Retail Food Group Explained

Retail Food Group
Foundation:	1989
Location:	Robina, Queensland
Locations:	1150 (Australia and New Zealand)
Industry:	Coffee, Food, Pizza, Coffee roasting, Beverages, QSR Restaurants

Retail Food Group (Australia) Limited, often abbreviated as RFG, is an ASX-listed company and Australian franchisor based in Robina, Queensland. It owns numerous companies including Gloria Jean's Coffees, Brumby's Bakeries, Donut King, Michel's Patisserie, Di Bella Coffee, The Coffee Guy, Café2U, Pizza Capers and Crust Pizza.^[1]

Founding

Established in 1989,^[2] RFG was incorporated in 2003^[3] to act as a holding company for several fast-growing brand systems. The company roasts and supplies coffee to its network.

Portfolio of companies

• Beefy's Pies has over 11 stores throughout Queensland.^[4]
• Brumby's Bakeries is a chain of Australian and New Zealand retail bakeries that was established in Ashburton, Victoria in 1975.
• Crust Pizza has over 110 stores throughout Australia.^[5]
• Donut King is a franchise system which was founded in 1981 in Sydney and specialises in donuts and coffee.
• Gloria Jean's Coffees is a franchised coffeehouse company that has opened more than 1,000 coffee houses across 39 markets worldwide, including over 460 stores in Australia.^[6]
• Michel's Patisserie specialises in retail bakery-style food and is the largest pastry chain in Australia.^{[7] [8] [9]}
• Pizza Capers has over 110 stores throughout Australia.
• Cafe2U and The Coffee Guy are brand systems that operate under mobile coffee van models.
• Di Bella Coffee^[10]
• The Coffee Guy^[11]
• Rack 'em Bones BBQ Ribs^[12]

Controversy

A 2017 investigation by Sydney Morning Herald noted that hundreds of franchisees were left financially devastated after investing in the brands under the RFG umbrella.^[13]

In December 2022, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission won a civil court case against RFG resulting in Michel's Patisserie and Gloria Jean's franchises receiving repayments and debt erasures totalling $10 million as part of a settlement relating to allegedly illegitimate marketing expenses and allegedly being sold loss-making shops. ^[14]

See also

• List of pizzerias in Australia
• List of restaurant chains in Australia

Notes and References

1. Web site: Retail Food Group | Shop Ethical! Company profile .
2. Book: Roth, Martin. Top Stocks 2014: A Sharebuyer's Guide to Leading Australian Companies. 8 November 2013. Wiley. 978-1-118-62179-0. 194.
3. Web site: RFG Investments Ltd - Company Profile - Endole. 2020-08-26. suite.endole.co.uk.
4. https://www.beefys.com.au/
5. https://www.crust.com.au/
6. Web site: Bomkamp . Samantha . Gloria Jean's, coffee shop born in Chicago, set to expand its reach . Chicago Tribune . 25 August 2017 . 27 November 2017.
7. Web site: Cassidy . Tara . REVEALED: 15 new businesses coming to Mackay . Mackay Daily Mercury . 29 September 2017 . 27 November 2017.
8. Book: Hospitality Foodservice . P. Isaacson Publications . nos. 633-644 . 2008 . 6 November 2017 . 60.
9. Book: Hospitality Foodservice . P. Isaacson Publications . nos. 657-668 . 2010 . 6 November 2017 . 210.
10. https://shop.dibellacoffee.com/
11. https://thecoffeeguy.net.au/
12. https://rackembonesbbqribs.com.au/
13. Web site: Ferguson. Adele. Cup of sorrow: the brutal reality of Australia's franchise king . Sydney Morning Herald . December 9, 2017 . November 4, 2019.
14. News: Retail Food Group to pay $10m in repayments and debt erasing to Michel's Patisserie, Gloria Jeans . Clare . Sibthorpe . 2022-12-23 . News.com.au. Nationwide News . 2023-08-06 .