Traditional Brands – revolutionising the formula for success

BY Promotional Feature | Business Opportunities, Opportunities | January 1, 2013 at 15:27

One of the main reasons behind Traditional Brands’ success is that it operates on a strong family ethos, an ethos that has seen “Old Fashioned” Fish and Chips expand its reach and the introduction of a new chicken brand, Chingos Chicken.

Slow roasting, long basting, patient perfection, are only a few words to describe Chingos Chicken, the newest chicken concept for all food lovers alike.

Traditional Brands is a name that stands for strong family values, sound business practices and, most importantly, exceedingly good food.

It is so successful – and so tasty – that it is hard to believe that the “Old Fashioned” Fish and Chips franchise opened its first outlet just five years ago.

Today it has over 350.

More are expected.

If that wasn’t enough, Traditional Brands recently also launched the Chingos Chicken concept, as strategic motivation for what both brands stand for: fantastic value and traditional, good food.

The first Chingos store opened in April alongside the “Old Fashioned” flagship store in Elma Park.

“Chingos serves all things chicken,” says Marketing Director Nicolas De Sousa. “The concept developed from a strategy session on what would be the second brand to join the reigns of “Old Fashioned” Fish and Chips. After hours of general concepts and ideas, the natural logic on development had crossed our minds – how did we create “Old Fashioned”? The answer, the success of my mum, Emilia De Sousa, and her idea of what the consumer loves. In our opinion, everyone has something to love at home and the love of a home begins in the kitchen. The concept of the heart of a home combined with the aroma of a hearty kitchen table, a family Sunday lunch, the oven blazing and mum in her apron and mitts with the anticipating thoughts of the warm bite into a fresh Sunday roast. Done mum’s way. That’s what is behind Chingos.”

Chingos builds on the core principles that made “Old Fashioned” Fish and Chips the fastest growing franchised brand in South Africa: clinically clean, friendly service, great quality, low prices and a sound business model which encourages investment.

The new brand is strategically positioned to be a constant reminder of where the brand started and how it has evolved, Nicolas De Sousa says.

Both brands offer products that have tradition at its core.

“How would I describe the Chingos experience? Slow roasting, long basting, patient perfection, are only a few words. Take your mind back to the days you would sit around the kitchen table with your siblings, taking in smells so appetising your stomach would sing. That’s what we recreate. Chicken is one of South Africa’s favourite foods but also not something offered to the masses in this particular way. This isn’t just a chicken recipe, its chicken done Mum’s way. It is chicken made with love and an investment opportunity developed with a core focus on quick returns and sustainability in the toughest of economic climates. Rotisserie chicken is a chicken lovers best friend and it’s our specialty. So where has Chingos been all this time? Waiting, perfecting and misusing ingredients to develop the newest chicken concept for all food lovers alike. Now, finally, a tradition that started in the very home of a mother of three, is ready to be served to the nation with pride.”

While meeting the standards of RASA as well as organisations striving to develop a sustainable seafood industry, and using only the best product, from A-grade potatoes to sustainably caught fish, Traditional Brands is able to guarantee a product that confirms to the core values of the brand.

“Quality and our core values are everything,” Nicolas says. “The evolution of what is now Traditional Brands seeded from the success of “Old Fashioned” Fish and Chips. The evolution was not only stemmed as the big brother of the incredible brand but because we consider it Africa’s greatest ever brand. We consider this to be one of the globe’s greatest brands going forward. We have always been a company that thinks big, but it is now time for us to think further out of the box and begin a process to ‘partner smart’. That is a programme that has begun with the communities around us in Southern Africa. You can’t expect to develop the need for a product without the understanding of the country’s demands.”

Experience the tradition of "Old Fashioned" Fish and Chips where your senses will be entertained with the unforgettable memory of succulent fish, mouth watering sausages and delicious fresh cut potato chips.

“Traditional Brands is the umbrella for “Old Fashioned” and Chingos. We are responsible for maintaining high standards and consistency. The Traditional Brands umbrella was most definitely a necessity after the launch of Chingos, not only for a strategic implementation of a complete corporate image but greater introduction to an international level or corporate governance. Traditional Brands will always hold the core focus in its hands for all the brands we own or manage.”

He expects 50 Chingos stores to have opened by February.

“The benchmark already exceeds that of the initial “Old Fashioned” growth spurt. There is no secret but our recipe of logic of basic strategy implementation, using resources to create demand, and the demand stimulated for the foundation for the sale of a profitable product of service if done right. Of course it always sounds a lot easier in layman’s terms but the detailed formula to the success of our second brand is a great mix of diversity and emotional community awareness. Creating your very own community is essential to every formula for success for growth.

“Instead of trying to force onto the market what sells, we have altered the formula for demand in a rather drastic manner without the investor or even consumer knowing it. Pricing has increased but so has the concept of value added appeal. The initial cost for the investor has again increased, but so has the formula for improved ROI. Rather than pushing the understanding of cheap and quantity, we have simplified the quality and quantity to more for the same. This has been the core strategy for us to compete with the global leaders and improving on this has always kept direct and indirect competitors guessing at every turn.”

Despite the rapid growth of “Old Fashioned” Fish and Chips (a brand that has an average of an 11 month ROI) and the introduction of Chingos, the De Sousa family has not lost its personal touch and passion for the brands – founder and CEO Emilia De Sousa, the inspirational source behind the brand, can often be found standing side by side with a franchisee at the opening of a new store while son Nicolas famously tests and improves products in his own kitchen.

With expansion into Africa clearly in its sights, Traditional Brands shows no sign of slowing down.

Every year of operation serves as an acknowledgement of the franchise’s success, so do various RASA Awards of Excellence.

Traditional Brands is definitely worth keeping an eye on.