Category: Edible Arrangements

Edible Arrangements was named one of America’s fastest-growing privately held businesses in America by Inc. Magazine and has been ranked first in its category by Entrepreneur Magazine’s Annual “Franchise 500” Ranking for the past seven consecutive years. In 2011, Edible Arrangements was ranked 9th on Forbes.com ‘Top Franchises for the Money” listing. In February of 2009, Tariq was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the International Franchise Association, whose members include more than 1,300 franchise systems, 11,000 franchisees and 500 suppliers. In June 2009 Tariq was awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 Award in the Retail and Consumer Products category in Metro New York.

Franchisees like Larry help make the Edible Arrangements franchise a success. Bringing decades of knowledge and experience to the table, Larry is someone who “gets it”—and because of that, his growing San Diego-area enterprise continues to be a successful business venture. We were very excited to start the year off right by officially announcing Larry’s expansion to a sixth location in Riverside, California.

I enjoy Larry’s unique perspective on the business, which comes from his 40+ years of developing businesses from conception to implementation, as an entrepreneur and general manager. He is one of the hardest working and passionate business owners I know. Larry is a tremendous asset to Edible Arrangements and to the communities for which he services. He knows how to ‘wow’ every customer and received the ‘Customer Service Award’ at the annual Edible Arrangements convention last year.

Larry’s expansion to the Riverside store demonstrates qualities that I see over and over again in our most thriving franchisees, including the ability to adapt and learn, as well as to build a growing customer base. I count him among the exemplary franchisees in the Edible Arrangements system, and wish him continued success in his endeavors.

Tariq Farid and Larry at the EA Convention
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One of my favorite topics to write about is the incredible franchisees who own Edible Arrangements stores. I get so inspired when I speak to these independent business owners and I feel the privileged to be able to tell their personal stories to you, sharing with you their involvement in the community and what motivates them. These talented people are part of the fabric of communities throughout the country . . . they are your neighbors, friends and members of some of the same organizations as you are.

Throughout the year I will continue to share their stories with you, and include my take on what makes them successful. I will also share some of the business philosophies that I, Edible Arrangements and our franchisees follow, as well as timely business, entrepreneurial and franchise news that may be of interest to you.

To me, one of the most important responsibilities of a business owner is to set both short term and long term goals. Whether you are setting sales goals for the day, week or year, goals for reaching out to current customers, or increasing the number of new customers you want to introduce to your product, articulating goals and the benchmarks you need to reach to attain them, is crucial for your success. Recently we announced that one of Edible Arrangements goals for 2102 is to open 125 new stores in communities throughout the country, and in select international markets. We also announced a goal to expand the Edible To Go product line domestically and internationally. We plan to launch some exciting new bouquets this year (Our R&D team forbids me to say more now!) that will build upon the ‘Wow’ experience our products bring to our customers. Here’s the link to our recent press release announcing these goals so you can read more about them.

Lofty goals –sure! Obtainable goals based on research and data –absolutely! I encourage all of you to set high goals for yourself and your business. Without them, you will have no blueprint to challenge yourself and your business, to grow professionally and personally, or to conquer new areas. Dream big, work hard and never lose confidence in yourself.

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Entrepreneurs Buy First Two Stores in Southern California

Timothy and Deborah recently acquired two Edible Arrangements locations in Southern California. One is located at 29881 Aventura in Rancho Santa Margarita and the other is at 305 S. El Camino Real in San Clemente.

Deborah is the Director of Finance for Ossur Americas, a global leader in orthopedics, providing prosthetics, compression therapies, bracing and supports that increase people’s mobility. Deborah is responsible for managing their portfolio of equity investment companies, including growing their performance and acquiring additional companies.

Tim’s considerable experience in growing small businesses, start-up companies and non-profits will be invaluable in developing his Edible Arrangements enterprise. Tim has received multiple business awards for his leadership and involvement in the community, including a “Lifetime of Achievement Award” from the Chamber of Commerce. In Delaware Tim ran a business whose client list included Vice President Joseph Biden, Fox Commentator Carl Rove, NFL great Dan Marino, the CEO of ING Direct, the Chairman of the board of MBNA, and the Governors of Delaware, Virginia and New Jersey. Tim has served on boards and committees for several non-profit organizations, and he even created a fundraiser for the March of Dimes that raised over $20,000 in its second year! That kind of ingenuity, creativity and marketing know-how is what separates the average business owner from the highly successful one!

Like most new owners, Tim and Deborah are very excited about owning and operating Edible Arrangements franchises. They know that our unique arrangements and versatile product line can make any occasion memorable. Tim’s drive to make a difference in the community around him is typical of Edible Arrangements franchise owners who routinely contribute products and financial assistance to worthy causes. Tim will be managing both locations with Deborah’s assistance on holidays and weekends.

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Edible Arrangements Coming to Vancouver, BC

Leanne and her husband MarshallLeanne’s sister in Ontario first learned about Edible Arrangements when she drove by a store She decided to stop in and bought an arrangement. She knew that Leanne and her husband Marshall were looking for a business to buy, and Leanne’s sister thought Edible Arrangements was a good fit for them. Leanne’s reaction when she first saw the arrangement was, “Wow” . . . just like our mission statement promises! Leanne and Marshall researched the company and they liked what they learned about the business and the opportunities for growth. As part of their research they talked with some current franchise owners who, as Leanne puts it, “had a lot of great things to say about the franchise.” They plan to open their first store in Vancouver, British Columbia and are excited about the growth potential because there are no Edible Arrangements stores in the area. They plan to sign an agreement for a second store in six months, and they see even more stores in the Vancouver/Richmond /Burnaby area in their future.

Marshall is a realtor and he intends to continue to sell real estate while helping Leanne run the store. He also managed his family’s retail business, so that experience will come in handy in this new venture. Leanne has an accounting and finance background that will be a great asset in managing their enterprise. She also has experience managing her family’s restaurants so she is no stranger to the food industry or the importance of customer service.

Leanne and Marshall have already begun shopping for the perfect Edible Arrangements location to attract walk in customers. Marshall’s real estate experience and Leanne’s sense of the type of place and ambiance that customers want to experience will be big assets for them in their quest for the right retail destination. In addition to our signature arrangements, Leanne and Marshall plan to offer the all natural fresh fruit beverages, sundaes, parfaits and salads in our grab and go product line, Edible To Go.

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Edible Arrangements Again Ranked as One of the Top Franchises

I just looked over Entrepreneur.com’s 2012 “Franchise 500” rankings, the 33rd version of their annual list. The rankings of the top franchise companies show which industries are popular with both consumers and investors, and trends in franchising: what types of businesses work well and franchises, and what types are attracting independent business people who want to buy a business. We are once again honored to be ranked in three relevant categories. Edible Arrangements ranked #42 on the Franchise 500 list, and in the top 40 for two significant subcategories: fastest growing (#31) and American’s Top Global Franchises (#39)!

I am especially excited about being named a top global franchise because this year has been one of tremendous international growth for us, with expansion in India, China and Italy. And this global expansion contributed to our “fastest growing” ranking, too – for us they go hand-in-hand. I love bringing this business concept to entrepreneurs around the world, and our fresh fruit

It is truly an honor to be recognized as a top franchise opportunity for people seeking to own their own business and be their own boss, and we congratulate all the other winners. You can check out the rankings at entrepreneur.com/franchise500.

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