Welcome to the
CHURRO FAMILY
22 Aristotelous STR, Thessaloniki
EL GATO NEGRO FRANCHISE
The brand new concept of EL GATO NEGRO started in the heart of Thessaloniki, on Aristotelous, and quickly won over the wider area with its innovative design, its original and carefully curated offerings, its top quality, its flawless and fast service and its always-smiling staff, specialising in Churros (Spanish doughnuts), while also making and offering other products such as coffees and beverages, breakfasts, crepes, waffles, pancakes and more.
Its enthusiastic reception by the market is reflected both in high ratings (Google: 4.5/5, Facebook: 5/5, Wolt: 9.4/10, e-food: 4.1/5) and in strong engagement (followers and interaction) on Instagram.
The decision to grow through franchising came as a natural business evolution, in order to spread its top churros and offer the unrepeatable EL GATO NEGRO taste experience across Greece.
Our proposal for a successful FRANCHISE
EL GATO NEGRO has developed a robust and well-designed franchise system, whose main features are:
- Unique Churros: EL GATO NEGRO's main product is made with unique recipes, high know-how, unique and exclusively sourced raw materials and top-of-the-range equipment.
- Excellent Products: With their imaginative recipes, EL GATO NEGRO takes the lead in the small-catering sector.
- Increased Efficiency: The operational setup, with a selected product range that requires a small number of staff, ensures low running costs.
- High Profitability: The low cost base, thanks to the core product (churros), together with the smart layout of the stores, ensures high gross margins and increased service efficiency.
- Strong Differentiation: The genuine and original corporate identity and its distinctive features, including both the design, with bold bright colours that catch the eye, and the packaging, such as the special cone for churros on the go, make EL GATO NEGRO stand out and impress customers.
- Increased Footfall: Demand at all hours of the day increases efficiency and the opportunity to grow revenue.
The EL GATO NEGRO FRANCHISE proposal has been designed to support three main types, allowing the concept to be adapted to different market needs and environments and to make effective use of the space of each individual store:
- TIENDA PEQUEÑA (small store), 45 – 85 sq.m., offering a selective product range, ideal for stores with limited space or for those who wish to focus on take away and delivery.
- TIENDA MEDIANA (medium store), 85 – 125 sq.m., offering a full product range, for take away, delivery and dine in, with a small seating area – terrace, for customers who wish to sit and enjoy the products inside the store.
- TIENDA GRANDE (large store), from 125 sq.m., offering an extensive product range (with an emphasis on brunch and coffee), for take away, delivery and dine in, with a large seating area for more customers.
EL GATO NEGRO TEAM
The EL GATO NEGRO management team prepared the project for over a year and a half, gathering the necessary know-how and building the required infrastructure. It brings together a strong set of experiences and knowledge, as it is made up of experienced people in the catering industry with a great success story: Chairman and CEO Mr Andreas Varlamis, with 11 catering stores in Thessaloniki, and partner Mrs Vasiliki - Aikaterini Mourouti, holder of an MSc in Advanced Marketing Management from the University of Lancaster, having worked both in London and in numerous management positions in catering in Greece, holder of Six Sigma and CompTIA Certification, as well as Mrs Evangelia Xanthopoulou, who, beyond her impeccable knowledge of churros, has remarkable experience in the ice cream sector and in product merchandising, constantly following the trends and developments in the field.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
The EL GATO NEGRO franchise proposal has significant competitive advantages that highlight the uniqueness of the franchise project:
Brand
Carlos, the Stray Black Cat, is the trademark and the main protagonist of EL GATO NEGRO, contributing to a very special and distinctive approach that highlights the uniqueness of the franchise project:
- he hails from Zaragoza, he is the one who brought with him his great-grandfather's secret recipe for the best Spanish doughnuts, a story that adds a dimension of mystery and value to the products
- he has a soft spot for sweets, a connoisseur hopelessly addicted to churros, sweetly naive and prone to sweets, chubby, playful, sociable, good-natured and very cuddly, he takes us on a journey through his magical culinary world, creating an emotional connection with customers and making the brand more human and approachable.
