Andre Powell, a former Jimmy John’s franchisee, founded Goldsainte, a high-end ride-sharing service, in 2021.
Have you ever waited for an Uber and been disappointed when the 2006 Honda Civic pulled up? Or maybe it’s not the vehicle at all, but the driver doesn’t help you with your luggage or spends the entire ride talking about a recent breakup.
A former Jimmy John’s franchisee tries to avoid such experiences with a fleet of Rolls Royces, Bentleys and Maybachs.
Andre Powell founded Goldsainte, a high-quality ride-sharing service, in December 2021 and began franchising this spring. “I’ve had so many interesting experiences with Uber and Lyft,” Powell said in an interview from his hotel room in Cape Town, South Africa. “I travel a lot, and every single country I’ve been to, it’s always been a different experience.”
Powell attributes these discrepancies to the rideshare apps’ business model. “It’s the gig economy, so people can do whatever they want because there’s basically no control,” he said.
Customers can purchase a Goldsainte One membership for $249, a one-time fee for the first year, and pay $25 per month thereafter. Adding a second and third member to an account costs an additional $12 per month per person.
This membership saves riders about 30 to 40 percent per ride. For example, if a ride costs $100 for a non-member, members would pay just under $65. An hour-long ride costs an average of $99 for members and $149 for non-members, before taxes and fees.
Unlike Uber and Lyft, Goldsainte members must schedule their rides at least one hour in advance. The company operates in Charlotte, North Carolina, but is expanding to major metropolitan areas in Florida, Texas, California, and Washington, DC.
Powell’s franchising career began in 2017 with Jimmy John’s, where he owned six locations through his company APEM Restaurant Group. The group, also based in Charlotte, sold its locations earlier this year. He has invested nearly $1 million of his own money in the Goldsainte venture.
“It was a really, really interesting journey,” Powell said of his experience at Jimmy John’s. “I loved every part of franchising. It gave me insight into … what franchisees expect and what the franchisor expects.”
Its brand offers two franchise opportunities, according to the franchise disclosure document: Goldsainte XL and Goldsainte Premium. The XL option requires operators to own or lease Infiniti QX80 vehicles. The Premium option requires franchisees to own or lease luxury vehicles, including two Bentleys and two Mercedes-Maybachs.
The number of vehicles a franchisee has in its fleet depends on the area’s population, Powell said. Fleets consist of three to five vehicles.
The initial investment to open a Goldsainte
Salaries in the area range from $177,500 to $320,000, according to FDD. At press time, Goldsainte had not signed any franchisees, but Powell said he was in talks with a handful of candidates.
Goldsainte uses a software platform that identifies the best areas for franchisees, Powell said. That software can tell a franchisee how often rides are requested in certain areas or even which routes are requested the most. “Basically, they’re pushing into areas where they already have a head start because they know exactly how many rides are requested,” Powell said.
Three ride-sharing apps dominate the industry: Lyft, Uber and Bolt, with the latter operating in Europe and the Middle East. “Our goal is to attract a new generation of franchisees and enable them to participate in this $106 billion annual industry,” he said.
Goldsainte’s prices are comparable to Uber or Lyft, Powell said. While the company offers a membership similar to Uber One, customers do not have to sign up to use the service.
Service fees for each ride range from 20 to 30 percent of the cost, and drivers receive this amount plus tips for their work. Drivers are independent contractors of Goldsainte and receive the same pay when customers take a discounted ride.
Powell is looking for franchisee candidates who are looking to jumpstart their entrepreneurial career. Franchising experience is not required, but the drive to make the business a success is a must.
“It’s about being able to really control what happens in your territory,” Powell said. “That’s what this industry has been lacking: control. Franchisees have full control over the drivers of the vehicles, over the rides that come into the territory, and we can guarantee the passengers a luxury experience at the regular rideshare price.”
