Camy's Chargrill Chicken

The franchisee understands intellectually that "labour is difficult to find," but assumes their individual store will attract and retain good staff through personal management and positive workplace culture.

They model staffing as solvable through training and good management. Reality emerges: Even with competitive wages and good management, staff turnover in the first 24 months is 80–120% (typical QSR range). The training overhead is substantially greater than modelled. Product quality variation becomes noticeable as inexperienced staff members cycle through. Closing or opening shifts are frequently understaffed due to sick leave or departure. The operator finds themselves regularly working shifts beyond planned hours to cover gaps. **Operational impact:** The combination of training overhead + quality variation + personal time commitment exceeds expectations. The franchisee realises they have not purchased "a business" but rather "a personal operating role with variable staff support." ---

The franchisee understands the role is "hands-on" but underestimates the personal time commitment and stress load.

They assume the role is manageable with part-time support staff and their own part-time involvement. Reality emerges: By month 6–12, the franchisee realises the business requires their presence or management across the full service window. During peak periods, they are working alongside staff to maintain service quality and manage demand. During off-peak periods, they are handling cleaning, prep work, and management tasks that staff cannot be trusted to complete independently. The personal stress load is higher than anticipated — customer complaints during peak service, staff conflicts, equipment breakdowns, and the general pressure of QSR service create ongoing anxiety. Days off are not truly off — the franchisee is thinking about the business or managing crises via phone. **Lifestyle impact:** The franchisee realises this is not a lifestyle business; it is an operationally demanding role that consumes substantially more time and energy than anticipated. **Severity:** VERY HIGH. This affects the franchisee's quality of life materially and often becomes the primary driver of eventual exit.

The prospective franchisee models revenue conservatively at first, then becomes increasingly confident during the sales process.

Marketing materials emphasise "strong support," "carefully selected locations," and "proven model," creating implicit confidence that the franchisor's location selection will deliver revenue within range. The franchisee projects $550,000–$600,000 annual revenue as a realistic outcome. Reality emerges: Within 12–18 months of opening, actual revenue consistently reaches only $400,000–$450,000. The shortfall is driven by factors that were not sufficiently weighted during site selection — local competitive density, foot traffic lower than projected, or consumer behaviour different from projections. By month 12–18, this shortfall has become clearly structural, not temporary. **Financial impact:** A $100,000–$150,000 annual revenue shortfall, combined with fixed lease obligations, creates stress immediately. If debt servicing and owner salary requirements total $75,000, a $450,000 revenue store leaves minimal margin for error or expansion opportunity. The franchisee faces a compressed timeline to improve performance or faces financial stress. ---