Long gone are the days when restaurant franchising was purely synonymous with fast food burger joints and pizza parlours. The industry has now branched out and restaurant franchises include not only themed food from countries all across the globe, but also internet cafes, coffee stalls, tea shops, sandwich bars and cookie outlets.

Many involve several food and drink types, combining coffee, smoothies, juice and other drinks with muffins, bagels, baguettes and wraps. One of the newest restaurant franchising opportunities in the UK focuses on the health trend, with all menu items having some health benefit. Healthy eating venues emphasise their use of fresh, quality nutritionally balanced, high-flavour ingredients and pride themselves on their “green” credentials, their aim being to run a responsible and sustainable business.

Until recently, healthy eating in the UK had a (possibly deserved) reputation for bland and boring food, bound to leave you still feeling hungry. However, limp lettuce leaves and dry crackers have been consigned to the past, according to one new healthy eating restaurant franchise which is planning to expand across London and the south east and hopes to revolutionise the healthy eating market.

To create an exciting new healthy food experience for the UK market, the new business has a large salad and wrap bar with a choice of fifteen house combinations, or customers can create their own. It also has a range of healthy sandwiches and wraps, with full nutritional and calorific content displayed. Their breakfast menu includes a range of toasted granary bread, lean bacon rolls on low GI granary bread, yoghurts and granola as well as fresh juices and fair-trade, organic coffee. In the winter months they plan to serve hot salads and soups, handmade chillies and stews, Scottish porridge and jacket potatoes.

Prices at restaurants and cafes specialising in healthy food tend to be higher than those at fast food outlets and are therefore usually found in affluent areas, or where consumers are more likely to be health or image conscious, such as health clubs, gyms, leisure centres and private clinics or hospitals.

Are you considering the world of food franchises as the empire you’ll preside over? There are many types of franchise opportunities in the food industry, running the gamut from fast food franchises or donut shops to gourmet steak-houses and fine dining establishments, yet there are pros and cons to choosing the food industry for your new franchise.

There are many advantages to buying a food franchise. The main advantage is that successful branding and business planning are already in place, just waiting for you to work their magic. You’ll have a very professional support staff personally invested in your success, since the triumph of a new franchise naturally means more capital and prestige for the corporate franchisor. Market research is easy since you can walk across town and inquire as to the success of other units.

Another advantage is that your food products will have demonstrated staying power in the market, guaranteeing you years of healthy business. It’s also easiest to get financing options for an industry characterized by high returns. Lastly, there is a certain pride in owning a food franchise, which has become a symbol of Americana and a staple of our cultural landscape.

However, there are some dangers in food franchises as well. First, you need to consider the labor challenges you may face. The high turnover rate of low-wage employees is often overlooked but it can have a dramatic impact on how well your business is run and how satisfied your customers are. Recruiting and retaining capable workers is more of a challenge with fast food franchises than restaurant franchises, but with the latter you’ll be paying higher wages. Also, the profit margins are fairly low for a fast food franchise because the prices need to be kept low to compete. With restaurant opportunities, you’ll be making more, but not by much because you’ll also need to be investing more to get gourmet products and quality workers.

So how do you know if food franchises are for you? After considering all the pros and cons, you may still feel uncertain. Shadowing a food franchise owner for a few weeks may be the best way to know for sure if you can hack the day-to-day operations. While this commitment may seem tedious, it’s an essential part of the process before investing your hard-earned money into a franchising business.