FOOD AND DRINK
“ We didn ’ t plan to franchise , but with the level of interest we needed a solution ”
store front . The very first Surf ’ n ’ Fries store was built in Colak ’ s home town of Rijeka , a mere 27 square meters .
There were initial doubts from the wider market , Rijeka is only a small town in a relatively small country how could it possibly tap into , let alone reinvent , the multibillion global QSR Market ?
Colak saw almost immediate success for the store ( to the tune of an average of 1,000 transactions per day ).
Within less than a year , the Surf ’ n ’ Fries tale was in full swing , with Colak already laying down the foundations of becoming an unrivalled franchisor .
“ We generated a lot of interest from tourists in Croatia , wanting to open their own Surf ’ n ’ Fries in their home countries ,” says Colak .
“ We didn ’ t plan to franchise , but with the level of interest we needed a solution . This is where the franchise of Surf ’ n ’ Fries was born .”
Before success though , came challenges .
An innate challenge for Colak was born out of his roots in Croatia .
“ It ’ s challenging to grow international business from Croatia . You have to prove yourself and build international credibility .”
Just 12 months after opening the first Surf ’ n ’ Fries store in Rijeka , the franchise concept cemented itself within the capital , Zagreb , and in a surprise to no one - customers craved the signature taste and feel of Surf ’ n ’ Fries .