Innovation
The design of the EL GATO NEGRO stores, as well as their menu, are an important part of their innovation and differentiation. These elements help create a unique experience for customers and increase brand awareness. The main innovative elements are:
Décor and Lighting: The impressive ceiling light fixture, made up of 357 striking bulbs connected in a grid reminiscent of a funfair carousel, creates a distinctive atmosphere and a striking visual element that draws customers' attention, combined with the atmosphere that smells of sweets and candy floss.
Unique Shapes and Designs: Churros in unique shapes such as loopy or heart-shaped add fun and appeal to the products.
Differentiated Menu: The menu includes different and creative products that offer variety and excitement to customers, such as products with ice cream, candy floss and churros, or crepes filled with ice cream.
Original Combinations: The original menu combinations, such as crepe sushi in sweet and savoury versions or mini pancakes in imaginative combinations, offer innovative flavours that set EL GATO NEGRO apart.
Know - How
The EL GATO NEGRO management team, committed to the search for the perfect churros recipe, trained in Valladolid, Spain, in the proper production of the authentic Spanish doughnut and decided to equip the store with the most expensive equipment from the best-known manufacturer of churros machines, in operation since 1953 (Maquinas Churros).
In addition, it brought in a special timed kneading machine where the flour is «dried» under special conditions, so that it does not absorb too much oil, both for economy and, above all, for reasons of healthy nutrition.
Every two months, the parent company imports special flour from Spain, with the appropriate gluten and protein index, in order to achieve the flawless result in the product.
In less than two years, the EL GATO NEGRO pilot store has made around 243,572 portions of churros, making the know-how they possess truly unique in Greece.
Marketing
Reviews and mentions in well-known media, such as parallaximag.gr and karfitsa.gr, as well as the popularity of EL GATO NEGRO on Instagram, with many followers and warm interaction, show that it has won the recognition and appreciation of the public.
Awards
EL GATO NEGRO received a Restaurant Guru award in 2022:
«A well-deserved award for El Gato Negro according to your visitor reviews at Restaurant Guru, one of the world’s most popular foodie websites with over 30 millions monthly users.»
This award reflects the high quality and the recognition the store has earned from its customers and from lovers of good food. It is an excellent achievement and a recognition of the quality and the exceptional experience it offers.
FRANCHISE BENEFITS
With its unique corporate identity, distinctive design, top products and high profitability, the EL GATO NEGRO franchise has everything it takes to succeed in the small-catering sector.
Offering fresh, pure sweet and savoury treats, and being the place to be for top churros, it gives its partners – franchisees a range of benefits that are guarantees of success:
Unique Concept: The differentiated, genuine and complete corporate identity creates a distinctive environment that attracts customers.
Distinctive Design: The striking store design, reminiscent of a funfair, offers a unique atmosphere that lifts customers’ mood and makes them feel at ease.
Ergonomic Design (layout): The ergonomic design of the stores improves the efficiency of customer service and ensures a pleasant experience.
Top Products: The unique products, with unique recipes and exclusive raw materials, offer high quality and top taste, allowing the store to stand out.
High Profitability: The low purchasing cost (food cost) of the core product (churros) contributes to the high profitability of the store.
Operating System: It ensures the application of correct, field-tested procedures, as well as the efficient running of the store.
Support and Advice: Partners – franchisees receive support and advice on every matter concerning their store and its day-to-day operation.
Education and Training: Full training is provided both for the store manager and for the store staff, spreading the specialised know-how and achieving high performance.
Marketing and Advertising: The parent company runs multiple national campaigns on social media and provides guidance for local promotional activities.
Area and Store Selection and Assessment: For every candidate store, a specialised and thorough commercial study is carried out, so that realistic targets are set for returns and for the payback of the initial investment.