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misschu^® is the original Asian street-food ‘tuckshop’, a creative and innovative food retail company.

We have been rockin’ the wok and steaming juicy dumplings since 2009, making health-conscious hawker food inspired by the fresh tastes of Asia and the fast pace of our urban lives.

The concept was founded by Nahji Chu in 2009, a Vietnamese-Laotian refugee. Our flavours are grounded in Vietnamese and Chinese heritage, with traditional recipes taking a modern and healthy spin.

Previously in private equity, Gabi Machado joined the business in 2010. Underneath the suit & tie, Gabi was a massive foodie and was always looking for the right opportunity to escape the rat race and get into food. He was blown away by the quality and freshness of the misschu food, the speed of service and the quirkiness of the brand. Gabi opened the second misschu Tuckshop in Melbourne under a license arrangement in 2011, re-interpreting the concept and moving it to new heights.

Kano Hollamby joined the team in 2011 for the first Melbourne tuckshop and has spearheaded the interior and graphic design elements of the brand ever since.

misschu Tuckshops receive daily supplies of fresh fruit & vegetables, poultry and seafood. Our proteins are marinated in-store and we wok-to-order, to hit a higher standard of taste and freshness.

We also dial up the healthy ingredients, for example:

we offer Low Carb shirataki noodles as a substitute in our salads and soups;
we use whole grain and low GI red rice and organic quinoa instead of refined white rice;
we use pure olive oil in our woks and marinades instead of highly processed vegetable oil;
we cater to a broad range of dietary requirements including a host of low carb, vegan, vegetarian, dairy free and gluten free options.

misschu Tuckshops have broad appeal, as a local happy place to catch up with family and friends, a quality home delivery service for a night in or as an office caterer with a healthy twist.

misschu is now expanding and looking for passionate and driven people to share our journey.

You will benefit from joining a growing and successful business that averaged $2.5 million in turnover last financial year (2018) for each store.

Our three Melbourne company stores averaged $2.5 million in turnover last financial year (2018), benefiting from two strong day-parts and multiple streams of income, from dine-in to takeaway, delivery and catering.

We have spent some time building the right systems and procedures and re-engineering our supply chain so that we can grow whilst maintaining our high standards.

We are now ready to roll but we are not in a rush. We see 40 to 50 misschu Tuckshops across Australia over the next 5 to 10 years.

We intend on expanding at a good pace to ensure that every tuckshop receives the right amount of care and attention.

ORIGINALITY

We don’t focus on what everyone else is doing, we focus on what we do and do it better than anyone else.

CARE FACTOR

We care about our people, customers, flavours, happiness and we care about sustainability. We think that fairness is the basis of respectful and positive working relationships.

NOURISHMENT

We are conscious of the quality of ingredients that we use. We serve nutritious food and we believe that freshness is paramount.

EXPERIENCE

We believe that the customer experience is the key to success – the music, the lighting, value for money, speed of service and most importantly delicious food!

Gabi graduated from Melbourne University with a Law Commerce degree and moved straight to London to start working life at UBS Investment Bank. There Gabi worked with some of the UK’s largest FMCG companies in an advisory capacity, but more importantly, he met his bride to be, Heike!

After 2 years of late nights, secret rendezvous and terrible office food, Gabi moved to Sydney to work for Carnegie Wylie (now Lazard) in private equity. He learned the tools of the investing trade and became the go-to-guy for all investments in food businesses.

Gabi longed to get his hands dirty in an operating role and to take control of his own destiny. He was passionate about the food industry and in mid-2010, he came across a small takeaway shop in Darlinghurst, Sydney that had an iconic following and a load of potential.

After much discussion, Gabi and the founder of the misschu brand decided to open the second misschu tuckshop in Melbourne, with Gabi taking a license for Victoria.

Off came the suit and on came the apron as Gabi spent several months in and out of the Darlinghurst kitchen documenting the processes and recipes of misschu, whilst overseeing the fit-out of the first misschu tuckshop in Melbourne.

For the past seven years, Gabi has focussed solely on managing the operations of the misschu business in Melbourne and tweaking and enhancing the misschu business model. The Melbourne business has grown organically since opening in the CBD, with two further company owned misschu tuckshops opening in South Yarra and South Melbourne.

Gabi is as passionate as ever about the misschu brand and business and is now excited to offer the same opportunity to others.

Heike was born in Bangkok, Thailand. She is a graduate of the EBS Business School in Germany and is fluent in Thai, German, French and English.

Heike started working life at UBS Investment Bank in the Consumer Products and Retail team. She quickly jumped across to the private equity world, initially with media specialists Veronis Suhler Stevenson in London, followed by Gresham Partners in Sydney.

