Juici Patties: The Most Selective Franchise You’ve Never Heard Of — Until Now

For many restaurant founders, franchising creates an opportunity for rapid growth and significant profits. But what happens if you only accept the most qualified would-be franchisees? As Daniel Chin of Juici Patties has found, a highly selective application process is one of the most effective ways to preserve your company’s culture and quality.

“Company culture” is more than just a buzzword at Juici Patties. The company began as a small family-owned business in Jamaica before becoming the country’s leading fast-food chain. Daniel Chin, son of founder Jukie Chin and CEO of the company’s U.S. branch, is leading the effort to expand Juici Patties into the United States.

Currently, Juici has seven locations in Florida and two in New York City, and Chin is looking to introduce the brand to the rest of the country, too. Before that expansion could begin, Chin undertook a daunting task: overhauling the company’s culture.

“Jamaican restaurant chains have never had the reputation of having good customer service,” he says. “We fundamentally changed the entire way that we recruited employees, how we train, and how we hire. We’ve grown in terms of employee headcount, and we’re still delivering good customer service in a foreign country where customer service is rare.”

Chin says the driving force behind that transformation is relatively simple. “It's mostly taking care of employees and making them feel like the restaurant deserves their best performance,” he explains.

Juici Patties now offers franchising opportunities in the U.S., and that same spirit of support extends to new franchise owners. They receive help and guidance while setting up their Juici Patties location, but they can access on-demand support at any point.

Chin sees Juici Patties as a family, and each new franchisee becomes a member of that family. However, joining this group is more challenging than it sounds. Applicants must be able to cover the upfront costs and franchise fee, but they must also believe in the Juici Patties mission and be in alignment with the company’s culture.

The Juici Patties franchise team carefully evaluates each applicant, and those chosen are a fortunate few— only 0.4% of those who apply are selected.

Why turn away 99.6% of potential franchise operators? Chin takes a community-first approach to expansion, prioritizing both the local community and the community within the store itself.

Each Juici Patties location should bring high-quality, authentic Jamaican food to the surrounding region and create a supportive culture for all employees. Not every franchise operator is up to the task. If an applicant is willing to cut corners to maximize profits or treat employees as disposable, they’re simply not a good fit.

Still, because Juici Patties offers a franchising opportunity in the small but growing Caribbean food market, there’s no shortage of prospective franchisees lining up to apply. It may take time for the brand to expand across the U.S., but for customers in the places where new locations pop up, the wait will no doubt be worthwhile.