CONCEPT OVERVIEW
H I S T O R Y Soda Jerks first location opened March 7th, 2011 at 17520 100 Ave Edmonton, Alberta. This store has been the research and development location of this exciting brand. After sampling 100 s of burger recipes, making dozens of menu revisions and constantly tweaking the concept; Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles at West Point Center has become a fun and profitable concept. In 2013, a sales volume of $1.8M was achieved. The second store opened on June 19th, 2013 at 570 St Albert Trail, St Albert, Alberta. This store is a smaller foot print and takes a big step in creating the atmosphere to match the brand. With only having 90 seats this store was able to achieve $1.6M in sales the first 12 months it was open. Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles has been developed to be a multi-unit, community orientated full service restaurant concept attracting the kid in all of us. Through the support of head office by applying the developed systems, new Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles locations have a strong advantage to become profitable from the start. CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT AND DISCLAIMER: Information contained in this business plan is strictly confidential and is being presented to specific persons with the understanding that those persons will maintain confidentiality and not disclose or distribute any part of this plan to third parties without the prior written permission of the author(s). Information includes any data, reports, schedules, or attachments that may be contained in or referred to in this document. This Business plan was created as an independent location operating under Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles Inc. All Financial projections and comparables have been created under the direction of Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles Inc. for the purpose of receiving bank financing.
What s in a first impression? Powerful stuff, that s what. Within seconds, initial thoughts become conclusions. These conclusions fuel decisions. As it turns out, there s a heck of a lot riding on first impressions... and we re not just talking about awkward blind dates here. It s all about personality, and personality is all about three completely original ingredients: traits, tone of voice and appearance or look. Shaken together (never stirred!) these create the overall expression of who we are and how we re perceived. Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles delivers a complete full service dining experience. Inspired by the nickname given to drug store soda fountain operators in the 1930s, Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles harkens back to a simpler time; a time when the food was wholesome, real, and truly satisfying. You know that zany friend who s just totally real through and through, who makes you laugh until you cry and is always up for anything and everything, no matter how ridiculous? That s the tone of the Soda Jerks brand.
You want adventure; we give you chocolate covered bacon. Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles new modern day meaning is a fun place to come with friends and family and enjoy one of the best comfort foods; a really great burger. Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles menu is presented to deliver an experience that leaves all guests satisfied and eager to come back for more. It offers a fresh, fun approach to the traditional burger dining experience. With over 40 choices of glass bottled sodas, 20 flavors of milkshakes, chocolate covered bacon it is only the beginning of what separates us from the rest of the burger world.
You re the master of your world; we let you build it. The Build Your Own Burger is our number one selling menu item and truly distinguishes the Soda Jerks concept apart from the rest of the burger world. Not only does this excite the adventurous mind with items like Buffalo Onion Rings and KD Mac n Cheese, it appeases the simplest of hearts allowing the creation of a burger exactly the way you want it. Choices include 9 proteins, 7 buns, 26 sauces, 10 cheeses, 19 toppings, 11 premium toppings and 13 side dishes. With over a million possible combinations, everyone s experience can be truly unique. The pre-built burger combinations represent examples of what can be built and is there for those people who don t want to dream-up their own creation. To complement the burgers there are fun appetizers such as Deep Fried Pickles and Doritos Nachos. To finish off we cater to the sweet tooth with simple yet amazing desserts like our Nut Buster Sundae and Mini Donuts.
You re the kid, we re the candy shop. Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles caters to families with an inclusive kid s program, however it is the hearts of the big kids that truly fall in love with the concept. 20 flavors of vodka combine to make alcoholic floats and milkshakes. As well, we serve 40oz Old English 800 in a brown paper bag and you can Shot Gun a Beer for $2.75.
Just like the angelic choir kicks in on the first bite of that perfect burger you built; the traits, voice and look of the Soda Jerks brand are all crafted to complement and enhance one another. Expressing this genuine personality consistently with the atmosphere will increase brand recognition and buy-in. Because it s no secret that guests who identify with the Soda Jerks brand don t stop at being regulars, they tag, check-in, tweet, share and show it off, becoming priceless brand ambassadors.
The décor is modern and simple; function versus form. Pictures on the walls of old diners and soda shops give a portal into the past. Displays of pop are placed throughout the restaurant using their colors and uniqueness to grab the guests attention. Seating is a comfortable mixture between booths and tables with the music selection being high energy oldies ranging from the 50 s to the 80 s. The interaction between guest and server is a huge differentiation between us and the QSR burger concepts. The main focus will be on quick turnover of tables and take out; however, still being able to provide the full dining experience and a great place to hang out.
