Trampoline bounces into Franchised Food Company stable, with more businesses set to join

Gelato chain Trampoline has been snapped up from Burra Foods Australia by food franchise powerhouse Franchised Food Company (FFCo) for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition is one of a series the company intends to make this year in the food and treat field, FFCo chief executive officer Stan Gordon told SmartCompany this morning.

“I can say on the record, watch this space,” he says. “We have our eye out and we are in negotiations already.”

FFCo already operates Cold Rock Ice Creamery, Pretzel World, Nutshack and Mr Whippy brands.

From next Monday, September 30 it will take control of Trampoline, which has 11 stores across Victoria and two in the Northern Territory.

Burra Foods Australia released a memo to its staff stating that it will continue to manufacture the Trampoline gelato mix for the new owners.

Gordon declined to reveal the sale cost, but said he felt it was “above market value”, yet a “fair deal” for both parties.

He says his team will be hunting for franchise operators to expand the business to other states, confirming he wants to push the number of stores well past 20 for optimal returns.

He says while Trampoline “hasn’t quite reached its potential”, he won’t be changing the brand significantly. He thinks the branding as it stands is “sexy and exciting”, but a key goal will be to improve the in-store experience for customers.

Gordon says the timing was right to purchase the franchise due to the broader climate of businesses scaling back staff and people looking to run their own operations.

Trampoline was launched by Burra Foods Australia in 2004 with one store on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, Melbourne.

FFCo was launched in 2009 and claims to be the largest Australian-owned multi-system, non-listed franchisor, with almost 200 stores nationwide.