Steps to Opening Your Own
Cereality Cereal Bar and Cafe
The table is set.

Congratulations, you are now an approved franchisee and the process to open your store has begun. We will now take you through each step of that process. Rest assured we will guide you along the way. Our real estate team and local approved real estate brokers will provide assistance and support. Let's get started.


Site Selection
 It's all about the location. (We're sure you've heard that before.)

Successful site selection is key to the health of any business. A Cereality Cereal Bar and Cafe is certainly no different. Our real estate team and local approved real estate brokers will guide you. Here are some guidelines to finding that perfect site:

Space and Facility Types
 There are 4 different franchise facility options:
  1. In-line Cafe - 1,000-2,000 square feet is ideal. Modified cafe footprint, designed for lifestyle centers and other high traffic street-front exposure alongside high-end retailers. Provides all brand elements including dining area, production area, storage and restrooms.
  2. Kiosk with Lounge - up to 1,200 square feet. Combines the production efficiency of a kiosk while providing a Cereality branded lounge area with unique dedicated seating without incurring the expense of a full build out. Perfect format for lobbies of malls, hotels, resorts, and other public venues.
  3. Kiosk - approximately 200 square feet. Completely modular design. Excellent format for food court or other small footprint locations. Can be placed within in-line environment or set up as a stand-alone unit in open space. Good option for captive audience situations where seating, restrooms and storage can be shared.
  4. Mobile Unit - Customized Cereality Sprinter Vans. Fully outfitted and branded Cereality Dodge Sprinter Vans that allow for flexibility with location and sales cycles. These units are street ready and can be utilized for a variety of different venues, from sporting events and festivals to office parks and public schools.

Visibility
 Space should have great visibility from the sidewalk and street. Signage should be readily displayed and adequate to attract customers from all directions. Be wary of dead zones where sightlines are limited due to overhanging signs, trees, poles, etc.

Traffic
 Morning and lunch traffic is essential, and daylong traffic is preferred. Site should be capable of driving business each day of the week. If site is a street location, pay particular attention to the availability of parking nearby.

Co-Tenants and Neighbors:
 Schools, colleges, churches, office buildings, retailers, libraries, post offices, copy/office stores, bookstores, coffee shops and hospitals/medical offices are ideal neighbors. The more the merrier.

Once you have found a suitable location you will submit formal site package documents to CEREALITY for final site approval.

Duration: Approximately 4 months


Lease Negotiation, Review and Signing
 Making the numbers work. Making sure the space works.

Once that perfect site is found, the lease negotiation process begins. We will provide you with standardized Letter of Intent and Lease Agreement documents to use as guides. This is a time to ask questions of your landlord, reach clarity on all issues and make sure the site works from a numbers standpoint. This is a time of intense follow-up and due diligence. Once the lease is signed, it's on to defining the space further from a design standpoint and for training.

Duration: Approximately 3 months


Defining the Space
 It all begins with a grand plan.

With help from our Site Development team and standardized drawings, you begin the build-out process by finalizing an efficient design, site plans and architectural documents. Once approved, you then proceed with construction documents - including mechanical, plumbing and electrical plans - to submit for approval to the local building and health departments. You will also be provided with a construction checklist and new store opening timeline to make sure all necessary steps are handled.

Duration: Approximately 6-8 weeks


Always Saturday Morning Boot Camp™
 Learning the Cereality way.

With your site plans in process, you will enroll for a one-week training program in Chicago to learn in detail how to achieve operational excellence by surpassing the expectations of each and every Cereality customer.

Duration: Approximately 3-6 weeks


Building Your Cereality Cereal Bar and Cafe Unit
 Putting the building blocks in place... literally.

With help from our Site Development team, you source a licensed general contractor and begin to build-out your store. We will advise on construction questions to ensure the process flows efficiently.

Duration: Approximately 6-8 weeks


Preparing to Open the Doors.
 It's really getting to be fun now.

As construction proceeds, you will meet with our New Store Opening Coordinator to cover all items relating to opening. From opening orders to organizing storage and hiring employees, you find this support to be invaluable.

Duration: Approximately 3 weeks


Your Cereality Cereal Bar and Cafe Location is Open: How to Fill the Bowl.
 Executing the standards of the Cereality brand - each day, each customer.

You are part of the Cereality family. And you have a place of your own where it's Always Saturday Morning.™ To best promote and market your store, you first must ensure your operational practices are in place and your Cereologists are properly trained to deliver the promise that it's Always Saturday Morning.

One of the goals of the Cereality brand is to make people feel happy and comfortable. So it is important that you connect with your community in a number of ways, including:

  • Local store marketing programs
  • National promotions
  • Flexible & customized merchandising and marketing collateral available on the Cereality intranet.
  • Sharing best practices with other Cereality franchises and company owned cafes.
  • Other creative guerilla marketing and grassroots community outreach tactics you will learn at Cereality Schoolhouse.

Duration: Ongoing