Last Updated on July 25, 2012 by DeanR
Erik’s DeliCafe Franchise
Erik’s DeliCafe is a franchise for a deli serving sandwiches. It was founded by Erik Johnson in 1973. He was an accountant and a realtor but he soon realized that being a realtor was not suited for him.
He tried opening his own business. He had a health food store, an ice cream shop, and a doughnut shop but none of it became successful. In 1973, he purchased a location in Scotts Valley which was only 600 square foot and cost him only $429. He did not have an experience in restaurants then so had help from his father who helped him cover the cost of equipments and made soup. His mother and sister made baked goods and deli salads. His brother who was an attorney helped him during the lease negotiations. His wife-to-be then worked behind the counter, hiring, and training personnel. His brother in law was a carpenter and helped him with the renovations. The following year, he expanded the shop to 1800 square feet. That same year, a new location was opened in Capitola. Another year after, another location was opened in Aptos. Soon, they expanded in different locations.
What is on the menu at Erik’s DeliCafe?
Their Sandwiches with Character include Pilgrim’s Progress, Sweet Liberty, Rio Grande Club, Pot Belly, Turkey Walnut Pesto, R.E.O. Speedwagon, Chicken Pesto, Erik “Berger”, Abbott’s Habit, Marrakech Express, Sea Dog, Erik’s Reuben, Raging Bull, Del Monte Special, Natural High, Farmer’s Market. Their sandwiches are classified between the Classics, Heated, and Veggie. You can even build your own sandwich. For the soups, they have Erik’s Seasonal Selections such as Italian Sausage Lentil, Thai Coconut Curry, and Kickin’ Chicken. Erik’s DeliCafe soups that are available daily include Butternut Squash Soup, Tomato Basil Bisque, New England clam chowder, Texas Jailhouse Chili, Chicken Vegetable Rice, and Vegetarian Vegetable. They also have Sourdough Soup Bowls. For Wraps, they have Shrimp Vera Cruz Wrap, Thai Chicken Wrap, and Mediterranean Veggie Wrap. For Salads, they have Bay Shrimp Louie Salad, Chinese Chicken Salad, and Chicken Gorgonzola Salad. They also have baked goods like Chocolate Marble Bread and Chocolate Chip Cookie. For their Deli Delights, they have Jar of Kosher Dill Spears, and Whole Kosher Dill Pickle.
Costs and requirements on running an Erik’s DeliCafe franchise
You need to have a net worth of $500,000 and a total liquid asset of at least $100,000. Expect to be investing about $285,000 to $504,000. The Erik’s DeliCafe franchise fee is $20,000 with an on-going royalty fee of 5%. This is for a renewable 10 year term agreement. You will need about 16 employees to run one location. They allow multi unit ownership and absentee ownership.
What is included in the franchise package?
There will be four weeks training at the headquarters and two weeks at your location. There would also be on-going management training and you will be provided with an operations manual. There will be site selection assistance and this includes design and layout specifications. You will also be receiving newsletters and access to proprietary recipes. Expect occasional field evaluations and this may include consultations as needed. For marketing, there will be co-op advertising and ad slicks.
Erik’s DeliCafe Contact Details
You may reach them at:
Address: 365 Coral St. Santa Cruz, California 95060
Phone: (831)458-1818