WHY SOME THINGS SHOULD BE LEFT AS A SECRET

In a time where everyone’s looking for the quickest shortcut to success, originality seems to be losing its shine. Copy, paste, repeat. You see it in every industry, and hospitality is no different. The moment something gains traction, someone else is trying to replicate it right down to the same fonts, colours, and even the way it’s plated and served.

There’s more to a brand than just the logo.

But Drizzl’d has never been about shortcuts. Personally, I’m a “chess not checkers" type of person. From the very beginning, we made a decision that separates us from every other dessert store and every other franchise model trying to flood the market. We locked in our core product with something untouchable: a secret recipe.

It’s the foundation of our brand, our story, and our success.

Think of KFC. You can buy a dozen different fried chickens at the supermarket or your local takeaway shop, but none of them taste like KFC. Why? Because their original recipe with those 11 herbs and spices remains a secret. It's legendary. And more importantly, it’s untouchable.

Drizzl’d has that too.

Our dough recipe is completely unique. It took nearly a year during COVID-19 of trial, error, and obsessive refinement. Everything was scrutinized, tested and made over a dozen times. Over and over again. The ratios, ingredients, and process are tailored precisely to what we know our customers love. And here’s the kicker, only one person has the complete recipe. Me. It’s not stored at the store. It’s not printed and laminated in some binder. It’s tucked away in a safe, in a completely different location.

Call it over the top. We call it smart business.

This decision wasn’t just about protecting flavour. It was about protecting the future. We’ve seen it happen countless of times; someone likes your product, copies the surface-level details, and thinks they’ve got a winning concept. But without the core? It doesn’t work. That’s what makes Drizzl’d hard to replicate. We haven’t just built a brand. We’ve protected its foundation.

For franchisees, this matters. You’re not buying into a business anyone can copy. You’re investing in something with substance. With a real point of difference. You’re serving a product that can’t just be Googled or guessed. Our dough isn’t off-the-shelf, and it’s not something a competitor can reverse-engineer. It’s been built, tested, and refined for the exact product our customers come back for day after day.

And even if someone tries to mimic the flavour, they won’t be able to replicate the experience. Because Drizzl’d isn’t just about the dough. It’s about the systems, the energy, the service, and the vibe that make people say, “This place just hits different.”

So if you’re considering a franchise, ask yourself: are you buying a logo, or are you buying something that can stand the test of time?

At Drizzl’d, we’ve chosen to make our product hard to duplicate and even harder to forget. That’s not a coincidence. It’s strategy. Because we believe the best businesses aren’t the ones that follow the crowd. They’re the ones that make sure no one else can catch up.

You ready? Click here to find out more.

HOW DO I KNOW I AM REALLY READY TO BE A FRANCHISEE?

It’s a question that hits you when you're scrolling through franchise listings at midnight or walking past a packed café thinking, “Could that be me one day?” I remember that exact feeling. It was almost five years ago now when I was doing the same thing, trying to figure out if I was truly ready to do this and build a company from the ground up.

Make yours a sweet life!

If you've found yourself Googling things like “hospitality franchises for sale in Melbourne” or “how much does it cost to buy a franchise in Australia,” you're already one step ahead. That kind of curiosity usually means something inside you is shifting.

But wanting something more doesn’t always mean you’re ready. It’s not about how much you dream, but whether you understand what stepping into ownership actually looks like.

Owning a franchise is very different to working in hospitality. You’re not just there to manage rosters or smile at customers. You’re building a team, making decisions that shape your brand, and making sure everything from wages to wastage is being handled properly. In the early days, it’s hands-on. You’re the one training, leading, checking on quality, and holding it all together.

But if you’re someone who appreciates structure, wants a clear path, and is ready to show up and learn, that’s already a good sign. And if you’re thinking about how to build something that doesn’t rely on you being there every day, you’re thinking like an owner.

At Drizzl’d, that’s exactly who we built our systems for. We created our framework so someone else could take the reins and run things smoothly without needing to reinvent the wheel. I haven’t been rostered for a shift in years, but I still lead from a higher level. I guide the team, refine the systems, and keep us pushing forward. That’s only possible because the foundation was built with intention.

Even though we’re still a growing brand, we’ve always had long-term vision. From our launch in December 2021 to now heading into our fourth year, we’ve learned that sustainable growth only happens when the right systems are in place and the right people step up.

You’ll know you’re ready when you stop waiting for the perfect conditions and start asking more grounded questions. Can I lead a team? Can I follow a proven model and still bring my own leadership to it? Can I commit to learning and building something I’ll be proud of?

Franchise ownership isn’t about hype or hope. It’s about clarity, consistency, and building a business that works with or without you.

And if Drizzl’d is on your radar, just know this, we’ve built something solid. It’s been tested. It’s running. And we’re ready to share it with the right people.

You don’t have to have it all figured out. But if you’re asking the right questions, you're already closer than you think.

THE UNSEEN COSTS TO RUNNING A FRANCHISE

When most people think about buying a franchise, the focus tends to land on what’s obvious. The initial investment, ongoing fees, supplier relationships, and expected profit margins. It’s all part of the research phase. But very few talk about what’s beneath the surface. The emotional cost. The mental weight. The responsibility that doesn’t show up in spreadsheets or sales projections.

Let’s be real here..

Because make no mistake, running a franchise (just like any business) comes with pressure. Yes, you’re buying into a brand. Yes, the systems are proven. But at the end of the day, the decisions are still yours. You are the one steering the ship when it gets choppy.

And it will get choppy. Staff calling in sick just before the post dinner rush. Supplier delays that throw your prep window sideways. A quiet week of trade right after your biggest stock order. You put on a smile for the customers, but behind the scenes, you’re adjusting rosters, cutting waste, and managing morale on two hours of sleep. It’s not glamorous. It’s real.

Then comes the mental shift. If you’ve only ever worked for someone else, the weight of leadership is something you feel fast. You’re responsible not just for the service, but for people’s livelihoods. Your wins are yours to celebrate but the losses are yours to absorb too. You’ll question yourself more than you expect. But this is where growth happens. It’s what separates operators from leaders.

That’s why at Drizzl’d, we’ve never tried to sell the dream of ‘easy business’. Instead, we built something better. We built a franchise model that’s structured to support you when it counts most and not just when things go right.

Since launching in December 2021, we’ve designed our systems to help franchisees stay steady through uncertainty. From daily and weekly check-ins, to plug-and-play staffing tools, leadership support, operations manuals and more, everything exists to reduce decision fatigue and give you back your headspace. When things go sideways (and they will), you’ll know exactly what to do, and you won’t be doing it alone.

And that foundation matters. Because we’ve had the same staffing shortages, cost increases, and economic curveballs every other business has faced. But we’re still here. Still growing. Still refining. Not because we avoided hardship, but because our model was built to move with it.

Franchising, when done right, is a chance to fast-track ownership without feeling overwhelmed. You’re buying into more than a logo. You’re investing in frameworks, in guidance, and in a team that wants to see you win. The support is real. The community is strong. And the opportunity is waiting.

So if you’ve been exploring hospitality franchises and wondering, “Could this be the one?”, here’s your sign.

Because Drizzl’d isn’t just a dessert brand. It’s a platform for growth. It’s one that’s been tested, refined, and ready for you to leap into this exciting phase of your life..

Ready to build something real? Click here. Let’s talk.

You’ve done the dreaming. Now it’s time to start building. You deserve it.