Zarraffas under the hammer

FORMER NBL and NBA basketball star Shane Heal has turned his focus to franchising after buying up a number of stores on the Gold Coast.

The Heal Group owns and operates two Zarraffa’s Coffee franchises; three Eagle Boys Pizza stores; three Noodle Box stores; two Subway stores; a Café and a number of commercial development properties with plans for aggressive growth in the future.
With business partner Jimmy Williams, Heal opened his first Zarraffa’s Coffee store in Southport.

The franchise partnership is the second for The Heal Group and Zarraffa’s Coffee after opening the Salisbury Zarraffa’s Coffee store south of Brisbane in October last year.

“We developed the commercial property on Toohey Rd in Salisbury and thought that Zarraffa’s Coffee would be a good fit.

“Our decision to go with another franchise from the successful chain, this time on the Gold Coast, was based on our previous dealings and the right location,” says Heal.

The Heal Group also owns the Eagle Boys Pizza next door to the new Zarraffa’s Southport store.

“Right from the start we have known that the Ferry Rd position had all the elements to make a successful business and since opening the Eagle Boys franchise in 2006 we have been keeping an eye on things to see what we might be able to capitalise on should the opportunity become available,” says Heal.

The Ferry Rd store is the second of 12 store openings for Zarraffa’s Coffee this year, including three more drive-throughs. Zarraffas CEO Kenton Campbell says the company will continue steady growth over the next 12 months.

“We are taking the brand further this year both geographically and operationally with stores in completely new territories like Toowoomba and Rockhampton and opening more drive through sites and opening up possibilities for future franchisees”, says Campbell, the 2008 Gold Coast Business News Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Recently named 20th on the BRW ‘Fast Franchises’ list, moving up a place from 2008, Zarraffa’s Coffee has earned a reputation as a hardworking, community-minded operation.

“We enjoyed a bumper 2008 and our plan is to knuckle down and build on people’s expectations this year. More store openings means we get to make more great coffee (and) it doesn’t get much better than that,” says Campbell.