Hmm... maybe not this one
While franchises are generally viewed as heartless overlords in the hospitality and retail sector, there's no denying that they can be useful at times. Some call it
McDonaldisation; I choose to call it reliability.
But not all franchises are built the same. There are several that I wouldn't enter if my life depended on it; then, there are those that offer good products and good service, and seem to maintain the passion and ethics they had when they began business. After all, every franchise was originally a ma and pa shop.
Debra Lidster rates
Zarraffa's Coffee which, she says, provides a good selection of drinks and delicious treats in the cake cabinet.
Several Weekend Notes reviewers have sung the praises of Grill'd – sure, a single burger there costs the same as a large Big Mac meal from the Golden Arches, but you'll feel a lot better once you're finished.
As for me, I'll walk past a million boutique health and beauty stores to get to
The Body Shop. Their products don't contain too many unpronounceable words and I was pleased when I learned that my can't-live-without, all time favourite product, the mango body butter, contains Community Fair Trade cocoa butter.
Fair Trade is just one of a number of
worthy causes the Body Shop supports.
So c'mon, fess up – which franchises do you love, and why?