Dunkin' vs Southern Maid Donuts Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Dunkin' vs Southern Maid Donuts including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Dunkin' Franchise
Southern Maid Donuts Franchise
Investment $199,700 - $1,688,200$64,000 - $227,000
Franchise Fee $40,000 - $90,000$5,000
Royalty Fee 5.9%-
Advertising Fee 5%-
Year Founded 1950-
Year Franchised 1955-
Term Of Agreement --
Term Of Agreement --
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Dunkin' Franchise
Southern Maid Donuts Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    Dunkin' Franchise
    Southern Maid Donuts Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/Yes-/-
    Start-up Costs No/Yes-/-
    Equipment No/Yes-/-
    Inventory No/Yes-/-
    Receivables No/Yes-/-
    Payroll No/Yes-/-

    Training & Support
     
    Dunkin' Franchise
    Southern Maid Donuts Franchise
    Training Prior to opening your first Restaurant, you (one person) must attend a 3-day franchise business course conducted throughout the year in the Boston, Massachusetts, area. Following completion of that course, both the franchisee candidate and a designated representative must complete the Dunkin' Donuts Core Initial Training program, which includes classroom/instructional time that may be held at Dunkin' Brands University in Braintree, Massachusetts, or Orlando, Florida, or in a designated training Restaurant. Some of our required classes are only offered on the Internet as web-based training. On-The-Job Training: 244-354 hours Classroom Training: 45-54 hours-
    Support Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform -
    Marketing Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app-
    Operations

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    Dunkin' Franchise
    Southern Maid Donuts Franchise
    US Expansion Yes-
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion Yes-

    Company Overviews

    About Dunkin'

    In 1946, Bill Rosenberg established Industrial Luncheon Services, an organization that conveyed suppers and snacks to specialists in the Boston region. The accomplishment of Industrial Luncheon Services persuaded Rosenberg to begin The Open Kettle, a donut shop in Quincy, Massachusetts. After two years, The Open Kettle changed its name to Dunkin' Donuts.

    Today, Dunkin' Donuts stores can be found in more than 32 nations, and they serve 70 assortments of doughnuts, alongside hot and cool espresso drinks, bagels, breakfast sandwiches and other heated products. Dunkin' Donuts parent organization, Dunkin' Brands Inc., additionally establishments Baskin-Robbins, and the two ideas are once in a while co-branded.

    September of 2018 Dunkin' Donuts rebranded to just Dunkin' .

    20% off franchise fee for first five traditional restaurants

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    About Southern Maid Donuts

    Southern Maid Donuts began in 1937 by Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Hargrove. A young couple coming out of the throws of the Great Depression, they created Southern Maid because they saw the need in the market for quality donuts. They created their own recipes, which have stood the test of time. Quality ingredients and uncompromised procedures are reason for the continued success of the Hargrove family to this very day.

    The product was so well accepted that besides selling donuts in their privately owned shops that they were sought out by individuals wanting to use Southern Maid products in their own bakeries and stores. The Hargrove couple began to license their trademark and to help individuals realize their dreams of owning their own businesses. Today, Southern Maid is used in over 100 stores.

    The Southern Maid name came about because of being from the South. Mr. and Mrs. Hargrove wanted a name that encompassed a feeling as well as humble southern traditions and memories. Part of this Southern Maid tradition was a large sponsorship for several years of the Louisiana Hayride Show in Shreveport, Louisiana. Many a young entertainer sang the praises of Southern Maid Donuts. An interesting note: Elvis did the only commercial of his life for any product on November 6th, 1954 for Southern Maid Donuts. He sang the jingle. "You can get them piping hot after 4 P.M., you can get them piping hot, Southern Maid Donuts hits the spot, you can get them piping hot after 4 P.M." Elvis frequented the Shreveport store for donuts on his visits to the Louisiana Hayride. Other entertainers that sang the praises of Southern Maid include Minnie Pearl, Johnny Horton, and Johnny Cash. The Johnny Cash version was released on the Best of the Louisiana Hayride Volume 4.

    Southern Maid products are also used institutionally in the form of pancake and muffin mixes. The Hargroves had created a pancake mix for home use. Over time, the mix was given to friends and family members. The requests for the mix got so large that they began to package it in 50-pound bags for selling to hotels and restaurants.

    Southern Maid has remained a tradition in the South because of the continued use of quality ingredients and procedures. We have been family owned since inception in 1937. Though Mr. and Mrs. Hargrove have since passed on, Southern Maid has evolved into the second and third generations of family ownership and management.