Heavenly Desserts: the UK's Fastest-Growing Dessert Franchise

Chris Conaghan

Business & Operational Development Manager

"Apicbase has been a game-changer."

When the calorie labelling legislation came into force in the UK, Chris Conaghan needed a tool to automate the process.

He found a solution that did much more.

Heavenly Desserts uses Apicbase for:

Calorie Labelling Compliance
Inventory Management
Allergen Information Tracking
Supplier Relations
Menu Development
Reporting and Analytics
Franchise Expansion

Challenge

Manual Processes & Inconsistency: “We relied heavily on spreadsheets and email. Every time there was a change in the menu, an ingredient’s price, or a change in a product code or packaging, we had to update the spreadsheets, often leading to inconsistencies.”
Calorie Labelling Legislation: “The new rules for showing calorie information made things complicated.” Heavenly had to manage a lot of data and ensure all our stores did it the same way.
Lack of Unified System: “Our area managers can’t be present at all locations simultaneously, so we needed a system that provides them with real-time performance data for each store.”
Accountability: Franchise partners must agree on the data. If there is an issue, central management must understand the problem and check whether the guidelines were followed. Incomplete spreadsheets made this a challenge.

Apicbase was warmly welcomed by our franchisees. They wanted a dynamic, real-time system to manage their stock. Previously, they relied on time-consuming Excel sheets.

Benefits

For Chris

Confidence: “Apicbase gave us a great deal of confidence in our product development, costings and the margins for our franchisees.”
Instant Access to Data In an Understandable Way: “I’m a big fan of the sales and recipe dashboards. The tabs and graphics are insightful and easy to navigate.
All Information in One Location: “We realised it made a lot of sense to have all information in one place: allergen and nutritional information, stock, costings, and sales.”
Ease of Use: “The interface is very user-friendly, which is important given the different levels of tech proficiency among franchise partners.”

Before Apicbase, we only had very vague cost calculations. Now, we see profit margins immediately. Apicbase provides detailed breakdowns of recipes, showing the cost contributions of each item.

For Central Management
For Central Management

Compliance with Calorie Labelling Legislation: Apicbase automatically populates the nutritional values and calorie calculations.

Streamlined Operations: The shift from manual to automated systems reduces administrative workload and errors.

Data-Driven Decision-Making: Access to real-time analytics and performance data for each store supports informed and centralised decision-making.

Efficient Menu Management: Apicbase centralises the menu development process, reducing the time and effort needed for changes.

Franchise Expansion: “Apicbase turned out to be a great marketing tool. We can show how the concept works and where the margins are with actual data.”

For Central Management
For Central Management
For Franchisees

Efficient Stock Management: Moving from manual, Excel-based systems to Apicbase streamlines inventory management and reduces the need for constant updates.
Standardised Procedures: Standardised processes help franchisees understand and follow the brand’s operational procedures, creating consistency in operations.
Cost Management: “Before Apicbase, some operators only looked at the bank balance and cash flow. Apicbase gave them an in-depth understanding of their store’s performance and the tools to actually manage costs.”

Just being able to update one thing and have the impact across 6 or 7 dishes. The instant feedback is excellent.

For Central Management
For Central Management
For Franchisees
For the Franchisor – Franchisee Relationship

Enhanced Accountability: Apicbase helps to assess whether franchisees adhere to operational procedures before escalating issues to headquarters.
Improved Communication and Support: Apicbase facilitates transparent communication and support, making it easier for HQ to assist franchisees in managing their operations and complying with brand standards.

Modules in use

Heavenly Dessert successfully centralized F&B management and gained valuable insights using seven integrated Apicbase modules, optimizing various aspects of operations.