Your Kitchen develops its franchise network with DER KREIS

Your Kitchen has turned its ambition to build a kitchen franchise into an organisation with stores and an engaged group of franchisees. That is the view of Nathalie Bakker, Managing Director Sales & Marketing at DER KREIS Netherlands, in an article published by Wonen360 on 13 November. Her account traces how the partnership has developed, from initial questions about suppliers to support at both management and store level.

From business plan to store network

The partnership began when one of Your Kitchen’s owners shared his plans for a franchise network with DER KREIS. He was looking for a partner with knowledge of the kitchen market. Bakker has followed the business’s development since those early plans and sees the translation of ambition into a functioning organisation as a significant achievement.

DER KREIS provided input on supplier selection, building a balanced product range and the practicalities of setting up kitchen stores. From the outset, the partnership therefore focused on concrete aspects of the franchise model, rather than simply the idea of opening stores under a shared name.

“Plenty of people have plans. But actually making them happen is quite an achievement,” says Bakker. In her view, an idea only takes on real substance once the people, processes and stores are in place. The growth she describes is therefore primarily about building the organisation behind the stores.

Support at two levels

Within the partnership, Bakker focuses mainly on contact with senior management. Her colleague Michel van der Ven works with the stores. This division of responsibilities shows that DER KREIS is involved in both developing the franchise model and supporting individual outlets.

Bakker explicitly describes her role as offering input and acting as a sounding board. “I really enjoy discussing ideas with the business owners, contributing suggestions and helping them think things through.” The examples she gives, such as supplier selection and product range, illustrate the subjects covered in these discussions.

For prospective franchisees, this is an important distinction. Assessing a franchise requires more than a look at the store concept: it also calls for an understanding of the people and partners behind it. At Your Kitchen, Bakker describes a partnership that dates back to the earliest plans. That indicates the extent of DER KREIS’s involvement, but does not in itself guarantee the performance of any individual store.

Online reach and attention to the showroom

Drawing on her marketing background, Bakker highlights how Your Kitchen reaches consumers online and encourages them to visit a store. She also points to the attention paid to showroom layout and styling. In her account, both digital engagement and the physical store are part of the franchise’s development.

This combination suggests useful areas for prospective franchisees to explore in initial discussions. How does the online presentation tie in with the showroom? What support does a business owner receive with fitting out the premises? And how is online interest tracked through to store visits? These are practical questions for assessing the franchise, rather than statements about the performance of individual outlets.

Bakker’s account contains no specific figures for new store openings, turnover or measurable marketing results. Her positive assessment of the network’s growth is therefore primarily a qualitative reflection from a partner closely involved in the business. The emphasis is on the organisation that has been built and how the franchise presents itself to consumers.

Bringing franchisees together

Alongside stores and marketing, Bakker highlights the relationships between franchisees. She sees a close-knit group of business owners who meet through shared activities. In her view, this gives the organisation a distinctive character and underlines the connections within its franchise community.

For prospective franchisees, this account suggests that joining Your Kitchen means becoming part of a network that has been developed over several years, with partners familiar with its progress. Speaking to existing franchisees is also a natural starting point for exploring how the partnership works in practice.

Practical takeaway: when exploring Your Kitchen, look beyond the showroom. Ask about the specific support available, the role of its partners and the experiences of existing franchisees. This will give you a clearer picture of what joining this franchise community could mean for your own business.