New franchise partners take over Fat Monk - Deli Bowls at Munich’s Stachus.

Interview with Ferdinand Fleis and Deniz Kavust – Fat Monk - Deli Bowls Stachus  Since the beginning of April, Ferdinand Fleis and Deniz Kavust have jointly been operating the Fat Monk - Deli Bowls location at Stachus in Munich. The restaurant is located in the Stachus Passagen, one of Munich’s busiest inner-city locations, with high footfall from passers-by, commuters, professionals and visitors to the city center.

Ferdinand already has experience in chain restaurant operations and also runs a fast-food sandwich restaurant. Deniz also has entrepreneurial experience, although he is new to operational gastronomy. As business partners, they jointly took over the location and have already achieved a very positive development in the first few weeks, particularly in terms of revenue growth. With a 4.7-star rating on Google, the location is also performing at a very high level.

In the interview, the two talk about the intensive start-up phase, the first changes at the location, their collaboration with Fat Monk - Deli Bowls and StarDev, and their further plans in Munich.

How are you doing after the intensive start-up phase?  

Ferdinand Fleis: Very well. The beginning was, of course, stressful, but we are very satisfied with the start. We took over a location where a lot had already been prepared. That made it much easier for us to get started, and of course the positive development is extremely motivating for us.

Deniz Kavust: Both of us have been very heavily involved in the operation from the very beginning, and that was important to us. Especially in the start-up phase, we wanted to be close to the business and close to the customers, understand the processes and see for ourselves where the greatest opportunities lie. Even though that will not change very quickly, we are now in the process of gradually expanding the team and further strengthening the location in terms of staffing. The positive development can be seen above all in the increase in revenue.

What exactly have you done?  

Ferdinand Fleis: As I said, the foundation was already there, and that made many things easier. We did not have to start from scratch, but were able to build on existing structures. One important step for us was to extend the opening hours. We are now open on Sundays, among other things, and have been able to capture additional demand as a result. We are also trying to be better staffed during peak times. That has also helped a lot, especially because the concept can be incredibly productive.

Deniz Kavust: The clear and simple processes within the concept helped us settle in quickly. In this environment, it is possible to work with very high productivity. Especially during rush hours, waiting time is naturally an important factor. The better organized we are during those times, the more potential we can unlock at the location — and we are on a good path. With three people, we can already produce well over one hundred bowls in an hour today, and of course we are still getting faster every day. The product itself is very well received by people in Munich. Many are looking for exactly what we offer: fast, fresh, uncomplicated and still a high-quality meal.

What are your goals for this location?  

Ferdinand Fleis: In the first step, we wanted to position ourselves very well operationally. I think we have succeeded in doing that. Now we will focus more strongly on local store marketing measures. There are many opportunities in the area around the location to target customer flows more specifically. The Stachus Passagen are extremely busy, and many people in the immediate area do not yet know Fat Monk - Deli Bowls. That is exactly where we want to start. We are working closely with StarDev and Fat Monk - Deli Bowls on this. When you look at Stachus, the potential seems almost limitless.

Deniz Kavust: We see fast growth potential especially during the high-revenue periods. That is what we want to focus on. Fat Monk - Deli Bowls works particularly well in high-frequency locations, and Stachus is exactly that kind of location. That is why we still see a great deal of growth potential here.

Is there a specific goal you want to achieve with the location in the medium term?

Ferdinand Fleis: We believe that the location can develop into one of the strongest in the chain, even though the restaurant itself is very small. Many of our customers take the products away or order in advance. This means that, despite the small space, extremely strong revenue hours are possible. The key is that we provide fast and excellent-quality service during peak times.

How have you experienced the collaboration with Fat Monk - Deli Bowls?  

Deniz Kavust: Very positively. You can tell that the franchisor, the DoN Group, is extremely professionally positioned in the background. The franchise partner training in Vienna was very helpful, especially in preparing for the operational start. And despite the size of the franchisor, you can sense that this brand is truly close to their heart. There is close and regular exchange, a lot of support, on-site visits and monthly franchise partner meetings. We feel very well supported within this strong team.

Ferdinand Fleis: The support from StarDev during the start-up phase also helped us a lot. We already knew the team behind StarDev from the past. The collaboration was exactly as we expected it to be: professional, clear and partnership-oriented. Especially in such an intensive start-up phase, it is important to have contacts with whom you can pull together in the same direction.

Are you planning further expansion in the long term?  

Ferdinand Fleis: Yes, absolutely. From our point of view, Munich offers a lot of potential for Fat Monk - Deli Bowls. In the first step, of course, the full focus is on the current location at Stachus. There is still a great deal of growth potential here, and we still have a lot planned. Once the location has been further optimized, we look forward to tackling the next project.

Deniz Kavust: For us, it is important to build up the first location properly and sustainably. Once the processes are in place, the team has grown further and we have tapped even more of the potential at Stachus, the next location will definitely be a topic.