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Like so many people who become our franchisees, Sanja Dujic heard about Edible Arrangements when a friend received a bouquet as a gift. When this friend sent her some literature about the company, Sanja immediately began researching what Edible Arrangements is all about. Sanja went to the Edible Arrangements website to learn more, and soon discovered that there were no Edible Arrangements franchises in Hong Kong. It didn’t take long to learn that there is nothing at all like our unique product in Hong Kong. That was all it took for Sanja to know that Edible Arrangements franchises were a good fit for her. She traveled from Hong Kong to Dubai to see the Edible Arrangements operation there, and visited the corporate office in the US in November of 2008. Right away she began the paperwork to bring Edible Arrangements to Hong Kong.
Sanja is originally from Croatia, and has been living in Hong Kong for nearly four years now. She is convinced that Edible Arrangements will succeed in Hong Kong because it is a place known for trend-setting. “Edible Arrangements is such a new idea. Everyone I showed this product to is delighted by it. The fruit is fresh, and the concept is perfect for the people in Hong Kong. They have a long and strong tradition of enjoying fine food, and are famous for being attracted to new things.” The United States has earned a reputation for excellence among Hong Kong traders and consumers for providing a steady supply of high quality products. Sanja observes, “Edible Arrangements is the perfect example of a fresh idea that is both upscale and a good value. Those attributes will be attractive to consumers in Hong Kong.”
In addition to being trend-setters, people in Hong Kong are health conscience, so a fresh fruit arrangement is an attractive option. Sanja reports that in Hong Kong the most common presents to give for all occasions are fruit baskets and flowers. Since our bouquets combine both of these gifts into one elegant presentation, she is sure Edible Arrangements will be a big success in Hong Kong.
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Fausto Petruzziello, M.D., sees Edible Arrangements as a healthy business
Why does a busy physician and professor of medicine at Yale University get in to the fruit business? In addition to being on the faculty at Yale, one of the world’s most prestigious medical schools, Dr. Fausto Petruzziello is a doctor of internal medicine and a surgeon, and he runs four offices. Because Dr. Petruzziello’s focus is on wellness and fitness, he naturally gravitates toward healthy lifestyle choices. His experience running four medical offices makes him the perfect multi-unit owner – managing several related businesses and creating operational efficiencies among them comes easy to him. So it’s only natural that this talented doctor would be attracted to Edible Arrangements as a business venture outside of the medical profession. Combine those factors with his frequent travel to his native Italy, and the idea for a master franchisee in was born. Says Dr. Petruzziello, “I’m guessing that not many physicians are building master franchises in Europe. The fact that I am doing this speaks volumes as to how good the product is and how viable a business venture Edible Arrangements is. “
Dr. Petruzziello considers Edible Arrangements a sound business concept with product longevity, but he wanted something beyond that. As a medical doctor, his days are filled with the scientific and technical aspects of caring for patients. He deals with pain and suffering every day. His new Edible Arrangements venture will allow him to make people happy and healthy in a fun and celebratory way.
Dr. Petruzziello’s initial plan is to begin building the franchise in Rome with three stores, and to expand to Florence and Milan. His goal is to have 100 to 150 stores in Italy within next three to five years. He has no plans to abandon the medical profession here in the United States but he may decide to limit time on patient care and manage his businesses.
Dr. Petruzziello expects the health-conscious Italian population will embrace Edible Arrangements products, and his market research tells him that they like the concept of combining a healthy product with gift giving. He is excited about developing the Edible Arrangements brand in Italy and to put his energy into building this business. “You can only do this if you’re excited about it – your business is not going to work if you don’t believe in it,” he says.
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Kemal Aydin was born in Turkey, and moved to the United States in 1995. About four years ago, Kemal’s wife received an arrangement as a get-well gift. Kemal was immediately taken with the arrangement and the concept of beautifully arranged fruit designs. Kemal discussed the idea with his brother Emre who owns one of the largest online florists businesses in Turkey. Kemal and Emre discussed fruit bouquets but Emre knew that he wanted to maintain his focus on flowers. Then, in late 2008, Emre called Kemal suggesting the two brothers buy an Edible Arrangements franchise.
Kemal’s background is in Information Technology. He started his IT consulting company, Satreno in 2000. Satreno now has locations in the U.S., South Africa, Ireland and Turkey. Now that his IT business is thriving, Kemal intends to focus his business attentions on developing Edible Arrangements franchises in Turkey. Kemal originally thought that he would develop fifteen stores over the next five years, but he now expects that they will hit that target sooner.
Kemal and Emre are excited to get started. To get a first-hand feel for the business Kemal may take a sabbatical up to six months from his U.S. business once the store is opened. Kemal is accustomed to returning toTurkey every year to visit with Emre and other family members there. Now when he makes the trip home it will be to grow his Edible Arrangements business as the Master Franchisee for Turkey.
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