The UK’s restaurant franchise scene is thriving – from high street favourites to cutting-edge virtual brands. Whether you’re opening your first site or expanding your portfolio, franchising offers a proven path to business success, with built-in support and brand recognition.
From choosing the right concept to learning from real-world operators, here’s what you need to know before investing in a restaurant franchise.
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From fast food giants to the fast-casual wave, restaurant franchises dominate the UK’s high streets. The heavy-hitters need no introduction – McDonald’s, KFC, Domino’s.
For franchisees, the model is a compelling one: built-in brand recognition, a loyal customer base, and a tested formula to hit the ground running. For franchisors, it’s a route to rapid, low-risk expansion. On paper, everyone wins.
In a fast-moving sector where consumer habits shift almost as quickly as the menu, virtual food brands have carved out a powerful, lasting niche.
While traditional high street restaurants face mounting costs and unpredictable footfall, delivery-only models are quietly reshaping the way modern diners eat – and how smart entrepreneurs build scalable, future-facing businesses.
Mohamed Poonawala, co-founder of delivery-focused restaurant franchise platform Dish’d, has seen that transformation firsthand. His journey began at 17, working family-run food market stalls before moving into a successful career as a financial advisor.
But food – and franchising – remained a constant pull. A decade ago, that passion became reality when he opened his first store in Harrow, eventually expanding to four sites.
“Margins got tighter, competition increased, and we needed smarter ways to grow without inflating our costs,” he recalls. “That’s when we started experimenting with virtual brands – at first, just for our own stores.”
What began as a tactical solution to internal pressure quickly grew into something far bigger. Alongside co-founder Mohammed Rahman, Mohamed launched Dish’d as a platform to help other operators monetise their existing kitchens by bringing high-quality virtual brands to life – unlocking new revenue streams for restaurant franchises, without new overheads.
Meliha Candir’s journey into restaurant franchising began where many great stories do: as a customer. After falling in love with the Urban Burger brand, she joined the team as a manager and later stepped up to become the company’s first-ever franchisee.
Her background – working in family cafés and running a takeaway restaurant with her husband – gave her the experience. But it was a moment of shared ambition with founder Mehmet that lit the fire.
“We’d always loved Urban,” she says. “When they started talking about franchising, I spoke to my husband and then reached out. Because I already knew them, and they knew how I worked, it just felt like the right fit.”
Her Sheffield site opened in December 2024 – a location Mehmet himself had scouted back in 2019. “It honestly felt like fate. That site was always meant to be an Urban!”
Although Dish’d officially launched in 2023, the groundwork was laid long before. In the early days, the team took a DIY approach to brand-building – menus, packaging, photography, even naming.
“There’s only so far you can take things without specialist support,” Mohamed says. “We’re not chefs. About six to nine months ago, we realised we’d hit our creative ceiling.”
Enter a dedicated development team, including a chef leading food innovation. The goal? Brands that feel just as cohesive and compelling as dine-in restaurants – without the bricks and mortar.
“It’s taken a couple of years to assemble the right team, but now we’ve got people who really get what we’re trying to do.”
For Meliha, restaurant franchising offered the best of both worlds: the freedom of business ownership, backed by proven systems and support.
“It still feels like your business – you’re working hard, managing the team, driving sales. But you’re not doing it all from scratch. The systems are in place. They’ve figured out what works.”
Urban’s generous onboarding model – seven weeks of training across pre-launch, in-store, and post-launch phases – gave her the tools and confidence to succeed.
Five months in, her site is already outperforming expectations. “Around a fifth of our customers already knew the brand, which helped. But now it’s up to us to reach everyone else.”
For Dish’d, the ambition isn’t to churn out late-night food for convenience’s sake. The focus is on delivering a restaurant-quality experience – just via delivery bag, not plate. “This isn’t just food you order at the end of a night out,” Mohamed says. “It’s quality, considered food.”
That long-term mindset distinguishes Dish’d from the wave of rushed virtual concepts that emerged during the pandemic. “A lot of those were built for short-term gain,” he adds.
“They filled a gap, but they weren’t built to last. For us, it’s always been about delivering something that brings people back.”
