G. In your notebook, write sentences about fast-food restaurants, using each pair of items and the words in parentheses. Compare sentences with a partner.
1. wash glasses / throw away paper cups (én contrast)
Restaurants wash glasses. In contrast, fast-food places throw away paper cups.
2. the burger was good / the burger was small (/beit) 3. broken chairs / shiny new tables (contrast)
4.a mother’s idea of a good lunch / her little boy’s idea of a good lunch (contrasting) 5. cola drinks 75¢ / water free (in contrast)
6. teen-aged girl’s tiny salad / her boyfriend’s enormous hamburger (contrast)
90 UNIT7
‘When you abandon something, you leave it because you don’t want it or can’t use it.
Sometimes you give it up just temporarily.
The houge finally collapsed after the owners abandoned it many years ago.
The snow was 50 deep that drivers had to abandon their cars and walk home.
To abandon a plan or a task means to stop before you have completed it.
| had to abandon my plans to travel last summer becauge | got gick.
‘When you reject something, you refuse to accept it. This verb is commonly used to refer to ideas or plans rather than objects. It is also often used to refer to people who are not accepted for jobs. The noun form is rejection.
Centuries ago, people rejected the idea that the earth revolved around the sun.
Ellen offered to drive, but we all rejected the offer.
The University rejected Ted's application. He got a letter of rejection yesterday.
H. Complete these sentences, in your notebook, with your own ideas. Use a form of abandon or reject in each one. Compare sentences in a small group.
1. In fast-food restaurant parking lots, there are paper cups and wrappers...
2. Babies are sensitive to new tastes, so they may...
3. Some fast-food restaurants tried selling vegetable burgers, but...
4. When the economy is slow, restaurant chains that planned to expand may...
5. We planned to go out to dinner, but when it started to rain...
6. The manager offered us a free dessert, but we...
BEFORE YOU READ
Read these questions. Discuss your answers in a small group.
1. Do you know someone who owns a small business? If so, what kind of business is it?
2. What would be some good things about owning your own business? What would be some of the negative things?
3. How many retail business chains can you name? Take turns naming them.
READ
This excerpt from a business textbook defines what a franchise is and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of owning one.
Franchising
At one time, all small retail businesses, such as clothing stores, restaurants, shoe stores, and grocery stores, were owned by individuals. They often gave the stores their own names: Lucy’s s Dress Shop, Fred’s Coffee Shop, Johnson Family
Grocery. For some people, owning a business fulfilled a lifelong dream of independent ownership. For others, it continued a family business that dated back several generations.
10 These businesses used to line the streets of cities and small towns everywhere. Today, by contrast, the small independent shops are almost all gone, and chain stores like The Gap, Starbuck’s, and 7-Eleven have moved 1s in to replace them. Most small independent
businesses couldn’t compete with the giant chains and eventually failed. However, many owners didn’t abandon retail sales altogether.
They became small business owners once 20 again through franchises. The franchise system
is a contemporary business model that has increasingly dominated the small business sector of retail trade over the last few decades.
A typical commercial street in the past eo IEP A franchise is a legal and commercial 25 agreement between an individual and a parent
company. It gives the person permission to own one of the company’s franchise outlets, to use the company name, and to sell the products or
92 UNIT7
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
x e
services of the company. A person must apply for a franchise; however, not all applicants are approved. Some may be rejected because of poor financial histories, for example. If approved, the new business owner (the franchisee) must pay a large start-up fee to the company (the franchiser) and agree to follow its regulations. These
regulations require complete uniformity in all of its franchises. This means that the franchiser establishes the rules for the appearance of the store, both inside and outside. It means the franchisee can sell only the products or services of the parent company. It means that a “large coffee” must be the same size in every company franchise. It means that all restaurants in a franchise system must put the same number of pickles on their burgers, and use identical napkins, paper cups, and food wrappers. It also means that the franchisee is graded regularly on its performance by the parent company.
Not all chain stores are franchises. Some are owned and operated by the parent company.
A franchise is owned by the franchisee.
Restaurants are the most common franchises.
On any city block you are likely to see at least one franchise restaurant, and often three or four. In some shopping centers, the entire complement of stores is made up of franchises.
Almost any kind of business can be franchised, including dental offices, hardware stores, hotels, gas stations, pet hospitals, tax consultants, fitness centers, cleaning services, movie theaters, and child care centers.
Despite the restrictions, there are many advantages to owning a franchise. The most important advantage is the support and assistance of the franchiser. For example, the franchiser can help a new owner find a good location, help plan an efficient use of floor space, and help decide on the amount of goods needed to start up the business. The franchiser also provides detailed training for the owner
sales. Also, individual franchises beneft from the output of expensive advertisements paid for by the company, which might overlap with local advertising by franchisees. When this happens, 90 there is an extra benefit. Finally, the franchisee
is not an employee of the company. He is a business owner, motivated to work hard to make his business successful.
The major disadvantage of the franchise model
95 is the close economic relationship among the Atypi cal6 ommerci al street today many franchisees and the parent company. For
instance, if one franchisee in the system is found and his staff in all areas of the business. Once guilty of cheating customers, it reflects poorly on established, the franchisee benefits from ongoing the other franchisees in the system. As a result, research and development by the company to 100 all the stores may lose customers. Similarly, if keep the business up-to-date and competitive. the company makes poor business decisions, the 75 Company consultants and a network of fellow entire chain of franchises may be affected. Finally,
franchisees offer opportunities to discuss the business owner must share his profits with business problems. All these support services the parent company to pay for the many support provide small business owners with the tools of _10s services that the company provides.
big business, albeit not for free. The success of the franchise system has led to a so There are other advantages to owning a great expansion in the number of small businesses
franchise. It helps to own a business that bears all over the world. Tried first in the US., the the name of a well-known corporation with franchise model has spread rapidly to other an acknowledged reputation for good service. uo countries. It has revolutionized retail business in Customers are inclined to shop at stores with many places, improved the economic status of ss familiar names, and more shoppers mean more individuals, and strengthened local economies.
