Interview with Rodrigue Trouillet, Veeno Franchisor
Rodrigue Trouillet worked for Disney for 20 years. However, wanting to move away from the corporate world, Rodrigue decided he wanted to focus on something he loved, which was hospitality. And it was soon clear that Veeno matched his aspirations and was representative of who he was. He initially looked to become a franchisee but when the opportunity to become a co-owner of the company arose, Rodrigue knew this was the right route for him. He is now using his experience to develop the brand across the UK.
Tell us a bit about yourself
After 20 years working for Disney, I wanted to move away from the Corporate world and own my business. I’ve always loved the hospitality industry and was attracted by Veeno as it’s more representative of who I am.
I initially wanted to become a Veeno franchisee in London but then decided to become a co-owner as I believed in the brand and the concept, and wanted to bring my experience to help it develop.
Outside of work I’m passionate about sports. I still play ice hockey today and continue be an avid golfer.
Can you tell us about Veeno
Veeno is an authentic Italian wine bar, proud to offer quality Italian wines and food across the UK.
It’s a simple operation compared to restaurants or pubs, offering lower start-up costs with a potential 2-year ROI, depending on franchisee performance.
The franchisee will have direct access to Veeno’s supply chain, whether it’s equipment, furniture, cleaning products, all food and drinks, systems, we have it sourced.
We import wines directly from Italy and source quality at the best possible price, which is a direct benefit to the franchisee.
And as well, our family wines are exclusive to Veeno in the UK.
Who is your target market?
Our customers are generally 30+ years, more female skewed but depending on the location and type of unit, we cater to all ages and demographics as we can organise corporate events to birthday parties and wedding receptions.
People are becoming increasingly more conscious about what they drink and eat, therefore, quality food and drink are becoming increasingly popular.
More wines labels have entered the UK market giving a greater choice but at the same time, the consumer is becoming more knowledgeable about wines. Consumers don’t want to become experts but really enjoy understanding more about where the wines come from and what the process in making quality wines. Veeno’s strength is to inform these consumers in a simple way. Our different tasting experiences cater very well to combine food with wine and learn more about the fantastic products Italy has to offer.
Why is Veeno a great investment for potential franchisees?
We offer a turnkey solution for our franchisees with services that are generally not found in the F&B industry. This being our own internal property design team and use of shop fitters that have worked on Veeno projects before (this doesn’t stop the franchisee from suggesting contractors if they want).
We can support the franchisee with the financing of the project if needed, by putting together financial models and business plans and introducing them to different banks that specialise in Franchising.
We also have a thorough training and recruitment programme offering substantial support during the pre and post opening phases of a venue and of course provide all the expected operational manuals needed to operate.
We will support the franchisee with marketing activities, particularly for the launch and then ongoing during the course of the year, whether local, national, social media, we have got that covered.
What differentiates Veeno from the competition?
We see the trend of customers appreciating more and more the combination of food and wine for a leisurely lunch or night out.
Our plan is to continue growing in the UK and open unpretentious wine bars, from affluent smaller towns to main cities; our concept caters well to consumer demand
What qualities do you look for in a Veeno franchisee?
The Veeno franchisee needs to be passionate about the hospitality industry and relate to great customer service. Our brand thrives on providing a great experience to our guests and the success relies on happy and returning customers.
We don’t expect the franchisee to be “perfect” in every aspect of the business, that’s why we look at people that will listen to the guidance provided and follow procedures put in place. We are here to support them!
What challenges have you had to overcome and adapt to over the years?
We’ve managed to get through the challenges from Covid, our like for like sales had gone up 53% in 2021 comparative to same period in 2019 and store contribution (EBITDA) has doubled in 2021 vs. 2019.
We also developed greater processes and continued to develop our food and drink offering, looking at ways to optimise cost of sales and increase gross profit.
What does the future hold for Veeno?
We are working on different concepts to broaden the types of hospitality businesses to cater to different audiences. We have experience in the food and drinks business from the wine bars we operate and trying to leverage off for other business opportunities.
We have franchise opportunities to open in the UK with strong interest from prospective franchisees who really appreciate our concept and brand.
But we keep saying, it’s not about the quantity of franchisees, it’s about the quality, that’s very important to Veeno.
We’ve had interest from UAE and Asia and we feel our adaptable concept could cater very well internationally.
Interested and want to know more about Veeno?
The Veeno profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.
