When did you first realise your entrepreneurial spirit? And how have you kept it going?
From an early age at school, I was always interested in making money and felt the pocket money being provided by my parents was never sufficient. I realised fairly early on that people were prepared to pay for products depending on ease and quality of service.
How did you come across franchising?
The credit goes to my father, Mohammed Adil OBE, who was a pioneer and the first Asian franchisee who obtained the rights to operate at the time the prestigious Wimpy brand back in the early ‘70s.
Why did you decide to become a multi-brand entrepreneur?
Our family business was entirely a Burger King franchise business up until 2004. We were adversely affected by the outbreak of Foot & Mouth disease in 2001, when I decided it was better not to have all “our eggs in one basket” and to diversify into other brands. I liked the variety in operating platforms that different brands have. All the brands that we operate have a different DNA and culture which makes it interesting.
Have you adopted any strategies to ensure growth to your brands?
We have focused heavily in building an Executive Management Team and training our staff across the board. We do have a policy of promoting from within and have a strong retention rate which is driven by the family culture in our business.
What are the hardest lessons you have learned along the way to being a successful franchisee investor?
The consumer demands an innovative menu and brands that accommodate changing taste profiles and consumer habits that can evolve will always do well and stand the test of time. In addition, retaining key talent across all our brands is vital as well as developing the next tier of management is key to a successful business.
What do you believe has been imperative to the development of The Adil Group?
Understanding early on that the success of our business is directly related to the calibre and expertise of our management team and wider workforce. We have invested significantly in training platforms and spending 1 to 1 time with all our management team. I still visit all our businesses regularly.
What one piece of advice would you give to a would-be-entrepreneur looking to replicate your success?
There is no substitute from learning each business from the ground up and this is the only way that your management team and staff will respect you. If you do not understand the trading platforms in each business you will not be able to make the right decisions.
What legacy to you hope to leave behind?
A fantastic business operated by a passionate management team with a great family culture.
