The 5 best franchises in Melbourne that are worth the investment
Trying to climb the corporate ladder does not always guarantee success. Despite all the efforts, it’s not always the freedom or progress you hope for.
You might wonder, is there another way? Well, how about trying to be your own boss instead?
Many franchises in Melbourne give you that chance. While it does cost a lot, you’re paying for stability as you tap into a well-established and recognized business model with built-in support.
How much does it cost to get a franchise in Melbourne?
In order to get a franchise in Melbourne, you’ll need around $20,000 to $30,000, but it can go as high as $100,000 for established brands.
And aside from the franchise fee, there are also ongoing fees such as royalties, marketing fees, and other operational costs.
1. Schnitz
Address: Shop K264/211 La Trobe S.
Phone: +61396506883
Business hours:
- Monday to Thursday, Saturday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Friday 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
- Sunday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Melbourne’s vibrant environment and steady foot traffic make it a perfect place for a fast-casual brand like Schnitz. Their teams are experts in assessing and determining the perfect location for your chain.
The company is committed to long-term partnerships, and they will support you every step of the way. Franchise owners will receive structured training and personalized guidance to ensure that the business launches smoothly.
From initial store setup to building a strong local presence, they’ll be with you.
Store layouts are flexible and can be adapted depending on the available space. So basically, your store can be a standalone store, a food court kiosk, a smaller strip shop, or more.
According to past employees, the company maintains a strong workplace culture where everyone works as a team, which results in a non-stressful environment. However, some have also mentioned that the training pace can feel slow.
Excellent team culture. Supportive, welcoming and family-focused
“The company is continuing to develop. As Schnitz has gone thorough rapid growth, they are continuing to streamline their process and systems.”
– HQ Staff, Glassdoor Reviews
Great
“Great work environment, tasks are clearly set out. Staff discount on food.”
– Former employee, Glassdoor Reviews
2. 7-Eleven
Phone: 1800 247 711
Business hours: 24 hours
Becoming a 7-Eleven franchise not just in Melbourne, but in general, poses a big advantage, as you’ll be powered by the most recognisable convenience store brand in the world.
The continued support, from system training to marketing, makes a big difference.
Unlike small businesses, one of the advantages of 7-Eleven is that it sources the products and the services you sell, which saves you a lot of time and resources. It also allows you to focus mostly on customer service and operations.
The company has a property team, which will help select the store location for you and maximize customer reach.
Among the many benefits of a 7-Eleven franchise, the best one is the guaranteed gross income, which is a great help, especially during the initial business period.
During our interview with past employees, they often described the experience as a solid opportunity to gain retail, leadership, and operational skills.
However, the biggest downside that comes with it is the 24/7 operation, which can wear down even the most driven franchisee.
Productive workplace
“Good work place with cooperating and highly supportive management. Satisfied customer experience and enhanced good will.”
– CSR, Indeed Reviews
Fantastic
“7-eleven was a teaching school for me, due to its centralized organizational structure and strong discipline i have learned progressively about working in full professional manner and keeping customer convenience as the first priority. The best part of the job was to be discipline and make customers happy which eventually makes of happy and free unlimited coffee off course.”
– Assistant, Indeed Reviews
3. Zeus Street Greek
Address: 280 Lygon St, Carlton
Phone: +61399663798
Business hours:
- Sunday to Wednesday 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
- Thursday to Saturday 10:00 am – 11:00 pm
Owning a Zeus Street Greek franchise means a chance to immerse yourself in a Mediterranean culinary identity while thriving in Australia’s growing interest in diverse cuisines.
One of the main advantages is that the brand has managed to build a recognizable name in Australia for over a decade, bringing more than 20 years of food industry experience to the table.
Melbourne, in particular, has already warmed up to Greek flavours.
The brand offers a well-structured onboarding process where the franchisees receive personalized training to cover everything from kitchen systems to operations and leadership.
According to past employees from existing franchises, the well-organized training makes them productive. The fast-paced environment keeps things energized and fun.
It’s just that the work can get demanding, especially for full-time staff, which sometimes requires you to work for up to 11 hours a day.
Another good thing about this franchise is that, if you need capital to get started, Zeus can connect you with their finance contacts to arrange funding.
Great
“The owners treat you like family, they genuinely care about their workers and the environment is fantastic. The work is fast-paced, as are most restaurants and the team is incredible. Communication is good between management and what they expect of team members is realistic and understanding of peoples strengths. Customers understand it is a franchise and most know the owners so they are mostly kind and understanding with longer waits if it is busy. Best part of the job is the people you work with and the feel of the restaurant – comforting and safe, and very aesthetically pleasing.”
– Team Member, Indeed Reviews
Great work environment
“Zeus is a great place to work. Staff members and owner make of this place a fun and enjoyable location to develop your costumer service skills, as well as enhance the communication lines between all stake holders.”
– Store Manager, Indeed Reviews
4. Ferguson Plarre’s Bakehouse Franchise
Address: Craigieburn Central, 340 Craigieburn Rd, Craigieburn
Phone: +61488776613
Business hours:
- Monday and Wednesday 7:00 am – 5:30 pm
- Tuesday 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Thursday to Friday 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Saturday to Sunday 7:00 am – 6:00 pm
With over 120 years of experience in retail baking history, it’s no doubt that Ferguson Plarre’s Bakeshop is one of Melbourne’s most iconic names in baking.
The biggest benefit when getting a franchise is probably the simple operation. All the products – cakes, pastries, pies, and more – are made fresh at their baking facility and delivered daily to your store.
That alone is a huge cut in labor, time, and equipment.
Additionally, franchises don’t pay royalties or marketing fees, which is a huge relief for business owners trying to manage early-stage costs and keep margins healthy.
The company is also supportive when it comes to structured franchise and training support. Employee and franchise reviews pointed out that training isn’t just for the sake of it, but developmental.
According to the staff, they would often receive hospitality certifications and other training within the industry like barista training.
However, some also mentioned that work can feel repetitive. Well, retail baking does follow a routine like displaying, restocking, and serving, so we understand why some people would feel that way.
Great experience
“The company does offer multiple training opportunities – coffee training, barista qualification etc. Mr. Plarre himself is a cool guy and will make the time to visit stores to say hi. Take home end of the day products. With our store, we donate to charity specific days of the week. When you get compliments regarding your service and coffee it’s really nice.”
– Sales associate, Glassdoor Reviews
Great work environment
“The workplace culture was extremely enjoyable. Good communication from different departments, made the job easier to do.”
– Former Employee, Glassdoor Reviews
5. ANZ Mobile Lending
Address: Level 9/333 Collins St.
Phone: +61427311888
Business hours:
- Monday to Friday 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Saturday to Sunday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Unlike traditional franchises rooted in food or retail, ANZ Mobile Lending provides mortgage and finance services to customers in their own homes or workplaces. In fact, it’s the only mobile lending franchise opportunity offered by a major bank in Australia.
ANZ’s well-established and recognized brand will immediately boost your credibility, which is a huge advantage when working with prospective clients.
To help franchisees further, ANZ provides marketing support to boost your business’ local reach. Additionally, ongoing training and business coaching are also part of the package.
Many people appreciate the strong work culture and supportive team environment within the existing franchises.
However, some have also mentioned that training could be improved, as certain systems or processes could be explained better during onboarding.
Rewarding environment
“When I was in ANZ, working there was like being part of something bigger than yourself. It wasn’t easy—the work was at scale, and change was constant. But if you thrive on making a real impact and enjoy solving complex problems, this is the place to be. Change is difficult in most large organisations, so for those who are energized by transformation and want to be part of meaningful progress, it was rewarding. There’s a strong sense of purpose and a clear drive toward improvement, both in the business and in how people work together.”
– Anonymous, Indeed Reviews
Good
“Good culture. Staff dedicated and many opportunities to promote within department without having to leave to seek new employment. Cant speak more highly.”
– Manager, Indeed Reviews