Becoming Part of the Muffin Break Family in Darwin

For Gayle and Des Purdue, joining the Muffin Break franchise has been like becoming part of a family. Transitioning from different careers, they now own two stores in Coolalinga and Palmerston, Darwin – with a third one on the horizon!

Muffin Break franchisees often come from non-hospitality backgrounds, attracted by an iconic Australian brand and the desire to build a life they love.

Gayle was previously a teacher, while Des is still an Emergency Services Officer with a week on/week off roster, working in the stores when not on shift.

The stores are family businesses through and through. Their daughter Olivia, who has a disability, works in the store under supported employment a couple of days a week. Gayle works across both stores full time.

Providing a Strong Backbone of Training & Support

Muffin Break was a carefully considered choice for the Purdues, says Gayle. “We did extensive research into different coffee and food franchises and Muffin Break was by far the most supportive, with excellent structures in place. We loved Muffin Break as a brand.”

The extensive training and support offered by Muffin Break was a huge pull and helped the Purdues find their feet quickly.

“We have had major support and extremely comprehensive training from the onset when opening both of our stores,” says Gayle.

“From our initial dealings with Foodco to the ongoing support, the guidance has been and remains outstanding.  We were welcomed into the Muffin Break family and have had the most amazing journey and success as a result of all of this.  Foodco is behind their franchisees in every aspect of the business and works closely with you to achieve positive outcomes.”

Gayle and Des are passionate about the Muffin Break brand not only due to the level of support offered by the franchise but also thanks to the community of loyal customers.

“It has been fantastic over the past four years to meet so many new people who have become regular customers; to share their stories and aspects of their lives.  It absolutely brightens your day to positively interact with so many lovely people on a daily basis.”

A Strong Family Sticks Together

COVID-19 has made the past 18 months challenging for everyone. With over thirty years in franchising, Muffin Break has the kind of infrastructure and knowledge bank that helps franchisees navigate any market.

Gayle says that their community has also been amazing throughout the entire period.

“When we had to introduce varying COVID measures and greatly modify our business operation under restrictions, our regular customers stuck by us, visiting and purchasing takeaways every day.”

Local schools and businesses also pre-ordered muffins online to support the stores and Gayle and Des received constant messages of support.

“Although this has been a difficult time for everyone, our community links and relationships have definitely strengthened due to COVID.”

Gayle and Des opened their second store in May 2021 and also won the NT/Queensland Excellence in Franchising Award from the Franchise Council of Australia. A busy second half of the year beckons, as they continue to build business at the second store and also attend the National Franchise Convention for FCA National Excellence in Franchising Awards.

“We honestly love what we do so much, striving to own a third Muffin Break store is definitely not off the cards in the future!”

Would you like to build a career and a life you love? Become part of a great Australian story. Find out more today about franchising with Muffin Break.