C O M P E T I T I O N Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles fits in the casual dining segment. The exploding quick service restaurant burger market with restaurants like Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Fat Burger, and Smash Burger has made it acceptable to wait 10 to 15 minutes for your fast food. With the element of service, build your own burger, and a full service bar, we are a step above these concepts becoming a casual dining experience. The direct competition in the Edmonton market is Red Robin (national chain) and Deluxe Burger Bar (independent). However we compete for all the dollars spent in the casual dining segment. T A R G E T M A R K E T Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles is intended to cater to the kid in all of us, although the target market is 25 45 year olds. These guests include families and individuals with modest incomes who are looking for good quality at reasonable prices. These people have modest expendable income and still value entertainment and going out to eat.
Chris Kolody General Manager West Point Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles Direct: 780.953.6703 chris.kolody@sodajerksbyob.com Soda Jerks West Point 780.486.5375 17520 100Ave Edmonton AB, T5S 2S2 Chris has been employed with Lance Popke for over 5 years. He came to work for with him when the location was a steakhouse and was a bartender, server, and supervisor. His previous experience was a manager at the Delta hotel as well as Chop Restaurant and has been in the business for over 10 years. He was one of the few employees that stayed when the location was converted from the steakhouse to Soda Jerks 3 years ago. Lance Popke was the General Manager in the beginning and Chris was in an assistant role. In September of 2012 Chris took over the store as full time General Manager to allow Lance Popke to peruse the second location. Chris was able to produce a steady increase in sales as well as achieving a high level of profitability. Jeni Pergentile General Manager St Albert Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles Direct: 780.993.5364 jeni.pergentile@sodajerksbyob.com Soda Jerks St Albert 780.569.5244 570 St. Albert Trail St Albert AB, T8N 5Z1 Jeni was the first employee ever hired for Soda Jerks 3 years ago as a server at the west end store. She came over to open the St Albert store with the intention of one day being the General Manager. She comes to Soda Jerks with over 20 years experience in the food and beverage industry and has currently earned herself the position as General Manager. Lance Popke held the position from opening until the end of January 2014 and has handed over the reins to her full time. She has proven that she has the ability to run a profitable business. Both general managers run their stores as a complete business. They are responsible for all aspects of running the day to day which include hiring and training their team, creating schedules, ordering products, running shifts, coordinating all repairs and maintenance and anything else that should effect the operation of the store. They are responsible for the financial viability of the store and are kept accountable to maintaining a high standard.
Wayne Hemmerling Vice President Operations Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles Direct: 780.700.8255 wayne.hemmerling@lepgroup.ca 780.628.2280 PO Box 217 Stn Main Edmonton AB, T5J 2J1 Wayne works full time in a head office capacity. He has been working with Lance Popke for 4½ years and started as a line cook, moved to executive chef and now is in charge of all operations. He comes to us with kitchen management experience from Earls and has over 15 years experience in the hospitality business. Wayne is the vision and direction for the Soda Jerks concept just as much as Lance Popke. Wayne s direct focus is ensuring the profitability of the current operations allowing Lance the time and flexibility to focus on expansion and new business. Systems have been put in place that help us monitor the stores financial health and adherence to the brand image through food and service styles. Lance Popke President/CEO Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles Direct: 780.905.2187 lance.popke@lepgroup.ca 780.628.2280 PO Box 217 Stn Main Edmonton AB, T5J 2J1 Lance maintains a relationship with the stores and General Managers by visiting the stores throughout the week. Lance, with the help of a bookkeeper, maintains the accounting process to keep a finger on the pulse of the finances. Lance also responds to all general inquires and deals with most customer feed-back submitted through the website. Lance also manages the social media and email marketing campaigns with the assistance of a couple freelance support personal. Lance s main focus as of late has been the development of the future of Soda Jerks. Not only establishing our next location but developing the foundations of this brand to allow us successful growth. Lance has a business coach, Douglas P. Fisher, BAS, MSc, FCMC, CFE from FHG International Inc. (416-402-8000 doug@fhgi.com), who provides mentorship and direction as the business moves forward. Together they are working towards achieving great success with this brand and are under the complete understanding that having all future locations being successful is a non-negotiable. Lance will be hiring a General Manager from the start at the new location however will work full-time at the store for the first few months to ensure it achieves maximum profitability.
E X I S T I N G A N D F U T U R E * L O C A T I O N S SJ St. Albert SJ *Kensington Commons SJ Namao Centre SJ *West Granville Centre SJ West Point Centre SJ *Mill Creek Shopping Centre
For more information: Visit our website - sodajerks.net Instagram - @sodajerksnet #nameyourcraving Follow us on twitter - @sodajerksnet Facebook - facebook.com/sodajerksburgersbottles Or contact: Lance Popke, President/CEO Soda Jerks Burgers & Bottles 780.905.2187 lance.popke@sodajerksbyob.com