Franchising as a Service™ for exceptional restaurant brands
Building a professional franchise organization can require more than US$1 million and tens of thousands of hours. Lumera was created to reduce that upfront barrier as close to zero as possible.
We become your franchising department—building the strategy, systems, franchisee recruitment, development support, and ongoing infrastructure around your brand while you protect the food, culture, and customer experience.
The million-dollar problem
To franchise responsibly, founders must build an entirely new organization around the restaurant. That normally means assembling specialist capabilities across law, operations, construction, technology, finance, recruitment, training, and support.
The traditional path
The Lumera path
Founders may still incur third-party legal, regulatory, technology, travel, or development expenses. Lumera’s objective is to remove the large upfront consulting and franchising-department cost—not to pretend responsible franchising has no expenses.
Why we exist
The locals know it. They return every week. They recommend it to visitors. Yet the overwhelming majority of the world may never experience it.
Not because the food is not exceptional. Because building a great restaurant and building a great franchise organization are two entirely different businesses.
The problem
Food quality, hospitality, culture, customer loyalty, operational discipline, and restaurant-level profitability.
Franchise strategy, legal infrastructure, recruitment, territory planning, construction, training, technology, reporting, and ongoing support.
Building those capabilities can require millions of dollars and tens of thousands of hours from senior leaders. Lumera provides them as a service.
Franchising as a Service™
Lumera becomes a long-term extension of the founder’s leadership team. We build the infrastructure behind the growth while founders protect the soul of the brand.
We identify hidden gems with exceptional products, loyal customers, strong economics, and long-term potential.
We assess economics, leadership, culture, customer loyalty, employee engagement, and operational readiness.
We build the systems, standards, documentation, controls, technology, and support structure required to scale responsibly.
We recruit and evaluate candidates for capability, reputation, financial strength, culture, and long-term commitment.
We support site strategy, construction, equipment, training, pre-opening preparation, and launch execution.
We continuously improve the system, support franchisees, protect standards, and strengthen performance.
Aligned economics
3%
of Gross Sales generated by franchise locations developed pursuant to our agreement.
Who we partner with
Products people crave, recommend, and return for.
Healthy sales, sustainable profitability, and attractive franchisee returns.
Repeat demand and strong local advocacy.
A clear niche and a menu built around mastery rather than excess.
A founder willing to delegate and a team capable of operating without heroics.
Anonymous employee eNPS of at least +30.
A non-negotiable
Growth amplifies whatever already exists. If food quality is inconsistent, growth multiplies inconsistency. If employees are unhappy, growth industrializes an unhealthy culture. If the founder must approve every decision, growth magnifies the bottleneck.
We would rather remain a fifty-store restaurant chain serving exceptional food than become a five-thousand-store chain that compromises quality.
Our thinking
Thesis
Why the restaurant industry does not have a franchising problem—it has a franchisor-creation problem.
Read the thesis →Philosophy
Why quality, culture, aligned incentives, and culinary diversity must remain at the center of growth.
Read the philosophy →Founder letter
Daniel Chin’s journey from reluctant restaurant operator to franchisor—and why Lumera exists.
Read the letter →Built by an operator
Daniel Chin has spent his entire professional career at Juici Patties, learning manufacturing, restaurant operations, and franchising from a team that has spent decades building one remarkable company.
Within less than 28 months of opening its first U.S. restaurant, Juici Patties grew to 33 operating locations, with another 31 locations under construction.
Lumera was created to apply those lessons to exceptional restaurant brands around the world.
Read A Letter to the Builders →“I hope people remember me as the person who gave a chance to those who deserved it.”
Daniel ChinApply for partnership
We review restaurant brands from every country and cuisine. We are highly selective, but every exceptional restaurant deserves an honest assessment of what may be possible.