

This article examines the key questions future franchise owners should ask when they look into healthy food franchises for 2023 and beyond.

• What is a healthy eating franchise?
• What kind of meals do they serve?
• What is the starting cost?

A franchise that understands the needs of modern customers, and has the approach, menu, and business model to lead the industry, can be the right option for prospective owners who want to plan for the future.

Here are the key questions you should ask when considering ownership in this exciting field.

What is a Healthy Food Franchise?

Healthy restaurant franchises are food chains specialized in delivering meals high in vitamins, antioxidants, quality proteins, fiber and overall business providing essential nutrition proposals.

By having established known hows and clear franchise processes, healthy franchise options manage to streamline across different locations a consistent healthy food proposal that appeals to a public that is health conscious.

This is the fundamental question that can put potential owners on the road to finding the most profitable healthy franchise that works for them. We encounter heart-smart and health-conscious food options every day, but what actually goes into them that puts them into the category?

Perhaps the best way to understand what a health-focused brand represents is to start by recognizing the typical franchise features it works to avoid.

What is not a healthy food franchise?

A non-healthy restaurant franchise is a business model characterized by delivering:

• High doses of saturated fats
• Foods charged in sodium
• Use of conservatives and colorants
• Food sources prioritizing quantity and not quality
• Use of refinated sugars
• A menu packed with alcoholic drinks
• Lack of fresh products and vegetables
• Limited dietary options

Non-healthy food franchise restaurants are those with limited choices for individuals with specific dietary needs, such as gluten-free or vegan options.

The overall menu may lack essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber, providing little nutritional benefit. These businesses rely heavily on processed foods and artificial additives, which can be detrimental to human health.

When people think of franchise restaurants, they likely imagine burgers, fries, and pizza — meals high in saturated fat, refined sugars, and sodium. It’s a model that’s dominated the restaurant scene for decades.

But that way of eating can lead to health concerns, and over time, a new, more health-centered dining approach has begun to lead the way.

Franchises that include options high in healthy fats and low in sugar, and that feature more plant-based foods like whole grains and vegetables, have begun to replace the traditional fast-food standbys across the country.

The Healthy Food Franchise Menu

Of particular interest to many potential owners has been the growth of Mediterranean franchise cuisine. It’s one of the segments of the health-food franchise industry that’s seen steady expansion, thanks in large part to a menu that can fit perfectly within a customer’s health-centered lifestyle.

What’s in this cuisine that makes it so well suited to appeal to health-conscious guests? For many customers, it’s the blend of amazing flavors and quality ingredients, in a variety of dishes that can delight the senses while helping diners feel good about what they eat.

Hummus, an Always Healthy Favorite

The classic Mediterranean dip and spread. Made from chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings, hummus has been a favorite starter dish for countless generations.

Hummus can be a great source of protein and promotes digestive health, steady blood sugar levels, and other key health benefits.

Shawarma: A Delicious and Nutritious Option for a Healthy Franchise

Shawarma is a mouthwatering and healthy option for franchise businesses looking to provide customers with delicious, nutritious food. With its tasty combination of meat, spices, and vegetables, shawarma is a popular choice for diners of all ages.

Additionally, owing to the versatility of this dish, it can be served in countless different styles and flavors depending on local tastes and preferences.

Its relatively low start-up costs also make it an attractive business model for franchise owners who are looking for ways to enter the healthy food industry without a large initial investment. Overall, if you’re looking for a tasty and healthy solution to your franchise needs, shawarma should definitely be at the top of your list!

Bowls: the Perfect Mediterranean Lunch

Bowls have been gaining in popularity for years, and offer healthy food franchise customers the same flavor and satisfaction as a wrap while allowing them to effectively manage their carb count. A bowl instead of a burger or pizza can be a tasty and convenient option for weight-conscious guests.

And bowls can be a versatile option, with vegetarian selections as well as dishes that keep the focus on lean beef, chicken, or fish.

What’s the Cost to Own a Healthy Food Franchise Today?

The cost of a healthy food franchise may vary depending on the size of the operation and the brand the investor is looking to acquire.

Shawarma Press averages the cost of a healthy food franchise around $200.000 to $500.000. This will all depend on the specific factors applied to each franchisee. If looking for a small operation, the cost can go below the $100.000, however, if the scope of the project is a large multiunit operation, it can rise above $1.000.000.

So far, we’ve seen that a healthy food franchise can connect owners with a growing market of health-focused customers along with a menu designed for modern business. Now we can turn to more practical considerations and look at the specifics of running a restaurant.

What goes into a profitable healthy food franchise, and what can the brand do to assist owners along the way?

To begin with, a franchise should be ready to step in and assist from the moment a potential owner connects with them. Starting the process requires experience and an understanding of what’s to come, and the brand can provide those essential ingredients.

The franchise can help future owners navigate the starting cost for healthy food franchises, and go a long way toward making the experience a smooth one.

And brand support shouldn’t end there. Franchise assistance can be invaluable in locating and securing the perfect location, building and equipping the restaurant to the brand’s specifications, and much more.

4 Healthy Food Franchise Trends in 2023

Now that we’ve covered all the basics related to healthy food franchises, let’s see how the market is welcoming this trend. Let’s start with these 4 steps and learn more about the healthy food franchises in 2023.

