Business grants help Papa Murphy's Take & Bake Pizza takeover SK
- EFN Staff | May 17, 2016
Don Ross wanted to get into a business but he didn’t quite know what business to choose. Then a couple of things turned him in the direction of Papa Murphy’s Take and Bake Pizza.
“First we walked into a Papa Murphy’s in Phoenix when we were on holidays. I was immediately taken by the design and menu and then we ate the pizza. It was fantastic,” said Don. “Then I was watching a CFL game and there was a commercial for Papa Murphy’s franchises across Canada. I researched it out and then sat down and talked to my son and asked if he would be interested in leaving the company he was with managing several restaurants in Regina and I told him I wouldn’t do it without him. He told me to go big.”
And with that, Don and his wife Bonnie set out to meet with the Papa Murphy people and soon enough Don became President of Papa Murphy’s Saskatchewan and in the last year has opened up shops in Regina and Saskatoon.
“This franchise is perfect for us. It was rated Number 1 in the US for quality and taste and it is the 5th largest pizza chain. So the management system was very appealing. And also the cost of getting in was affordable compared to other franchises. It is simple enough to get into. Plus we don’t have any cooks. I didn’t want a restaurant. I didn’t want wait staff or servers. I didn’t want to deal with that side of the business. Just like the business, we keep it simple. Good product. Good brand.”
At Papa Murphy’s you order your favourite pizza and they prepare it right in front of you and wrap it. You take it home and cook it fresh in your own oven.
“I used to live in a rural community,” added Don. “And bringing a pizza home from the city was a treat but by the time I got home, the pizza was cold. Our pizzas are as good as it gets.”
If not for the Clarence Campeau Development Fund and the Saskatchewan Métis Economic Development Corporation, there would only be a store in Regina.
“CCDF and SMEDCO were imperative in starting this business. You need to have working capital or you won't succeed. CCDF and SMEDCO both helped. Without them, we wouldn’t be in business. Traditional banks, even though we had equity, they would not support us. Without SMEDCO and CCDF, we wouldn’t be able to do the business we do.”
So far things are ticking along well for the business. The Regina location is one of the top stores in Canada and the one in Saskatoon is becoming better known. And one thing that makes Don quite proud is so far they have 14 employees with over half being First Nation or Métis.
“Being members of George Gordon’s First Nation and with my wife Bonnie being Métis, we wanted to ensure our family business represented the community,” said Don. “First time jobs for some of these kids and if we don’t give them an opportunity then who will. I love seeing our young kids working wherever I go. The most rewarding is getting the feedback from customers and having them praise our employees for good service or how great the food is. That is what I like to hear. And they refer us. That’s the best marketing.”