Are you craving paella? If so, you can find Fire & Rice down at the local farmers’ markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays, cooking up our award-winning paella out in front for everyone to see. Whether paella is part of your weekly routine or you’re ready to try it for the first time, we hope you’ll come down to the markets and join in the fun! 

3rd Street Farmers’ Market
Saturdays, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Marco Island Farmers’ Market
Wednesdays, 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM

We realize that sometimes it can be a challenge to get down to the market in time for our first batch of paella. But now, with our online pre-ordering process in place, you never have to miss out on paella again! Just click the pre-order tab on our website, make your selection, and let us know if you want to pick up your paella on Wednesday or Saturday. This way, we’ll be sure to put some paella aside for you before we run out. It’s really that easy! 
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If you’ve never tried paella before, head down to the farmers’ markets and visit Fire & Rice! There, you’ll see our chefs enthusiastically preparing delicious paella in large, shallow pans, usually drawing a crowd.  We’re passionate about paella, and it shows! 

Our chefs engage the crowd in the preparation process, and, before you know it, everyone wants a turn. It’s a fun and exciting experience, and people can’t get enough of it.
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When preparing our paella, we use only the finest ingredients dating back to 16th Century Spain. By carefully combining chicken and sausage with imported saffron and Bomba rice, we create a gentle flavor and texture that’s like nothing you’ve encountered before.  Many of our clients have traveled all over the world and say that our paella is the best they’ve ever tasted.  

Last winter, Nick Neveau, owner of the Lansing and Ann Arbor, MI franchises, spent some time with us on the paella circuit during his slower time of year. This year, his mother, Marsha, and brother, Tony, are in town helping us out during our busy season, and we’re happy to say they’ll be with us well into the month of April! 

​So next time you head down to the farmers’ markets, look for our Naples food truck and come say hello. And to make things as easy as possible, don’t forget to pre-order your paella online – just remember to pick it up before the market closes. We hope you’ll come down and join in the fun! 

When you purchase a franchise, not only are you running your own business, you’re also buying a business model. Since the model has been successful in various locations, it makes sense that it would work in your territory as well. But as strong as the business model may be, you can’t rely on it entirely. For your franchise to be successful, it’s critical for the franchise owner to put in the work and make some key things happen.  

The same is true for running a Fire & Rice paella franchise. If you’re considering owning a paella franchise, here are four things you can do to set your business up for success: 

Passion for your product or service starts at the top and trickles down through your employees to the customers. When it comes to the paella catering business, it’s important to like food and being around people. To create the ultimate paella experience, Fire & Rice brings an energized atmosphere everywhere we go. Not only do we prepare award-winning paella, we also interact with the crowd in a communal dining setting that’s fun and exciting for everyone involved. It’s an experience we want our clients to remember for years to come. We’re passionate about paella, and it shows! 

Once your business starts to grow, hiring the right staff is essential to the success of your franchise and brand. Fire & Rice projects a positive, energized image that spells out F-U-N. By hiring enthusiastic people who can connect with others, you’ll be able to provide an atmosphere that is both fun and exciting, and the Fire &Rice concept will spread like wildfire throughout your community. 

​Over the last ten years, Fire & Rice founder, Chef Paul Schmidgall, has been perfecting the tools for franchisee success. He has a proven business model and has learned what works as well as what doesn’t work when it comes to building a paella franchise. By taking full advantage of the tools that are in place, you can utilize your time efficiently and focus on growing your business. 

​Like in any other business, networking in your community is critical. Join professional organizations, such as the chamber of commerce and small business owner groups. Forming relationships in the business community will be a great resource when you’re looking for direction or insight, or to share ideas. And don’t forget about networking with friends and family!  The people who are the closest to you will want to support your endeavors and refer you to others. 

At Fire & Rice, we do everything we can to set new franchise owners up for success. Since we’ve been in the paella business for more than a decade, we’ve learned a few things along the way. We want our franchise owners to learn from our successes as well as our mistakes.  

Fire & Rice offers a comprehensive training process for all new franchisees. Before opening a location, each new franchisee spends about a month at our original paella location in Naples, learning the business first-hand. From running parties and events to discussing strategies for growing your business, you’ll experience it all. With the right knowledge and tools under your belt, you’ll be ready to take the business and run with it!

If you’d like to learn more about running a paella franchise, call Chef Paul Schmidgall at (239) 269-8857. He’d love to talk to you!

