Panera Bread/Saint Louis Bread Company vs Mrs. Powell's Bakery Eatery Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Panera Bread/Saint Louis Bread Company vs Mrs. Powell's Bakery Eatery including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Panera Bread/Saint Louis Bread Company Franchise
Mrs. Powell's Bakery Eatery Franchise
Investment $1,010,985 - $2,252,846$125,000 - $160,000
Franchise Fee $35,000$25,000
Royalty Fee 5%5%
Advertising Fee -3%
Year Founded 19871984
Year Franchised 19931986
Term Of Agreement 20 years10 Years +10
Term Of Agreement 20 years10 Years +10
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Panera Bread/Saint Louis Bread Company Franchise
Mrs. Powell's Bakery Eatery Franchise
Experience

*Experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator *Recognition as a top restaurant operator *Net worth of $7.5 million *Liquid assets of $3 million *Infrastructure and resources to meet our development schedule *Real estate experience in the market to be developed *Total commitment to the development of the Panera Bread brand *Cultural fit and a passion for fresh bread

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Financing Options

 
Panera Bread/Saint Louis Bread Company Franchise
Mrs. Powell's Bakery Eatery Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/No-/-
Start-up Costs No/No-/-
Equipment No/No-/-
Inventory No/No-/-
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/-

Training & Support

 
Panera Bread/Saint Louis Bread Company Franchise
Mrs. Powell's Bakery Eatery Franchise
Training -1. Head Office 1 Week 2. Franchised Store 1 Week 3. Own Store 1 Week
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluationsField Operation Evaluation

Field Training

Initial Store Opening

Inventory Control

Franchisee Newsletter

Regional or National Meetings: At Additional Cost

Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising-
Operations Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 100% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 40 - 60

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

Average Number of Employees: 2 Full-time, 4 Part-time

Passive Ownership: Allowed, But Discouraged


Expansion Plans

 
Panera Bread/Saint Louis Bread Company Franchise
Mrs. Powell's Bakery Eatery Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion NoYes

Company Overviews

About Panera Bread/Saint Louis Bread Company

After more than 17 years in the retail industry, Ken Rosenthal changed gears and founded Saint Louis Bread Co. in 1987. His goal was to create a neighborhood bakery where people could pick up fresh-baked bread, meals and snacks. In 1993, Rosenthal sold Saint Louis Bread to Au Bon Pain Co. Six years later, the company was renamed Panera Bread. The future growth of Panera Bread will be based upon company bakery-cafe development as well as the continued sale of franchise area development agreements. Panera Bread does not sell single-unit franchises, so it is not possible to open just one bakery-cafe. Rather, we have chosen to develop by selling market areas which require the franchise developer to open a number of units, typically 15 bakery-cafes in a period of 6 years. Panera Bread franchises must be well-capitalized to open great bakery-cafes and meet this aggressive development schedule. Additionally, they must have a proven track record as excellent multi-unit restaurant operators to operate great Panera Bread bakery-cafes.

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About Mrs. Powell's Bakery Eatery

Mrs. Powell's has been in business since 1984.  We specialize in Cinnamon Rolls, but we do much more than that! We have white and wheat bread, dinner rolls, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, soup, sandwiches and so much more.  What we really do is take care of one of the things you don't have time for anymore - baking. We cater and are always up for custom creations.