Western Australia sports bar Last Slice is ramping up its expansion plans, focusing on franchise growth to maximise its potential.
What started as a small, 30-seat, pizza takeaway business in 2019 has become a chain of food and entertainment venues, seating between 500 and 600 people.
There are three Last Slice venues operating, at Bunbury, Danyellup and Midland, with a fourth set to open in Kelmscott. The business has its sights set on adding three or four more sites in 2027.
Last Slice operates a tiered management structure for front-of-house and back-of-house operations, with area managers and group chefs overseeing training and quality control.
Founder Casey Teede said “Our intention is to grow through franchising but we’re always going to have venues ourselves, and be steering the ship.”
Teede said while the business suits hands-on operators, venues are large enough to support an ‘under management’ model.
“We’ve done so much work on the model, the documentation and the processes. There are no huge dips and peaks, it’s a very steady business,” he said.
Dollar-Wing Wednesdays, a monthly pizza special, limited-time offers and trending dishes add to the core menu, and ensure repeat custom.
“Those wing Wednesdays have a cult following. The specials give us another marketing opportunity, and they tie into a pop culture reference or something funny and relevant at the time,” Teede said.
“The proof is in the numbers: people come back for our food offering. We’re constantly working on refining the menu and watching the trends.
“Food can be profitable if it’s done and managed correctly,” Teede said. “We make sure any changes we make are about efficiency.”
