Andre Powell, a former Jimmy John’s franchisee, founded Goldsainte, a high-end rideshare service, in 2021.
Have you ever been waiting for an Uber and been disappointed by the 2006 Honda Civic that rolls up? Or maybe the vehicle isn’t the issue, but the driver doesn’t help you with your bags or spends the entire trip talking about a recent break-up.
A former Jimmy John’s franchisee is trying to avoid those experiences with a fleet of Rolls Royces, Bentleys and Maybachs.
Andre Powell created Goldsainte, a high-end rideshare service, in December 2021 and started franchising this spring. “I’ve had so many interesting Uber and Lyft experiences,” Powell said in an interview from his hotel room in Capetown, South Africa. “I travel a lot, and in every single country that I was in, there was always a different experience.”
Powell attributes those inconsistencies to the rideshare apps’ business model. “It’s the gig economy, so people can do whatever they want, because there’s essentially no oversight,” he said.
Customers can buy a Goldsainte One membership for $249, a one-time fee that covers the first year, and then pay $25 a month after. Adding a second and third member to an account costs another $12 per month per person.
That membership saves riders about 30 to 40 percent per ride. If a ride for a non-member costs $100, for example, members would pay closer to $65. An hourly fare, on average, costs $99 for members and $149 for non-members, before taxes and fees.
Unlike Uber and Lyft, Goldsainte members must give at least an hour’s notice for their rides. The company operates in Charlotte, North Carolina, but is expanding into major metropolitan areas in Florida, Texas, California and Washington, D.C.
Powell’s franchising career started in 2017 with Jimmy John’s, of which he owned six units through his company, APEM Restaurant Group. The group, also based in Charlotte, sold its stores earlier this year. He’s invested nearly $1 million of his own money in the Goldsainte enterprise.
“It was a really, really interesting ride,” Powell said of his Jimmy John’s experience. “I loved every part about franchising. It gave me an insight into … what franchisees expect and then what the franchisor expects.”
His brand offers two franchise opportunities: Goldsainte XL and Goldsainte Premium, according to the franchise disclosure document. The XL option requires operators to own or lease Infiniti QX80 vehicles. The Premium option mandates that franchisees own or lease luxury vehicles, including two Bentleys and two Mercedes-Maybachs.
The number of cars a franchisee has in a fleet is determined by a territory’s population, Powell said. Fleets consist of three to five vehicles.
The initial investment required to open a Goldsainte
territory ranges from $177,500 to $320,000, according to the FDD. At press time, Goldsainte didn’t have any franchisees signed, though Powell said he’s in talks with a handful of candidates.
Goldsainte uses a software platform that determines the best territories for franchisees, Powell said. This software can tell a franchisee how many times rides are requested in specific areas, or even which routes are requested the most. “Basically, they are walking into territories where they already have a leg up, knowing exactly the number of rides that are being requested,” Powell said.
Three rideshare apps dominate the industry: Lyft, Uber and Bolt, the latter covering Europe and the Middle East. “Our goal is to bring in a new generation of franchisees and allow them to share in this $106-billion-a-year industry,” he said.
Goldsainte’s prices are comparable to that of Uber or Lyft, Powell said. While the company offers a membership similar to Uber One, customers don’t need to join to use the service.
The service fees for each ride range from 20 to 30 percent of the cost, and drivers receive that amount plus tips for their work. Drivers are independent contractors with Goldsainte and receive the same pay if customers take a discounted ride.
Powell is looking for franchisee candidates who are trying to kickstart their entrepreneurial careers. Franchise experience isn’t necessary, but a drive to make the business succeed is a must.
“It’s being able to really control what happens within your territory,” Powell said. “That’s just been the lacking thing in this industry is control. Franchisees have full control over the drivers of the vehicles, over the rides coming into the area and we can guarantee riders a luxury experience at a regular rideshare price.”