Tapioca Express vs The Coffee Beanery Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Tapioca Express vs The Coffee Beanery including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$200,000 - $420,000 | $112,500 - $496,100 |
Franchise Fee |
$15,000 | $15,000 |
Royalty Fee |
$0.055/cup | 4% |
Advertising Fee |
- | 2% |
Year Founded |
1999 | 1976 |
Year Franchised |
2000 | 1985 |
Term Of Agreement |
- | 10-20 years |
Term Of Agreement |
- | 10-20 years |
Renewal Fee |
$3K for 2 years | 25% of initial fee |
Business Experience Requirements |
Experience |
Industry experience General business experience Marketing skills | General business experience Retail experience |
Financing Options |
|
In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party |
Franchise Fees |
No/No | No/No |
Start-up Costs |
No/No | No/No |
Equipment |
No/No | No/Yes |
Inventory |
No/No | No/Yes |
Receivables |
No/No | No/No |
Payroll |
No/No | No/No |
Training & Support |
Training |
- | - |
Support |
Newsletter, Meetings, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations |
Marketing |
Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media |
Operations |
Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 5
100% of current franchisees are owner/operators |
International franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 30% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 14
- 17
Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Expansion Plans |
US Expansion |
- | Yes |
Canada Expansion |
No | No |
International Expansion |
Yes | Yes |
Company Overviews
About Tapioca Express
Wayne and Stephanie, passionate about their Taiwanese heritage, opened
the first Tapioca Express store in the San Gabriel Valley in 1999 �" one
of the very first boba chains in the United States. Since the beginning,
Tapioca Express has harvested the finest ingredients from Taiwan and
continually provides quality teas, boba, and snacks. However, we did not
foresee that boba’s popularity would manifest into its own culture and
become an everyday lifestyle. Today, Tapioca Express expands across
California and into other states, including Washington, Texas, and
Virginia. In our two decades of experience in brewing, we focus on
nurturing and enriching communities with the finest teas, coffee, and
boba.
Tapioca beverage is a various combination of black or green tea, milk, juice, coffee, and small marbles of tapioca (a.k.a. "black pearl" or "boba", made from Tapioca starch, water, corn starch and natural flavors.) It originated in Tai-Chung City (in Taiwan) around 1981, and soon spread across Asia. In the late 90s, it traveled to North America and has quickly become a raging trendy drink on both coasts. It is perceived as a relatively healthier beverage than soft drinks or coffee, and a lot more fun, too.Tapioca Express was the first in North America to offer a wide selection of high quality tapioca beverage adhering to a consistently high professional standard.
Since opening its first store in the city of Alhambra (located in the Greater Los Angeles, California),
Tapioca Express has become synonymous to quality and innovation.
About The Coffee Beanery
With help from her husband, Julius, JoAnne Shaw decided to take a chance. In 1976 she opened The Coffee Beanery, a specialty coffee shop, in Dearborn, Michigan. The company began franchising in 1985. The Coffee Beanery offers streetfront café franchises, as well as locations in malls, airports, office buildings, hospitals and college campuses across the United States. In 1998 the company opened its first international location in Guam and now offers master franchises in China, Korea and the Middle East.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Traditional Store
without Food Store Model ranges from $260,000 to $476,100, which
includes $25,000 to $31,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or its
affiliates.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a
Traditional Store with Food Store Model ranges from $260,000 to
$496,100, which includes $25,000 to $31,500 that must be paid to the
franchisor or its affiliates.
The total investment necessary to begin
operation of a Kiosk Store Model ranges from $185,000 to $369,100, which
includes $25,000 to $31,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or its
affiliates.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a
Co-Branded Store Model ranges from $140,000 to $339,100, which includes
$25,000 to $31,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or its
affiliates.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a
Conversion Store Model ranges from $112,500 to $351,600, which includes
$17,500 and $24,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or its
affiliates.