Whole Foods became a household name thanks to its knack for good timing and the growth of the organic food market.
Now Whole Foods has more than 500 locations worldwide. For savvy investors, a Whole Foods franchise sounds like an incredible opportunity, particularly with Whole Foods’ brand recognition and reputation.
Is Whole Foods a Franchise?
Unfortunately, there is no Whole Foods franchise to invest in because Whole Foods is owned by Amazon and not available for franchise investors.
There are, however, alternative franchises, like Aloha Poke Co. Even though Aloha Poke Co. is not a grocery store, our ethos—similar to that of Whole Foods—is very much a part of the foundation of the company.
Whole Foods’ Impact on the Food Industry
Whole Foods Market, Inc. became a household name in the 1990s when healthy, organic foods were beginning to get a foothold in the grocery market. People wanted to know where the food they purchased came from, that the animals supplying their meat were humanely treated, and that there were no unnecessary additives or chemicals.
These basic tenets of organic food shopping were not common. Most grocery stores didn’t have quality organic foods at the time, and the independent stores that did sell such foods weren’t always pleasant places to shop.
Whole Foods paved the way for an elevated organic shopping experience. Customers didn’t have to bother looking at labels to know the foods they were buying contained no hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial additives, preservatives, and more.
Those ingredients were banned from Whole Foods’ stock entirely.
High standards for animal welfare were also put into place, so customers could rely on the fact that the meat sold at Whole Foods was humanely raised and contained no antibiotics, hormones, or growth modifications.
Whole Foods built incredible trust with customers looking for organic, healthy, sustainable food. Beyond that, Whole Foods also treated employees well, with better pay and benefits for full-time and part-time employees.
Shoppers knew they could buy top-quality, sustainably sourced foods from people who were making living wages and being treated with dignity.
So why doesn’t Whole Foods franchise? That’s an answer only Whole Foods, and now Amazon, who purchased Whole Foods in 2017, can give.
Aloha Poke Co. Franchises are a Fantastic Alternative to Whole Foods Franchises
Aloha Poke Co. shares many things with Whole Foods Market, including their commitment to environmental stewardship.
Not only do we sell fresh, whole superfoods that are aesthetically beautiful as well as delicious, much like Whole Foods Market, but Aloha Poke Co. has also put into place several initiatives to keep our consumption of seafood within safe and sustainable practices.
All of our ahi and yellowfin tuna are caught and brought aboard fishing vessels using handlines and traditional hand-operated poles to avoid dangerous bycatch—inadvertently catching other marine species such as dolphins and whales—in our fishing equipment.
We only purchase our seafood from responsible fisheries.
Yellowfin tuna is also overfished, except for two oceanic regions, the Western and Central Pacific. We only work with fisheries in these regions that adhere to hand-fishing practices.
Our fisheries also do not keep juveniles, so the fish population remains unthreatened and the ecosystem balance isn’t damaged.
At Aloha Poke Co., we only source salmon, another high-demand seafood, from Chilean aquacultures in the Patagonia region that hold a Best Aquaculture Practice certification for their fish farming and processing plants.
This certification includes audits for humane treatment, the plant’s environmental quality, and how fairly the employees are treated.
Our shrimp is sustainably sourced from Indonesia and receives an Eco-Cert rating from Seafood Watch. Similarly, chicken on the Aloha Poke Co. menu is free-range and vegan fed with no antibiotics.
Investors don’t need a Whole Foods franchise to find worthy investments like Aloha Poke Co. for similar environmental and sustainability commitments.
Aloha Poke Co.the Whole Foods Franchise Investor’s Answer
Since there is no Whole Foods franchise opportunity, it makes sense for the investor interested in such a company to consider an Aloha Poke Co. franchise opportunity.
In fact, investors may be at an advantage with an Aloha Poke Co. franchise that doesn’t have some of the same baggage as a Whole Foods franchise would—case in point: Whole Foods’ nickname is “Whole Paycheck,” as in that’s how much it costs to shop there.
What are some of the benefits of owning an Aloha Poke Co. franchise location?
Much Lower Investment Range
Investing in a Whole Foods franchise would cost millions. Because the Aloha Poke Co. business model is of a restaurant rather than a large grocery store, investors would simply need a net worth of $500,000 and liquid capital of $125,000.
The franchise fee is only $35,000, and the estimated investment range is between $140,900 and $388,270. Much lower than committing to a grocery store.
Lower Overhead
An Aloha Poke Co. franchise location is typically between 250 and 2,000 square feet rather than the giant square footage required by a grocery store.
We don’t need the giant footprint of a Whole Foods franchise because we’re space-efficient and don’t require the intensive kitchen equipment and build-out of a grocery store chain or larger restaurant.
This also translates to smaller overhead in a high-demand market. Our menu isn’t overly complicated, so our costs are better controlled.
Optimized Technology
Whole Foods and Amazon have reputations for being innovators in technology and changing the way shoppers behave.
For example, some Whole Foods locations don’t require patrons to check out. The ones with Amazon Prime accounts simply leave without going through a cashier and their cards are charged within minutes.
Aloha Poke Co. is changing the way franchise owners operate. Our franchise model embraces simplicity to ensure a streamlined daily operation.
We also have technology programs designed for our franchise owners to run all of their administrative functions on a 10” tablet using cloud-based technology.
Unparalleled Franchise Owner Support
Aloha Poke Co. franchise owners also receive hands-on support from our franchise development team.
We provide professional training on all Aloha Poke Co. operations and procedures, as well as guidance with initial inventory orders with vetted suppliers. Our experts provide advice on site selection and location, build-out, restaurant set-up, and more.
Beyond the grand opening, we’re with our franchise owners for the long-term. We continue ongoing support with refresher training, periodic on-site visits, and access to our proprietary operations manual, which contains daily procedures, recipes, food safety, reporting, and quality control processes.
Franchise owners also get marketing support to help increase brand awareness and attract business.
If you’re disappointed there is no Whole Foods franchise in which to invest, you’re not totally out of luck.
Owning an Aloha Poke Co. franchise can be just as rewarding and provide you with the same satisfaction of high-quality products, sustainable practices, and top-notch customer service. Contact us today for more information.
