Back to basics: Hogs Breath set to rediscover its mojo
The Iconic Hog’s Breath franchise has seen its fair share of turmoil in recent times.
The past four months has seen the franchise lose four of its eateries. What once was an 80 outlet company has dwindled to just 47.
However, Hogs Breath is now undergoing a brand rebuild.
In 2020, CEO Ross Worth stepped down from his position, as the company he was a director of and which ran several Hog’s Breath venues went into liquidation with $1 million in debt hanging over its head.
Hogs Breath is now back in the hands of its original founders Don Algie and Ginger White, who feel they can regain the confidence of their franchisees and customers.
In 2016, during Mr Worth’s tenure, the Hog’s Breath Café changed names to become Hog’s Australia’s Steakhouse.
Franchisees heavily criticised the decision to change names, feeling it was confusing to customers.
Ms White admitted the chain needed to become united again and the situation was “very disappointing” to witness.
In an interview with NCA NewsWire, Ms white said, “It’s been a bit of an issue that the branding and the system got divided, so it was very disappointing, not only for ourselves but we felt for our franchisees as well.
“Part of the rebranding exercises we've done is that we want to really evoke those good times in memories to bring back that nostalgia of the original branding.”
CEO Steve Spurgin is now in charge of leading the company to success and fixing its balance sheet.
Spurgin has plans to open 10 new Hog’s Breath Cafes every year but the timing will depend on lockdowns and border closures.
However, before opening new stores, Mr Spurgin, who spent three years with French food and management company Sodexo, has dedicated his time to fixing the relationship between head office and franchisees.
“When I joined under the previous owners, the biggest problem was the trust between the system and the franchisees and that trust is being reinstalled,” he said.
“We have adopted a more supportive role, as opposed to a dictatorial role.
“My great hairy audacious goal, for want of a better word, is to be in a position to open 10 restaurants a year within five years,” he said.
“Once we start getting more surety around the state government's attitude toward lockdowns, it will allow new franchisees to be prepared to take the risk in the business, not take the risk in the current trading environment.”
A menu change is also on the cards.
“I'm looking at a menu development that is working through a six-month cycle, to make sure our old favourites are always there but we deliver relevant tastes that are in the market and meeting the demand of our customers,” Spurgin said.
Irit Jackson, 29th March 2021
