Edible Arrangements: Tasty bouquets for all occasions

A state border patrolman and his wife have found success in a previously untapped market delivering fruit arrangements that can double as floral gifts.

Houma residents Michael and Tressa Hebert are ecstatic to be celebrating one year in business this coming August. They opened Edible Arrangements in Houma last year. Besides the Houma location, there are five other Louisiana franchises and 843 shops nationally.

Michael Hebert, a 10-year veteran patrolman with the state Department of Homeland Security, happened onto the idea as he was watching MSNBC. A report about up-and-coming franchises hit the airwaves.

On the list of franchises was a business very similar to a florist shop called Edible Arrangements.

After giving it some thought, the Heberts realized that Edible Arrangements targeted a unique market in the Houma-Thibodaux area. Although the region is ripe with florists, none sculpted fruit to look like floral bouquets.

“We weren’t looking to get into a franchise business at that time it,” Michael Hebert said. “But once we did, the whole thing seemed like a good fit for us. This year has proven to still be a good career addition for me and a career change for my wife.”

From the outset, Michael Hebert decided not to quit his job as a customs and border patrolman. Rather, Tressa Hebert chose to resign from teaching in the Terrebonne Parish School District to manage the family’s business full-time.

“I don’t regret my decision to leave the school system because, in a way, I am gaining some of the same rewards,” she said. “In the school system, we teach children and put smiles on their faces. Here at the store, we supply our customers with goodies that put a smile on their face.”

Making the decision to change gears proved to be the easiest part, although Tressa admits she does miss the students and her co-workers.

Before they could actually buy into the franchise, the husband-and-wife team had to do some work. First, Michael Hebert had to travel to Connecticut, where the headquarter are located, for what is called “Discovery Day.” There, each aspiring franchise owner learns about the company and the day-to-day operations.

“I didn’t realize this franchise existed before watching the news, so I was excited to learn more about it,” he said.

Michael Hebert was among those who survived “Discovery Day” and were still committed to being part of the team. But the final decision was left to Edible Arrangements’ executives. They conduct a census on respective areas where franchises will be located, factoring in key components like population and economic growth.

“They seem to think that Houma is a growing city, and I do too,” he said. “They factored in that if other franchises, not affiliated with Edible Arrangements, were doing well, then their franchises would see some growth too since the city’s economic standards have skyrocketed in the past five years.”

The last hurdle the Heberts faced was business placement: Finding the most profitable location in Houma.

Michael Hebert said he had several locations picked out, but franchise executives factored in that traffic flow was better on Martin Luther King Boulevard.

By the end of July 2007, the Heberts were ready to open. They went through the training process and began hiring staff. From the beginning, the couple has enjoyed the aspect of the business that allows them to interact with customers.

“On my job I have to be the ‘bad guy’ that no one wants to see coming, but at the store I am the friendly person who loves to talk and chat with the customers,” Michael Hebert said.

Edible Arrangements’ startup, fortunately, was smooth. In fact, the Heberts will be vying for the one of the franchise’s “smoothest store opening” national awards in early August.

Michael Hebert credits preparedness. “We didn’t have any problems when we opened because we were prepared and well-trained,” he said. “Our business plan was drawn out and we were ready to work.”

Over the past year, the staff has learned the painstaking tasks of creating a consumable bouquet. The process of making the arrangements is lengthy. Each piece of fruit in the bouquet is held in place with a plastic stick. Some have cut fruits in the shape of flowers, some have sliced fruits, some have white-or cocoa-chocolate dipped fruits and some are left plain.

“Customers can choose from any of the designs,” Michael Hebert said.

The top three arrangements include the franchise’s signature arrangement “Delicious Fruit Design,” which consists of cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapples, strawberries and grapes. The two that come in a strong second are the “Sweetheart Bouquet,” which is an arrangement of chocolate-covered strawberries, and the “Berry Bouquet” that has half chocolate-dipped and half undipped strawberries and flower-shaped pineapple slices.

Now at almost a year’s turn, the company’s sales are exceeding franchise expectations, and the couple is still gaining headway with residents who are becoming more familiar with the business.

“People come in all the time and say that they did not know that there was a business of this type in Houma. I guess the best advertising is the product. [Customers] have to come in and try it out.”

Jenna Hughes, a customer services employee at Houma’s Edible Arrangements, wraps a “Delicious Fruit Design,” one of the franchise’s most popular fruit arrangements. It is made with sliced cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapples, strawberries and grapes. * Photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN