Interview with Firoz Hafeji, Co-Founder of WingTrapp
- Name: Firoz Hafeji
- Franchise: WINGTRAPP
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am one of 3 partners who own the brand WINGTRAPP formed 5 years ago, the 3 of us have been close friends for the best part of 2 decades.
I come from a corporate background having worked in a number of public and private sectors.
My interested outside of work include travel, sports and quality family time.
What is your role / responsibilities in the company?
I am the franchise director of the company, my responsibilities also include product development and brand growth.
Can you tell us about WINGTRAPP
Our first store opened in the heart of Leicester city centre in July 2018, our first franchise store (Birmingham city centre) was established August 2022, it took us the best part of 4 years to solidify our concept and set up the right foundations and infrastructure to allow us to franchise.
The vision was always to become a franchise brand and to be recognised nationally.
We currently have 3 franchisees each owning Birmingham, Nottingham and Coventry sites with a number of franchisees in the pipeline set to open over the next 12 months.
Who is your target market / what is the demand for your services?
Our Target market is between 18 – 35yr olds, we recognise as a brand that Wings is up and coming in the UK having taken over a huge market in the US, therefore we believe that our offering to our cities is driven by our unique offerings, amazing brand concept and great social media presence allowing our customers to be a part of our growth and associated to our brand.
Why is WINGTRAPP a great investment for potential franchisees?
There are some great franchises opportunities out there in the market, however if you consider the amount of great wing franchises out there, it is clear to see there are not many. This is where we as a brand feel we stand out as we offer a unique product that not many brands out there currently offer in the range of our 13 mouth watering flavours giving all customers a great choice of flavours to keep coming back to.
What differentiates your franchise from the competition?
Our USP is our sauces, as mentioned we offer 13 unique flavours for all taste buds to allow customers the opportunity to experience our offerings again and again without getting bored of the same flavours each time.
What is the role of one of your franchisees?
We like to see our franchisees as our partners, the role of our partners is to become brand ambassadors within their respected areas and to add value to the brand overall through dedication and hardwork.
What qualities do you look for in a franchisee?
When we look for franchisees, we look for people who are driven, adaptable to change, forward-thinking, great leadership skills and a positive work ethic.
What challenges have you had to overcome and adapt to over the years in your franchise and the industry in general?
Our biggest challenge in recent years has been inflation across the economy and the huge rise in energy prices, this has given us the opportunity to create further efficiencies in our day-to-day process to help maintain profitability.
What have been WINGTRAPP’s biggest achievements/successes to date so far?
Our biggest achievement is looking back at where we started having had little experience in the food industry, having overcome countless challenges along the way to now be in a position where we successfully service 4 branches from our distribution centre. We have made many mistakes and we felt these mistakes were needed before we started to franchise to allow all future partners a successful journey with the WINGTRAPP brand.
What does the future hold for the business? What are your growth targets?
We are very excited to introduce a great range of products over the next 12 months to provide our customers with an even bigger variety of products to choose from.
Our target is to open 50 branches by the end of 2025.
What expansion plans have you got nationally and internationally?
Over the last 18 months we have set up franchise stores in and around the midlands area (Birmingham, Nottingham and Coventry) our next step is to continue this growth with stores opening up from Scotland up north, beyond London down south.
What advice would you give to someone considering franchising their business?
As the saying goes, don’t run before you can walk, my biggest piece of advice is to invest in your company, invest in your infrastructure and your brand.
Interested and want to know more about WINGTRAPP?
The WINGTRAPP profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.