​The Chubb Classic PGA Champion’s Tour takes place at the Classics Country Club at Lely Resort February 10-16, 2020. For 33 years. Naples has been home to this prestigious event and seen the world’s greatest golf legends compete time and again. In 2019, Miguel Angel Jimenez took the title, and we look forward to watching the excitement this year as golf’s strongest competitors battle it out for the championship.

​Over the years, the Chubb Classic has partnered with 30 local charities as well as community partners, including The First Tee of Naples/Collier, Champions for Learning, and The First Tee of Philadelphia, to raise $3.5 million for charity. The dedication of fans, volunteers, charitable partners, and community partners has transformed the Chubb Classic from what was once a small golf event into a world-class tournament. 

The Taste of SW Florida at the Chubb Classic
February 14-16, 2020, 2 PM – 5 PM

​Taste of SW Florida is a three-day, fun-filled festival that runs in conjunction with the Chubb Classic, where golf fans can enjoy unlimited samples of the area’s finest cuisine along with craft beer, wine, and spirits. Each ticket includes ground access to the Chubb Classic for the selected day. Tickets are currently $50 but increase to $60 on February 10, so get yours today!

For the fifth year in a row, Fire & Rice will be right in the middle of all the action, enthusiastically cooking up batches of our award-winning paella in large, shallow pans out in front for everyone to see. As our chefs prepare the ingredients, patrons gather around the pans, and the excitement builds. We interact with the crowd and invite people to join in the preparation process. It’s fun and exciting, and everyone wants to join in! 

​When preparing our paella, we use only the finest ingredients dating back to 16th Century Spain.  As we fuse chicken and sausage with imported saffron and Bomba rice, gentle aromas fill the air, touching the senses. The beauty, flavor, and texture of this magnificent dish are like nothing you’ve encountered before, and when you take your first bite of our mouth-watering paella, it will exceed every expectation. Many of our clients have traveled all over the world and say that our paella is the best they’ve ever had.

If you’d like to experience exquisite food in a communal dining setting that’s fun and exciting for everyone involved, come on down to the Taste of SW Florida in Naples this February 14-16, try our delicious paella, and join in the fun! We look forward to seeing you there!  

Join Fire & Rice at the Naples Craft Beer Festival on March 7th and come hungry! At this premier event, you’ll be able to enjoy delicious fare from more than 15 local restaurants and over 40 breweries from across the country and around the world. Make sure to purchase tickets in advance because they won’t be sold at the festival. There are only a few tickets remaining, so make sure to get yours soon!

With a vast assortment of craft beer and delicious food, it’s no surprise that the Naples Craft Beer Festival is one of the area’s most popular events. Presented by the Naples North Rotary Club, 100% of the proceeds go to charity, benefiting projects of the Naples North Rotary Club Foundation.
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If you’re a fan of great beer, you don’t want to miss the Naples Craft Beer Festival, where you’ll find the most sought after selections of toasty, malty, nutty, hoppy, fruity, and crisp brews in the world! As you sample the tasty suds, you can enjoy fantastic food and live music from local bands, including the ever-popular Ben Allen band. It’s a beer lover’s dream come true!

What complements great beer? Great food! At the festival, the most talented chefs from the best local restaurants will be creating dishes for everyone to enjoy. Each restaurant will pair a dish with a craft beer and compete for the People’s Choice and Brewer’s Choice for best pairing. Make sure to come down and sample the paella and craft beer combination from Fire & Rice!
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When you see  Fire & Rice at the festival, you’ll know there’s fun to be had. You’ll find our chefs cooking up our award-winning paella in large, shallow pans right out in front for everyone to see. As we encourage people to join in the paella preparation process, we usually draw a crowd. It’s fun and exciting, and everyone wants a turn. We hope you’ll visit us at the festival and join in the fun! 

At Fire & Rice, we’re passionate about paella, and it shows. Using only the finest ingredients from 16th Century Spain, our chefs enthusiastically combine chicken and sausage with imported saffron and Bomba rice for a gentle texture and flavor that’s simply divine. And when you taste our paella, it will exceed all expectations. Many of our clients have traveled all over the world and say that our paella is the best they’ve ever tasted.

If you’d like to learn more about Naples paella catering from Fire & Rice for your own party or event, call us at (239) 269-8857 or book your party online. We look forward to hearing from you!