Foodmaker Café seeks hands-on franchisees in Belgium

Foodmaker Café is seeking franchisees in Belgium who will be present in their business every day. The franchise offering, presented on Franchise.be on 21 October 2026, combines a healthy food café concept with the Belgian brand’s production and retail operations. For prospective franchisees, the emphasis is on hands-on business ownership and local hospitality rather than passive investment.

From central kitchen to local café

Foodmaker began in 1996 as a personal venture by Lieven Vanlommel. Today, the brand operates in six countries and has 22 cafés. These established operations provide the foundation for the franchise offering aimed at entrepreneurs in Belgium.

A key part of that foundation is its own central kitchen in Westerlo, Belgium. Foodmaker prepares around 150,000 fresh meals there each day. The company is expanding its production capacity to 300,000 meals a day. This latter figure is therefore its target capacity, not its current daily production volume.

Foodmaker describes its approach as a field-to-plate supply chain. On its own organic farmland, it grows crops including herbs, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, ginger, turmeric and tritordeum grain. Ingredients are then prepared in its kitchens to make meals for the cafés and retail partners.

For those considering the Belgian franchise market, this combination is particularly relevant: the café concept does not operate in isolation, but builds on in-house production, retail experience and existing hospitality operations.

An all-day café concept

Foodmaker positions its Café as a premium, all-day concept. Healthy food and hospitality are central to the profile the brand sets out for its franchisees. The franchisee is expected to act not only as the operator, but also as a local ambassador.

Alongside its cafés, Foodmaker has a presence in several European retail chains. The brand works with Delhaize in Belgium and Luxembourg, REWE in Germany, Monoprix and Franprix in France, Jumbo in the Netherlands and Billa in Austria.

These retail activities and the café network are separate parts of the same brand. Its presence in these retail chains should therefore not be confused with the number of cafés or franchise outlets. Equally, the stated network of 22 cafés is not an announcement of 22 new openings in Belgium.

According to Foodmaker, its franchise proposition rests on this combination of activities. For a prospective franchisee, the café is their own local business, while production and brand support form part of the wider concept.

Daily presence is a requirement

Foodmaker is specifically looking for entrepreneurs who will run their café themselves. The brand is not targeting passive investors. Daily presence and actively promoting the concept are part of the desired profile.

Foodmaker highlights an entrepreneurial mindset, leadership, commercial awareness and operational discipline. Integrity and a passion for healthy food and hospitality are also identified as important qualities. The profile therefore covers both day-to-day management and the way the franchisee represents the brand locally.

Financially, Foodmaker requires candidates to contribute 20–30% in equity. This percentage is not a total investment budget in euros. Anyone exploring the franchise should therefore clarify which investment amount it is calculated against and which costs are included.

The brand is also seeking candidates with the ambition to expand into multiple sites or a region over time. This growth opportunity is described as an ambition, not a guaranteed path. Day-to-day involvement in their own business remains the starting point for the franchisee profile it seeks.

Support and points for prospective franchisees to consider

Foodmaker says it will provide support with operations, marketing, IT, purchasing and training. The brand thus combines local business ownership and responsibility with support from the franchise network.

Prospective franchisees should discuss these areas in detail: what does the training cover, how does purchasing work, and what operational guidance will the operator receive? The balance between daily presence and possible expansion later on also deserves attention in the business plan.

Practical advice: first assess whether running a hands-on hospitality business is right for you. Then ask for the full investment budget, how the required equity contribution is calculated and the precise scope of support before developing a growth plan for multiple cafés.