Portal Languages in Costa Mesa plans six franchised locations to add to three sites it has opened so far in OC.
Portal provides foreign language instruction from retail storefronts. The three open are in Costa Mesa, Fullerton, and Mission Viejo. The six are planned for Whittier, L.A., Long Beach, San Marcos, Antioch, and in Portland, Oregon.
The company is aiming for 20 locations, most in California, in the next 18 months, targeting language teachers—it calls them “educator-entrepreneurs”—and entrepreneurs with an offering on the smaller end of franchising’s range.
It costs $25,000 to $50,000 to open a location, including a $15,000 franchise fee; royalties and marketing are about 8% of gross sales; average unit volumes are $200,000.
Schools teach a “natural approach … [that] emphasizes communication rather than grammar,” the company said.
