Smoothie King vs Bambu Desserts & Drinks Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Smoothie King vs Bambu Desserts & Drinks including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Smoothie King Franchise
Bambu Desserts & Drinks Franchise
Investment $269,550 - $845,985$141,500 - $304,200
Franchise Fee $30,000$40,000 - $80,000
Royalty Fee 6%-
Advertising Fee 3%-
Year Founded 19872014
Year Franchised 19882014
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Smoothie King Franchise
Bambu Desserts & Drinks Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
  • -

    Financing Options

     
    Smoothie King Franchise
    Bambu Desserts & Drinks Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/No-/-
    Start-up Costs No/Yes-/-
    Equipment No/Yes-/-
    Inventory No/Yes-/-
    Receivables No/No-/-
    Payroll No/No-/-

    Training & Support

     
    Smoothie King Franchise
    Bambu Desserts & Drinks Franchise
    Training --
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives-
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media-
    Operations 60% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 6 - 9

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (75% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    -

    Expansion Plans

     
    Smoothie King Franchise
    Bambu Desserts & Drinks Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion Yes-

    Company Overviews

    About Smoothie King

    When visits to various doctors did little to relieve the allergies Steve Kuhnau was suffering from, the nurse began reading up on nutrition, hoping a change in diet would help his symptoms. Once he began eating fresh foods and cutting fat out of his diet, Kuhnau started feeling better. His next task was to find a way to tackle the midday fatigue caused by hypoglycemia. Using his nursing expertise and the drink mixing experience he gained as a soda jerk in high school, Kuhnau began experimenting with high protein drinks. The resulting product combined fresh fruits, vitamins and other supplements and inspired the creation of Kuhnau's company, Smoothie King.
    Each Smoothie King store sells smoothies and a variety of vitamins, minerals, low fat snacks and nutritional supplements. Offering 40 percent off its initial franchise fee agreements for the first 40 agreements in 2013 IN St. Louis.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a traditional Smoothie King Business ranges from for an end-cap or in-line location, $269,550 to $545,035, and for a free-standing drive-thru location, $577,100 to $845,985. This includes $28,250 to $36,990 that must be paid to the franchisor.
    If you sign an Area Development Agreement, you also must pay the franchisor a development fee of $12,500 for each Smoothie King franchise you commit to develop after the first franchise. You must develop a minimum of 5 Smoothie King Businesses under the Area Development Agreement.
    Veteran Incentives  20% off franchise fee
    ""  "Entrepreneur

    #14 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
    #19 in Franchise 500 for 2021.







    About Bambu Desserts & Drinks

    Bambu Desserts & Drinks serves distinctive Asian-inspired Che, unique boba teas, Vietnamese coffees, exotic fruit smoothies and juices ordered directly off our colorful menu or custom-made “just the way” our customers love it. Besides our house made, vegan-friendly, gluten and dairy-free Che, we are also known for our incredibly friendly service. Bambu Desserts & Drinks is not just the next generation in a continuing waive of Asian-influenced drink shops. Bambu Desserts & Drinks is here to stay.
    Bambu Franchising, LLC is offering passionate entrepreneurs the opportunity to open one or more Bambu Desserts & Drinks Shoppes using Bambu’s valuable intellectual property including our brand, proprietary recipes, and unique processes. Our franchise model recommends, but does not dictate, the way you run your business except as it relates maximizing your workflow and protecting the Bambu brand, recipes and quality of our drinks. We also believe your financial information is between you and your financial professional, so we charge no fees based on a percentage of your revenue. This creates a friendly relationship between us, the franchisor, and you, the franchisee.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Bambu Desserts & Drinks franchise ranges from $141,500 to $304,200. This includes $47,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliates. The franchisor may offer to qualified candidates the right to develop multiple Bambu Desserts & Drinks shoppes under the terms of a Multi-Unit Development Agreement, in which case the total investment stated above will increase by an amount equal to an initial $15,000 times the number of additional Bambu Desserts & Drinks shoppes to be developed under the Multi-Unit Development Agreement, which amounts are paid to the franchisor. A franchisee entering into a Multi-Unit Development Agreement must purchase its first Bambu Desserts & Drinks franchise at the time it enters into the Multi-Unit