Cronulla pizza kings reveal their new-look Crust store
Crust Pizza Cronulla is one of the longest running and most successful locations within the brand, and has recently undergone major transformation – both in branding and refurbishment.
Original Franchise Customers George Gourlas and Andrew Valacas have been operating their Crust store since June 2007 and decided they needed a larger location choosing the heritage listed former Commonwealth Bank space (circa 1938).
Andrew generously put some time aside to share his best tips for a successful business.
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What do you attribute to your success?
Ensuring George and I have continued to be the face of the business has meant a lot of dedication. Attention to detail, consistently delivering high quality food, and being heavily involved in the daily operations of the business, were necessary elements in achieving this.
We have also been very active in our local community and school – these people have always been our loyal clientele and have kept us going even through the slower months.
As I’m so involved in the day-to-day operations, sometimes it can be harder to see things objectively and that’s where my business partner George, is the fresh eyes we need. He’s integral to checking that we’re always doing things to the best of our ability and ensuring we keep on track by providing feedback and advice that means we can run things better.
How have you adapted to growth?
We grew from a few staff to more than 50, today! A lot of those team members are delivery drivers (sometimes on a Friday we’ll have upwards of 20 staff). Our drivers are the face of our business and so it’s essential they offer good customer service. We make sure we offer training and promote a happy team environment by offering incentives like flexible work hours.
And your biggest challenges?
Staffing is one of the biggest considerations and finding ways to communicate and adjust to different generations we work with is key. We’ve found that flexibility is a big thing for the younger recruits and we work to integrate that, daily.
Of course our biggest challenge and focus is on our customer, and continuing to enhance their dining experience across the end-to-end delivery of the product and their enjoyment in eating it.
#ENDS
Wanna make a crust? Discover more.
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For further information, interviews or images, please contact:
Christina Jones, Media & Communications Manager, 0432 161 204 or Christina.Jones@rfg.com.au
About Retail Food Group Limited:
RFG is a global food and beverage company headquartered in Queensland. It is Australia’s largest multi-brand retail food franchise owner, a roaster and supplier of high quality coffee products, and an emerging leader in the foodservice, dairy processing and wholesale bakery sectors. For more information about RFG visit: www.rfg.com.au