Having taken some time off to look after her young children, Heike has recently re-joined the finance world as a Director in the M&A team at Deloitte in Melbourne.

As Gabi’s wife, Heike has been involved in the misschu business on a strategic level since the launch in Melbourne in 2011. She continues this role as a Director and general advisor to the business.

Kano has been known as any one or more of the following at any one time: graphic designer, creative consultant, interior designer, street artist, vinyl collector, DJ, art director, illustrator, event creator, set designer, writer. It is highly likely that he’s doing at least 3 of those things as we speak.

Kano’s graphic art and design practice was formed in 2000 and was the place where he brought together all aspects of visual communication and his art. He was finally able to explore and combine his love of design, typography, art, interiors, sculpture, graffiti, photography, illustration and music.

Kano has cemented a reputation for building experiential brands and producing individually crafted design and art for commercial interiors, album covers, record labels, books, websites, publications, products and packaging for clients all over the globe. His past and present clients include Red Bull, La Belle Miette, Bank of Melbourne, Westpac, Kookai, Tru Thoughts Recordings, Mr Bongo. Records, Nike, and of course his most lengthy affair to date, misschu. Kano teamed up with misschu in 2010 and has been responsible for all design, branding and store interiors since.

Kano’s words and works have appeared in various publications including The Age and Herald Sun newspapers, Art in Australia, IDN, Rolling Stone, Belle and Vogue Living.

A misschu tuckshop is not just a place to eat, it’s an experience. We’ve created a feeling around our brand that we want shared in every one of our locations.

A misschu tuckshop is not just a place to eat, it is an experience. We’ve created a feeling around our brand that we want shared in every one of our locations.

As a Tuckshop Owner you will be a brand ambassador and it will be your responsibility to carry out our purpose:

‘To create the ultimate happy place for our customers to relax, nourish themselves and connect with friends and family.’

You do not need hospitality experience or any formal education to run a misschu tuckshop.

We are looking for candidates who are passionate about the misschu brand, have naturally high standards and have a pro-active and positive attitude. People who genuinely want to be their own boss and take responsibility for the success of their own business.

We are looking for individuals and couples who:

Are foodies at heart, passionate about healthy, fresh food;
Have naturally high standards and attention to detail;
Take pride in serving people and making customers happy;
Enjoy the process of mentoring and coaching a team;
Remain cool and calm under pressure and enjoy the adrenaline of multi-tasking through busy service periods; and
Are underpinned by a drive and passion for success.

At misschu, we live and breathe a healthy lifestyle. We care about the ingredients that go into our food– and you should too!

A misschu tuckshop is not just a place to eat, it’s an experience, and we’ve created a feeling around our brand that we want shared in every one of our locations.

As a Tuckshop Owner you will be a brand ambassador and it will be your responsibility to carry out our purpose –

‘To create the ultimate happy place for our customers to relax, nourish themselves and connect with friends and family.’

A Tuckshop Owner is someone with life skills and street smarts. No formal education is necessary but the ability to crunch numbers and manage costs is a must.

As the operator of your location, a hot wok and buzzing dining room don’t faze you. You remain cool as a cucumber under pressure and enjoy the adrenaline of multi-tasking through busy service periods.

We’re looking for people who are honest and who focus on the solution and not on the problem.

At misschu, we live and breathe a healthy lifestyle. We care about the ingredients that go into our food– and you should too!

Our ‘we care’ attitude extends to our customers and to our staff. We believe in treating people with respect and kindness, irrespective of how crazy busy the service period is, and would expect to see the same attitude from Tuckshop Owners.

Approach to Franchising

Whilst misschu has been around for a long time, we are new to franchising, so we have the benefit of learning from the mistakes of others and are we taking a fresh approach…

Support & Training

Tuckshop Owners will benefit from joining a growing and successful business that is committed to creating a strong brand and a positive environment. We’ll work with you to ensure that you feel confident and ready to manage your misschu Tuckshop…

Brand & Marketing

As the original player on the scene, misschu has set the pace for urban street-food brands. Tuckshop Owners will have access to a Brand and Marketing Team, as well as additional support for local area marketing initiatives. You’ll also benefit from campaign and social media management, as well as collateral creation that supports your new location…

Establishment Costs

Establishing your misschu Tuckshop starts from $400,000 + GST. The agreement will be for 5+5 years, with an initial joining fee as well as ongoing royalty and marketing fees. This establishment cost includes all of your initial training, store fit out, as well as assistance with site selection and lease negotiations…