READING COMPREHENSION
Mark each sentence as 7 (True) or F (False) according to the information in Reading 2. Use your dictionary to check the meaning of new words.
sisi 1. Franchising is a contemporary business model that has dominated the small business sector for a few decades.
ses 2. A franchisee’s business is rarely graded by the parent company.
site 3. In some shopping centers, the entire complement of stores is made up of fast- food restaurants.
tang, 4. Companies provide services to their franchise owners, albeit not for free.
a 5. There is a business advantage to owning a franchise that bears the name of a company with an acknowledged reputation for good service.
se 6. Customers are inclined to shop at stores with familiar names.
_ 7. The number of small businesses has expanded all over the world because of the success of the franchise model.
THE FAST-FOOD REVOLUTION 93
READING STRATEGY
Preview this table. Then, in your notebook, write the answers to the questions below. Compare answers with a partner.
| 2005 Start-Up Costs for Selected Franchises
Franchise ` Start-Up Cost ' _|
BurgerKing _ 29400-2800000 -
| Days Inn (hotels) mã 386,000-5,700,000
Dunkin’ Donuts " 179,000-1,600,000 _
RE L10000-1700000
_— KMm0NMatHhẩ&ReadiNCeNSBS ¡1000-3000
c— MBD@nalds - 7 _ 508,000-1,600,000 |
| Midas (auto repair/maintenance) wes | mời 317,000-424,000 ————= |
!ìn U.S. dollars
? includes franchise fees
1. The start-up cost for each franchise is given as a range from the minimum cost to the maximum cost. Using the minimum costs, rank the franchises from the lowest to the highest start-up cost.
2. Using the maximum costs, rank the franchises from the lowest to the highest start-up cost.
3. Which franchise has the smallest range between its minimum and its maximum start-up costs? Which has the largest range?
4. The table does not give this information, but can you guess why Kumon’s start-up costs might be so low?
5. Look at the start-up costs for Burger King. They range from two hundred ninety- four thousand dollars to two million, eight hundred thousand dollars. With a partner, take turns reading aloud the other start-up costs.
6. Amounts in the millions, such as $ 2,800,000 might be listed on a chart as $2.8 million. We say this number as: “two point eight million dollars.” With a partner, read aloud all of the start-up costs over one million dollars.
STEP | VOCABULARY ACTIVITIES: Word Level
A. To grade something is to rate it or rank it by quality. Match the things in the left column with the grading system on the right. Then, tell a partner how the two ideas are connected.
se 1. carpets .a. G,PG, PG-ơ13,R
Hee 2. gasoline b. Extra Large, Large, Medium, Small
a 3. eggs c. A, B,C, D,F
san 4. ủlms d. 87 octane, 89 octane, 93 octane
Tan 5. students e. Residential, Industrial
94 UNIT7
B. Use the target vocabulary in the box to complete this story. The words in parentheses can help you.
complement generation in contrast
contemporary grade output
expanded had an inclination
In 1916, a revolutionary new concept in retail sales was introduced. The first self-service grocery store, named Piggly Wiggly, opened. Shoppers of this
ơ...ẻ were used to bringing a shopping list to a neighborhood store (1. shared time in history)
and waiting while a clerk collected their groceries and measured out products like flour and rice from big barrels... sao , Piggly Wiggly customers
- but
were given baskets and invited to serve themselves. They filled their baskets with packaged flour and rice, canned goods, and other grocery items from the shelves.
Store sales increased enormously because customers...-- to buy
(3. were likely)
more when they made their own selections. Soon Pigely Wiggly...--ee
(4. increased in size)
into a chain of stores, and other markets copied the self-service model. The LH supermarket was born, influencing not only the way people
(5. modern)
shopped, but also other aspects of the food business. For example, food suppliers
increased their profit because their increased. In order to attract
customers, they used more attractive packaging to... the better
(7. go together with)
TH of food they began to use. They also lowered their prices, and
(8. quality)
began advertising their brand named products.
‘To acknowledge something means to admit or agree that it is real or true. The noun form is acknowledgement.
Sam acknowledges that the supermarket has lower prices, but he still prefers the small market near his house.
C. Match the beginnings of the sentences on the left with the endings on the right to make complete sentences. Compare sentences with a partner.
wu. Le Lacknowledge that English is difficult, a. but I don’t want one.
wie 2.1 acknowledge that air travel is fast; b. but I hate to cook.
cesses 3. acknowledge that exercise is good for you, c. but I’m very lazy.
san 4. acknowledge that cats are good pets, d. but I hate to fly.
Hee 5. lacknowledge that its cheaper to eat athome, _ e. but I’ma fast learner.
THE FAST-FOOD REVOLUTION 95
D. Look at this schedule of history classes on Monday at State College. Then, with a partner, discuss which classes overlap in time and which overlap in subject matter. What changes do you suggest?
Class Time
Roman History 8:00-9:30
Europe from 1850 to Present Day 9:00-10:30 The History of the Middle East 10:30-12:00
Roman and Greek History 1:30-3:00
Europe from 1800 to 1900 3:00-4:00
The History of China 3:30-5:00