COVID career change pays off for this Burger & Sauce franchisee

“COVID has a lot to answer for including my career change! However, now it’s about looking forward," says multi-unit Burger & Sauce franchisee Kamil Munir

Kamil Munir was an automotive designer. After five years designing cars for Jaguar, he moved to a new firm designing motorbikes. He enjoyed his job but then COVID hit. Suddenly he was made redundant, and it was time for a complete career change.

Kamil explains: “I’d always wanted to run my own restaurant. My family manage several branded fast food outlets, but I was keen to do something for myself. I knew Saad Masood, founder of Burger & Sauce, and we met up and made a deal. I loved the concept of fresh and simple that Burger & Sauce represents, and I opened my first franchised restaurant in July 2021.

“I spent several months brushing up on my management skills while working at another Burger & Sauce restaurant before the launch of my franchised unit in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre in Birmingham.

“When we initially opened, some COVID rules were still in place and so it was pretty quiet for the first month. We worked on leafleting to drum up trade and then our agreement with the aggregator UberEATS kicked in. The students came back in September and suddenly we were really busy!

“The fresh burgers are very popular but one of our best-selling menu choices is our chicken cheese fries. They sell like ‘hot cakes’! Everyone likes them because they aren’t expensive and can be eaten ‘on the go’ too!

“I now have 19 people working at the Bull Ring Burger & Sauce looking after eat-in, takeaway and delivery customers. The popularity of our freshly made burgers has been incredible. To put that into context, last month we sold around 2,000 burgers minimum per week and that doesn’t include drinks, fries or other orders!

“One of the best things about the franchise is the support. Saad and his team have been amazing. They are totally committed to growing the brand and have really helped me while I got up and running. They also listen to feedback and are always looking at ways to improve the business.

“One example is the technology we use in the kitchens. Each workstation has a screen so staff can see and fulfil orders coming in. There is no need to shout order information over the noise of the kitchen as all the information is delivered electronically. The team are happy working in this super-efficient and professional environment.

“I have now bought four licences for Burger & Sauce franchised restaurants and aim to expand, opening two more outlets in Birmingham and one in Coventry soon. Finding the right site is important and Burger & Sauce has a professional property consultant to source and help negotiate contracts with landlords.

“So far, my experience as a franchisee with Burger & Sauce has been fantastic. The people behind the brand are passionate about fresh, convenience food, and wholeheartedly believe in the concept. They also believe in the franchisees too which is important as we all work together.

“COVID has a lot to answer for including my career change! However, now it’s about looking forward. I’m excited to be developing my portfolio of restaurants, so watch this space for the next Burger & Sauce restaurant opening near you!”