Culver vs CafeMia Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Culver Franchise
CafeMia Franchise
Investment $2,349,000 - $5,356,000$221,000 - $374,000
Franchise Fee $55,000$25,000
Royalty Fee 4%4.5%
Advertising Fee 2.5%2% local +2%Nat'l
Year Founded 1984-
Year Franchised 1988-
Term Of Agreement 15 years-
Term Of Agreement 15 years-
Renewal Fee $30K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Culver Franchise
CafeMia Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options
 
Culver Franchise
CafeMia 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
 
Culver Franchise
CafeMia Franchise
Training -Caf�Mia provides franchisees with a comprehensive training program at its headquarters in North Carolina. This program includes a combination of classroom and in-store hands-on training. We will also provide on-site pre-opening support via our field training team prior to opening of each new store.
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives* operating manuals & training documentation; * site selection & demographic research; * real estate support; * business planning services; * complete equipment package specification; * modular store design plans; * full training program for store managers and employees; * branded packaging, marketing and merchandising material; * on-going 24/7 support; * use of registered Caf�Mia� name and logo
Marketing Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising-
Operations 30% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 40 - 50

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

-

Expansion Plans
 
Culver Franchise
CafeMia Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About Culver

After working with his parents in their restaurants, Craig Culver decided it was time to open one for himself. In 1984 Culver, with the help of his wife Lea and parents George and Ruth, transformed the A&W his parents owned since the sixties into Culver's Frozen Custard. Its founder's family inspired the menu for the initial Sauk City, Wisconsin, restaurant. When Culver's mother made hamburgers, she would put a dab of butter on the crown of the hamburger buns before toasting them; something her children felt made them taste better. Today, employees at each Culver's location use the same technique when making their ButterBurgers. There are Culver's locations in twelve states. All Culver's franchisees are owner/operators.
 
We’re looking for leaders with the initiative and skills to take a team of people and operate a Culver’s according to our high standards. You need energy and enthusiasm. You have to be willing to work hard. You have to love people and believe, as we do, that having a great heart is also good business.

Culver’s has grown to over 500 restaurants in 22 states.

Culver's is leading the way in the industry and in our communities. If you are craving a restaurant business made to order for you, where your financial success is directly related to how well you and your team execute against Culver’s mission that every guest who chooses Culver’s leaves happy, we invite you to consider becoming a Culver’s franchisee.

Seeking new franchise units in: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming

"Entrepreneur


#9 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#5 in Franchise 500 for 2021






About CafeMia

IT WOULD APPEAR CAFEMIA IS CLOSED Caf�Mia is a remarkable gelato boutique. Balanced revenue model. The "ice cream-only" model is an extremely risky proposition in a highly competitive retail world. Although freshly-made gelato is clearly the centerpiece of Caf�Mia's product offerings� we are much more than just a gelato shop. We have designed our product offerings to address four distinct ‘dayparts' which create a very stable revenue stream. Very few competitors do this. None do it as well as Caf�Mia. Simple operations. Our store procedures, recipes and management systems have been designed to facilitate day to day operations and create a consistent experience. We are not a full service restaurant� we aim for stores no larger than 2,000 square feet in order to keep things simple, streamlined and consistent. Remarkable products. Every Caf�Mia product offering has a "wow factor". The gelato is fresh, silky and intensely flavored. The paninis are made using warm, crusty ciabatta bread and premium ingredients. The chocolates and pastries are blissful and indulgent. In short, everything has been selected to create a unique customer experience. Gelato is big and getting bigger. The frozen desserts in the U.S. represent more than a $21 billion market. The super premium segment has grown twice the rate of the overall industry. People clearly love really good ice cream. Gelato is merely the purest, most indulgent, healthiest form of ice cream in the world. Gelato buzz getting stronger all the time. Caf�Mia is the best positioned company to take advantage of this major market opportunity.