Burger King Franchisees Lukewarm on ‘Field Coaches’ From Headquarters
By Matthew Lyle • November 18, 2014
Burger King Worldwide has about 145 such coaches to help with its more than 7,100 U.S. restaurants, most of which are franchises. The coaching system is a linchpin in the efforts by Burger King’s Brazilian owners to revamp its fast-food business model—and the company has sometimes struggled to get it right. While some franchisees praise the system, others say its quality is uneven, with some coaches too young and inexperienced.
Burger King has rejiggered the coach system several times. It has more than doubled the number of field coaches and made each responsible for about 50 restaurants, instead of about 90. Restaurants now get visits quarterly, instead of once every six months, and Burger King has outsourced some inspection responsibilities so coaches could focus on helping restaurant managers.
Still, only 36% of Burger King franchisees rated the knowledge and capabilities of their field coaches as “good,” “very good” or “excellent,” while 35% rated them “poor” and 29% “average,” according to respondents of a February survey of more than 300 U.S. Burger King franchise owners conducted by a consultant for the National Franchisee Association.