1. Demand for Healthier Dining Options

Recent consumer and restaurant industry research showed that consumers are not just eating out more than ever before, but also seeking out healthier dining options when they go out to eat. In fact, a recent survey found that 52% of consumers prefer to spend money on an experience, such as dining in a restaurant, over a material purchase.

Other food franchise opportunities facts:

• Americans Enjoy Food Franchises: In many cases, they’d prefer a restaurant that offers healthier fare. About 90% of consumers reported that going to restaurants and eating out is enjoyable.
  This claim is backed up by the most recent restaurant quick service and fast-casual industry statistics. Around 44% of Americans claimed to eat at fast food restaurants at least once per week, with six percent eating there daily.

• Healthy Food Franchise Opportunities Rank Between the First 3 Choice Factors: The same survey found that while taste and price remained the most important factors when it came to food and beverage decision-making, healthfulness came third with consumers ranking it above convenience and sustainability, meaning that the demand for healthy food franchise opportunities is higher than ever.
• Healthy Food Franchises are a Growing Trend: A survey by the National Restaurant Association found that 61% of diners said they are more likely to eat healthier at a restaurant than two years ago.  According to Forbes, global sales of health-oriented food products are estimated to be in excess of $1 trillion.
  This is likely due to a recent study that found that approximately 77% of Americans claim to be trying to eat healthier, while approximately 19% claim to be on a diet. This claim is supported by a QSR report that found that in the decade leading up to 2012, the number of Americans with a poor diet fell from 56% to just under 46%.

2. Demand for Ethnic Cuisine

About two-thirds of consumers surveyed reported a desire for authentic ethnic cuisine and/or the use of ethnic spices in a dish. Mediterranean cuisine, which includes the dishes served at Shawarma Press, has seen a significant uptick in popularity over the past few years. The Global Ethnic Foods Market was valued at $36 billion in 2018, and it is projected to grow by 11.80% over the forecast period (2019-2024).

This can largely be attributed to globalization and the permeating presence of the Internet. Today, people can explore dishes and cuisine from all over the world on social media and other recipe-sharing sites like Pinterest.

Consumers can use search tools such as Yelp to find ethnic restaurants in their area and even use review sites to see what other consumers are saying. In just a few short decades, some cuisines went from being limited to certain parts of the world to appearing in neighborhoods and dining rooms all around the world.

A Healthy Consumer is an  Informed Consumer

The internet has also allowed consumers to better understand the health impact of certain foods and beverages. Health-savvy consumers are aware of what types of food are healthier and more nutrient dense than others and regularly seek these dishes out.

In fact, approximately 43% of Americans claimed to always be on the lookout for healthy franchises when shopping, while 52% said they were at least sometimes scouting for healthy foods and more than 80 percent of U.S. consumers reported that healthier options on the menu played some role in their decision when choosing a restaurant.

This is great news for franchisees exploring healthy restaurant franchise opportunities that also combine elements of ethnic cuisine in their menu offerings.

3. Understanding a Franchise’s Health Benefits

The most important thing to understand when exploring healthy food franchising opportunities is to recognize exactly what makes them healthier than their competitors.

Mediterranean food offers many health benefits due to its focus on plant-based ingredients and the inclusion of many vegetables, proteins, and whole grains as well as hormone-free meats including chicken, turkey, beef, and veal.

The inclusion of a wide variety of ingredients such as leafy greens, tomato, carrot, onion, cucumber, meat, poultry, and chicken can substantially increase the energy content and nutritional value of a meal.

At Shawarma Press, we focus on training all of our franchisees on the benefits of each one of our ingredients and through intensive training, we teach our franchisees and their staff how to prepare all of our dishes so that they maintain as much of their nutritional value and authentic cultural integrity as possible.

4. Identifying what Healthy Food Franchise Opportunities Work Best for You and Your Community

Finding a healthy franchise opportunity that is right for you is similar to finding a partner in marriage or a new job. You need to identify your strengths and weaknesses and find an opportunity that is compatible with you.

While it helps to have some prior experience in or knowledge of Mediterranean cooking and cuisine, it is not absolutely necessary at Shawarma Press as we train our franchisees on everything they need to know about our cuisine’s background, ingredients, and preparation.

Obviously, consumer demand is an important factor in choosing health food franchises. Some ethnic groups may have large concentrations in certain parts of the country and this affects demand in a variety of ways. For example, San Francisco has a higher Asian population than San Antonio, which has a higher Hispanic population than many other cities in the country.

This means that there might already be a large saturation of Asian and Hispanic restaurants in those communities. However, one great thing about Mediterranean cuisine is that it appeals to almost all tastes and can be fused with local cuisines, attracting a wide audience and appealing to a variety of tastes.

So, are you searching for the Top Healthy Food Franchises in 2023?

Become an Owner with Shawarma Press

At Shawarma Press, we’ve been developing our health-conscious franchise to meet the needs of today’s customers. We’ve built a shawarma franchise that’s looking to transform the industry, and we’ve got a business model built for modern operations.

Our menu is packed with Mediterranean favorites that our guests crave, and we’re proud of our association with the Mediterranean Diet, chosen as the number one best overall diet by experts for years running.

We combine that customer-centered approach with a franchise structure that keeps the owner first in our minds at all times. We’re there to assist when it’s needed and make sure every franchise owner knows they’re never alone.

Shawarma Press is preparing to expand again, and we’re looking for future owners to come with us.

Want to learn more? Contact us today!