It also reflects shifting consumer behaviour: more people are choosing to celebrate at home, but with high expectations for the food experience. “People still want that restaurant quality, just without the hassle of traffic, parking or booking a table. We’ve proven that you can still have that experience at home.”
Dark kitchens – delivery-only spaces with no physical storefront – have become a defining part of the UK food landscape. “There’s no front-of-house, no waiting staff,” Mohamed explains. “It’s all about food production. The delivery platforms handle the rest.”
The appeal is clear: lower overheads, simpler staffing models, and the ability to scale without costly restaurant builds. “Restaurants are expensive to run. If you can maintain quality and reach customers, a delivery-only model just makes sense.”
It’s not without its growing pains. The model boomed during the pandemic, perhaps too quickly. But now, larger brands are investing, recognising that separating dine-in from delivery is often the smarter play.
The Dish’d’ model is built on integration – embedding brands into already-operating kitchens. But that means they’re selective about who they partner with.
“It’s a challenge,” Mohamed admits. “You’re layering something new on top of what’s already running. That only works if you’re fully bought in – and if you truly care about the customer.”
And in delivery, the customer is largely invisible. “It’s just a name on a ticket. But we want partners who care just as much as if the diner were sitting in front of them.”
Franchisees go through a rigorous onboarding process, including time at the Dish’d head office showroom, which simulates a real-world operation.
“You learn a lot in a few hours with someone,” Mohamed says. “It’s about ambition, trust, and alignment. That’s what makes the model sustainable.”
The Dish’d approach to restaurant franchising is deliberately collaborative. Rather than drawing hard lines, it favours integration – of systems, workflows, and people.
“This is your kitchen,” Mohamed says. “Your staff need to operate confidently across both parts of the business, and it’s our job to make that possible.”
That mindset often leads to mutual growth. “We’ve shown partners new ways of doing things, and they’ve done the same for us. That’s the power of shared learning.”
While Dish’d isn’t exclusively aimed at new franchisees, its model is particularly attractive to experienced operators looking to diversify. “Most of our franchisees already run restaurant kitchens. If you’re in that position, our model is incredibly low-risk.”
With rent, staff, and equipment already accounted for, Dish’d becomes a bolt-on – an extra revenue stream with minimal CapEx. “ROI can happen in months, not years. That’s why our partners love it.”
Technology is central to the Dish’d model – helping operators manage orders, minimise errors and streamline kitchen workflow. “With the pace of digital delivery, you need tools that really work,” says Mohamed.
Beyond platform integrations, Dish’d has built its own data tools to give operators performance feedback and real-time insights.
But that’s supported by a human layer too – local operations managers who visit stores regularly to keep standards high. “It’s about visibility. Data is great, but sometimes you need boots on the ground to really understand what’s happening.”
Looking ahead, Dish’d plans to expand both its footprint and its brand portfolio – with international cuisines and retail products on the horizon. “We’re seeing huge demand for Korean food right now, especially among younger consumers,” says Mohamed. “We want to stay ahead of those trends.”
But the fundamentals remain the same: strong partnerships, considered concepts, and a delivery model built to last.
Perhaps the most important lesson Mohamed has learned? “Pick your partners wisely,” he says. “Franchisees are the face of your brand. We’ve raised the bar on expectations, because we want to protect the customer experience.”
Meliha, for one, is already planning for the future. “I’d love to open more sites,” she says. “The potential is there, and Urban’s support makes a huge difference.”
Her advice for new restaurant franchisees? “Treat it like a true partnership. Be open to feedback and give the brand what it deserves. That’s how you build something that lasts.”
Stories like Meliha’s reflect where the restaurant franchise scene is heading – towards deeper collaboration, better systems, and a shared vision for what success looks like. For Dish’d, franchisees are more than operators; they’re brand custodians, ambassadors, and innovators on the frontline.
As the lines between tech, food and convenience continue to blur, the most successful restaurant franchises will be those that think beyond the kitchen. With the right backing, the right mindset, and the right model, franchisees aren’t just joining a brand – they’re helping to shape the future of it.
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