In the dynamic and ever-evolving world of fast-casual dining, Noodle Box has cemented its place as a leading force in the Asian street food scene, blending authentic flavors with a modern twist. As part of the Concept Eight portfolio, Noodle Box has grown into a beloved brand, celebrated for its vibrant dishes and commitment to delivering a unique dining experience. At the helm of this thriving franchise is Grant Lee, CEO of Concept Eight, whose leadership has been instrumental in shaping the future of Noodle Box and the company’s global expansion.
In an insightful interview with World Franchise Associates, Grant Lee shares the story behind the brand’s success, the innovative strategies driving its growth, and how Noodle Box continues to stay ahead in the competitive food industry. From adapting to changing consumer preferences to scaling a brand internationally, Grant’s vision and expertise provide a masterclass in franchise leadership. Dive into this conversation as we explore what makes Noodle Box a standout in the fast-casual market and what lies ahead for the brand’s global journey.
How did you enter the franchise business?
My first role in franchising was with Burger King (trades as Hungry Jacks in Australia), in marketing and advertising roles. During my career I have also worked for franchisors in tyre retailing, automotive retail (General Motors), telco (Vodafone) and I have now been at Noodle Box/ Concept Eight for the last 6 years as CEO.
Where and how did the idea of your concept come from?
From a trip through Southeast Asia 29 years ago the founders of Noodle Box were inspired by the open-air markets and street vendors. They came back to Melbourne and assembled the most popular wok-based dishes from Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Japan. 29 years ago no one in Australia was doing anything like this- the only place you could get these meals was your local Asian restaurant who specialized in their country’s cuisine.
What inspired the brand name?
In the USA Chinese food is usually served in the classic white box with a wire handle. This did not exist in Australia, and I am not sure it is popular in most countries as the seem to use plastic boxes. So, we decided to only sell our meals in these “noodle boxes” so the name provided us with a brand and unique form of packaging that also holds the food warm for about 40 minutes.
What is the story behind the brand’s logo?
Our “Noodle Man” logo is registered around the world as is a key part of our brand name and logo. It is instantly recognized as coming from Asia and is a fun way of portraying our brand beyond just a name.
What makes your brand different from your competitors?
We are blessed that our category in SR is free from a similar competitor (there is one in the USA) Our only competitor in Australia and in fact most of the world, is the local Asian restaurant (Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, Japanese etc) they tend to be “mum and pop” family restaurants that cant scale. And as previously mentioned we have taken the most popular dishes from each culture and offer them in one modern, clean, fresh franchise. The other major differentiation is our expertise in virtual brands, which we pioneered.
What are the essential qualities that you look for in a franchisee?
- Someone who wants to leverage our 29 year history of growth.
- Someone who loves food.
- Someone who likes serving others and understands we are in a service industry.
- Someone that treats their team as well as their customers.
How long does it take, on average, for your franchisee to realize their investment?
Our model has 3 types of restaurants; takeaway only, dine in, and combination of both. The size of a restaurant can vary from 30 sq meters to 130 sq meters and therefore the investment also varies.
What was the major challenge you faced in your career and how did you overcome it?
Two quite different major challenges have been faced by everyone in QSR over the last 10 years- Covid and home delivery. Fortunately, due in part to good planning and in part due to luck we were ready for both, and in fact prospered over this period. Noodle Box thrived during these periods because we embraced home delivery by building a menu that delivers a great margin to our franchise partners and by introducing virtual brands to maximise the amount of meals that can be cooked in a small kitchen.
What is your best achievement?
Opening our first 4 Noodle Box sites in the USA.
How does your business day start?
Up at 6am to get ready for an 8 am start in the office, it takes about one hour to walk to work and i would normally have checked all emails by the time i arrive. I try to get meetings out of the way before lunch so I can plan and write in the afternoon.
What was your best moment throughout your franchise career?
Leading the current team at Noodle Box. Most of the executive team have been with me for over 6 years, and i feel that we are in many ways, just getting started.
Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?
It would be great if the majority of our sales were from international markets. Australia is a big country in terms of land mass, however its tiny in terms of population, about 26 million people. So, our future is in developing a global brand.
Any tips you want to impart to our readers who want to be in the franchise industry?
Firstly, franchising is a wonderful industry to be in. Where else do you get to make such an impact on people starting out on their journey to business ownership. If you love helping people, then franchising could be you. If you don’t, find another career.
It’s also a career that can take you anywhere in the world and in most types of businesses. Lastly, I think the franchise community has a special bond that perhaps does not occur in other industries- you just need to attend a IFA convention to witness how strong this bond is.
To know more about Noodle Box, visit https://worldfranchisecentre.com/franchise/noodle-box/
