Richard Mosconi - founder Vom FASS UK

Richard Mosconi, founder, Vom FASS UK

Innovative products combined with top-notch salesmanship has put the Vom FASS brand firmly on the map in the UK. Richard Mosconi talks to Franchisor News Editor, Vicki Cunningham about his success.

Vom FASS started 10 years ago in Germany and expanded, mainly through franchising, into Switzerland, Austria, Japan and the UK, with over 200 outlets worldwide. Richard discovered the concept while in Germany and set up the first Vom FASS outlet in Notting Hill after buying the UK master franchise. I wanted to find out why Richard has been so successful in bringing the Vom FASS brand over to the UK and what his plans are for the future.

What is the Vom FASS concept?
Vom FASS literally means 'from the cask' and this is our core concept. We’re often described as an Aladdin's cave for food and drink lovers, as we have a fine selection of fruit vinegars, oils, wines, liqueurs and spirits, all bought from the cask, from all over the world. We pride ourselves on selling all of our products in any quantity, dispensed into a huge variety of different sized and shaped containers. The freedom to buy in small quantities lets customers discover new products by sampling three or four different products instead of buying just one big bottle.

How did you start Vom FASS in the UK?
In the first year of launching Vom FASS in the UK I worked in the first store in Notting Hill fulltime and Ainsley Harriott was one of my regular customers. One day he asked me if he could feature the shop and me on his show. We ended up doing a six-minute segment, filmed from the store and I recommended which oil, vinegar or spirit would go with each dish Ainsley prepared. After such great coverage on a prime time television programme demand went through the roof. I hired a PR company to capitalise on the publicity and Vom Fass in the UK grew from there.

Why is the franchise model so successful for expanding Vom FASS?
Vom FASS is all about customer service. To run a store I am looking for a franchisee that is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the products and becomes a long-standing, visible figure for their customers. Hired store managers often don’t stay very long or they are not as enthusiastic because they do not have as much invested as a franchisee. It is much better to train a franchisee that will stay rather than constantly training new staff. I want someone who is going to take ownership of the store. Hiring the right staff can increase profits by up to 50 per cent.

What do you look for in a franchisee?
If someone is not right I will tell them to keep their money. I meet all prospective franchisees myself and I have to like them. I’m looking for someone who has fallen in love with the concept and has a passion for the products. Vom FASS is a big chain, with 200 stores in 10 countries, and the high level of quality is set as a standard throughout the chain. However it is the franchisee that makes it individual. They need to have a bit of something about them – a bit of spice or sparkle! Franchisees want all the facts and figures and I always put everything on the table. I tell them at the beginning that they will need to work seven days a week and may make no money in the first year but it’s important to be straightforward.

How do you ensure standards are maintained at Vom FASS?
Training is hugely important. We have an initial training course and then we provide further training in the areas that a franchisee requires. The sales training is the most important as every member of staff has to know how to put on a performance. I had a franchisee that was struggling. He came from a chemist background and after meeting him many times, I said “I Iike you, but you don’t know how to sell, you have to become an actor”. He went on a number of sales training course as well as a theatre course and his turnover has increased by 30 per cent.

What makes Vom FASS different from other retailers?
Our motto is: Look, Taste, Enjoy! Selling straight from the cask to the customer brings back that intimacy originally found when customers used to buy directly from the producer. I view my company as a huge theatre and we are all actors. When we sell to a customer we put on a performance. If I walk into one of the shops and a customer needs attending to I will put on my ‘best sales assistant performance’. For me, and hopefully for the customer, it is like being in the vineyard.


What advice would you give others about launching a business in another country?
Try it first. There was a lot of risk involved in launching Vom Fass in the UK, even though it is such a large brand in the rest of the world. No matter how big the brand and company is in any other part of the world it has to be tested and fine-tuned in the new country. One shop is not enough. I think you need at least two shops before it can be expanded via the franchise model. I had 10 to 12 corporate shops including a concession at Harrods and Selfridges before launching Vom FASS as a franchise concept. I had to make sure the concept would work. It takes time to evaluate the profitability for the franchisees and what the financial reward will be for them. It’s also essential to establish the right market position and image for your company in the new country, so marketing and PR are hugely important.

How do you manage your work-life balance?
Currently – not very well! I have just got back from holiday in Spain and it was the first time I’ve been away for longer than a week in seven years. I was raised in a very sporting family and we were all taught that in order to succeed you have to push yourself. An entrepreneur launches a business to a certain level and then can potentially sell the concept, but to develop a business and ensure it’s constantly evolving you need to be a businessman.
Right now I’m still an entrepreneur, it’s my oxygen, but at the moment I have to be a businessman as well. In three to four years’ time, if the new concepts I have planned have taken off I will look for an MD and then I can concentrate on being an entrepreneur. I’m a lazy person really but at the moment I work very hard. Once I have achieved my vision of 100 shops I will go back to being a lazy person!

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever had?
When I was much younger, I spoke to my Uncle in France about a very cheap master franchise opportunity for a fast food burger company. My Uncle, however agreed with the general view at the time that such a concept would never become popular in France.
The fast food burger company was McDonald’s and obviously became as popular in France as it is in the rest of the world. Some years later I expressed the view to my uncle that in hindsight this was a missed opportunity. He said it was my fault for not convincing him! He was right though. I didn’t find all the facts or put together a strong enough argument. I have taken that advice with me. Having the ability to convince others is one of the greatest powers in business.

What are your plans for the future?
We’re now looking to reach a wider audience and I’m working towards a target of 100 stores across Ireland, France and the UK, with a rate of five stores each year, so it’s full steam ahead. I’m also looking at a brand new concept that could sit alongside Vom FASS rather than competing with it. I’m still waiting to sign everything off, but Harrods and Selfridges have already expressed an interest in having a concession so watch this space! I am also concentrating on the business being more environmentally friendly. We have now converted to all glass bottles, which customers can come and have refilled when they have finished. I believe that recycling shouldn’t just be something we just do for PR, we really do have to start doing something about saving the planet.

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