Maui Wowi Hawaiian, a dual franchise concept specializing in gourmet island-grown coffee and fruit smoothies, jump-started the New Year with a three-day gathering of the company’s Franchise Advisory Council. The meeting was aimed at blending ideas, best practices, and strategic goals into achievable initiatives for 2014.
Meeting in Denver, Colorado, at the company headquarters, the six-person team gathers twice annually as a way for each regional representative to speak on behalf of the franchisees in their areas and continue discussions to help move the brand forward and further the success of the franchise system.
“These meetings provide unbelievable benefit and insight by allowing the voice of the franchisees to be heard,” says DuAnne Redus, franchisee and Plains Regional FAC representative. “We play an active role in the decisions that directly affect our business, and that’s not something you can say for very many companies.”
The FAC is comprised of six members who are elected by the franchisees in each region to represent them and act as a liaison between them and the corporate headquarters. Each member takes great pride and responsibility in the position and works to create mutual success for the franchisees.
This year, the team met with newly appointed CEO Mike Weinberger, who was promoted to the position in August of last year. He and the team at headquarters, also known as the Mainland, addressed the 2014 initiatives of communication and collaboration. Maui Wowi focuses on working as a team and has created a network of ‘ohana, or family members that each franchisee can count on.
