Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet vs Mrs. Fields Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet vs Mrs. Fields including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$90,000 - $180,000 | $166,806 - $410,500 |
Franchise Fee |
$25,000 | $30,000 |
Royalty Fee |
6% | 6% |
Advertising Fee |
- | - |
Year Founded |
1983 | 1977 |
Year Franchised |
1987 | 1990 |
Term Of Agreement |
5 years | 7 years |
Term Of Agreement |
5 years | 7 years |
Renewal Fee |
25% of initial fee | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
Experience |
General business experience Marketing skills | Industry experience General business experience Marketing skills |
Financing Options |
|
In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party |
Franchise Fees |
No/No | No/Yes |
Start-up Costs |
No/No | No/Yes |
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, Toll-free phone line, Internet, Field operations/evaluations | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives |
Marketing |
Ad slicks, National media | Ad slicks, National media |
Operations |
30% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 5
Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
International franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses
Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. |
Expansion Plans |
US Expansion |
- | - |
Canada Expansion |
No | No |
International Expansion |
No | Yes |
Company Overviews
About Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet
When she lost her job, single mother Gwen Willhite had to figure out what to do next. Combining two traditional gifts'flowers and sweets'Willhite developed a new business: Cookies by Design/Cookie Bouquet. Each bouquet was arranged with custom-molded, hand-decorated sugar and cinnamon brown sugar cookies in baskets for all holidays and occasions. The company, which Willhite started in her home, soon grew into a chain of shops that began franchising in 1987. Within 10 years, Cookies by Design/Cookie Bouquet had grown to more than 175 shops in 115 cities across the United States.
Cookies
by Design offers a low entry cost and scalable confectionery bakery
franchise featuring custom hand decorated cookie bouquets, gourmet
cookies, cupcakes and confectionery treats.
For
over 30 years, Cookies by Design has been delighting people across the
US with a unique and delicious gifting
alternative to flowers.Our ability to create custom cookie bouquet
designs with a personalized message as well as provide local hand
delivery set us apart. Our customers are thrilled with
Cookies by
Design’s
ease of service and creativity that delivers their gift with a personal
touch. We love being a part of people celebrations, special occasions
and life events.
From
start to finish our cookie bouquets are all hand crafted using our
sugar cookie dough, cinnamon brown sugar
dough recipes and signature icing creating an unforgettable, tasty work
of art. With over 300 unique cookie cutter shapes and thousands of
design options Cookies by Design’s potential to
deliver gift items that are unique, special & memorable are
limitless.
Cookies
by Design has incorporated the business of gifting with the love of
baked goods into one successful
franchise. Combining the local bakery retail shop offering personalized
gifts and local hand delivery with the cookiesbydesign.com online
ordering site, gives each location has a national selling
reach with a neighborhood delivery touch.
About Mrs. Fields
Mrs. Fields Cookies started in 1977 and has been in the Famous Brands portfolio since 2000. Today the company has over
300 locations in over 20 countries. Mrs. Fields has been a pioneer in cookies and based goods.
Through its franchisees' retail stores; it is one of the largest retailers of freshly baked, on-premises specialty cookies and brownies in the world and the largest retailer of soft-serve frozen yogurt with live active cultures. Its franchise systems operate through a network of more than 800 franchised and licensed locations throughout the United States and in 25 foreign countries. In addition, it operates an internet and catalog gifting business, and has entered into licensing arrangements that leverage awareness of its core brands among its retail customer base.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a retail store
ranges from $251,995 to $410,500.
This includes $35,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliate.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a retail kiosk
ranges from $166,806 t0 $233,640.
This includes $35,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliate.