Jim and Rose Stoupas are the founders of Walkers Doughnuts, a brand built on family heritage, food innovation, and a passion for creating memorable customer experiences.

With a long family history in baking and a strong connection to nostalgic Australian culture, they transformed childhood memories of donuts and milk bars into a thriving franchise model. From the beginning, their vision was clear to combine authentic products, a unique environment, and strong franchise systems to stand out in the market.

Key milestones in their journey include moving production offsite to ensure quality and consistency, expanding interstate with dedicated area developers, and keeping product innovation at the heart of the brand.

Today, Jim and Rose continue to grow Walkers Doughnuts nationally while staying true to their philosophy: create products people love, design stores that feel special, and leave every customer just a little happier than when they walked in.

0:00 Introduction

0:38 Origin story of Walker's Doughnuts

3:59 How the store environment shapes the Walkers experience

5:26 Maintaining the Walkers environment through franchisee training and store immersion

7:22 The role of offsite manufacturing in Walkers’ growth and efficiency

9:31 Expansion into Queensland through an area developer model

12:22 Commitment to product quality and uniqueness as a cornerstone of growth

14:41 Blending brand passion with food technology where art meets science

16:03 - The significance of trademarking and why it mattered for Walkers

17:10 Wrap up

Podcast Produced by: www.franchisebusinesshub.com.au

Listen or Watch On;

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/mtvp3s35 Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2n3r55wc Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/mvn4hjjt YouTube: https://youtu.be/JsKSI9qHC9A

Varun Ashok is the founder of Mobile Experts, one of Australia’s fastest-growing mobile repair and accessory retailers.

Growing up in India, he spent his teenage years working in the family business before moving to Australia in 2007 to pursue a Masters in International Business. His early days saw him balancing studies with jobs at Pizza Hut and Vodafone, with no set plan beyond working hard and embracing new opportunities.

In 2013, Varun opened his first store in Wetherill Park, overcoming challenges with landlords and fit-outs to establish a strong customer base. His focus on providing the right product at the right price with genuine customer service set him apart and led to early profitability.

From a single store, Varun quickly scaled to 12 locations in Sydney, and over the years, expanded to more than 60 stores nationwide. Along the way, he shifted from instinctive, ‘seat-of-the-pants’ decision-making to building systems, training teams, and developing a long-term vision for growth.

Today, Mobile Experts continues to expand under his leadership, built on a foundation of innovation, people management, and customer focus with Varun shaping not only the business, but also the future of franchising in the mobile services industry.

0:00 Introduction

0:41 What Mobile Experts does

1:38 Varun’s personal background and life back in India

3:37 Varun’s family business in India

7:25 Transition after school and progression in the family business before moving to Australia

14:35 Arrival in Australia and first job experience

16:25 Early plans in Australia, studies, first jobs, and future expectations

19:07 Progression from early jobs to discovering entrepreneurial drive

27:29 Overcoming landlord challenges during kiosk fit-out

28:45 Opening the Wetherill Park kiosk and differences in trading between India and Australia

31:36 Standing out early and achieving profitability faster than expected

33:03 Expanding beyond the first store and the vision for adding more locations

40:20 Scaling from 12 stores in Sydney to 60+ nationwide through strong team management

41:55 Growing to 25 stores without a set plan and continuing expansion after partnership changes

45:27 Decision-making process on future growth and long-term planning

51:56 Wrap Up

Podcast Produced by: www.franchisebusinesshub.com.au

Listen or Watch on;

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2nb3ec8k

Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/yv43zf5k

Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/nh2w7v94

YouTube: https://youtu.be/0xPB8cbCTg4

Phil Cronin and Darren Schultz co-founded Stellarossa in 2009, starting as a small espresso bar in Brisbane City before growing it into a well-recognised cafe brand across Queensland. Today, Stellarossa operates with three main models — kiosks, traditional cafes, and drive-throughs each adapted to suit local communities.

With a focus on flexibility, the brand’s menu system combines core items with elective options, allowing franchisees to tailor their offerings to regional tastes while maintaining consistency. Their franchise model features competitive fees, strong supplier partnerships, and encouragement of local sourcing to strengthen community connections.

Phil and Darren also emphasise the importance of store design innovation, giving each cafe its own identity while keeping the Stellarossa brand thread intact. A standout growth strategy is their concept of “Stellarizing” rebranding existing independent cafes into the Stellarossa system to lower entry costs and accelerate expansion.

Built on innovation, operational support, and a people-first approach, Stellarossa continues to evolve its franchise business model, creating opportunities for both franchise partners and local communities.

0:00 Introduction

1:03 Overview of the Stellarossa brand

2:47 The three main store models in Stellarossa

3:58 Managing menu variations across different Stellarossa store models

5:45 Coordinating menu rollouts with franchisees through core items and elective choices

8:26 Managing costs, margins, and franchise fee structure across menu items

10:14: Relationships with shopping centres and support for local stores

11:41 Typical menu size per store and elective menu options

13:04 Head office supply of coffee products and contracted bulk suppliers through PFD

15:23 Store design and innovation

18:07 The concept of “Stellarize” and its role in innovation

22:42 Wrap up

Podcast Produced by: www.franchisebusinesshub.com.au Listen or Watch on; Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/pn8xcfp2

Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/k23eu2w8

Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/mwk2wzmz

YouTube: https://youtu.be/gzfssbsIDGQ