Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet vs Southern Maid Donuts Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet vs Southern Maid Donuts including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet Franchise
Southern Maid Donuts Franchise
Investment $90,000 - $180,000$64,000 - $227,000
Franchise Fee $25,000$5,000
Royalty Fee 6%-
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 1983-
Year Franchised 1987-
Term Of Agreement 5 years-
Term Of Agreement 5 years-
Renewal Fee 25% of initial fee-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet Franchise
Southern Maid Donuts Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
  • -

    Financing Options

     
    Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet Franchise
    Southern Maid Donuts 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

     
    Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet Franchise
    Southern Maid Donuts Franchise
    Training --
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Internet, Field operations/evaluations-
    Marketing 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)

    -

    Expansion Plans

     
    Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet Franchise
    Southern Maid Donuts Franchise
    US Expansion --
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion No-

    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 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.