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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Zoup! Fresh Soup Company vs Buffalo Wild Wings including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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| Investment | $355,900 - $648,500 | $2,695,100 - $4,244,300 |
| Franchise Fee | $39,900 | $25,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 6% | 5% |
| Advertising Fee | 1% | 3.25% |
| Year Founded | 1998 | 1982 |
| Year Franchised | 2003 | 1991 |
| Term Of Agreement | 5 years, Renewable for 3 additional 5 year periods | 10 years |
| Term Of Agreement | 5 years, Renewable for 3 additional 5 year periods | 10 years |
| Renewal Fee | - | $5K |
Business Experience Requirements |
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| Experience | ||
Financing Options |
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| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | No/Yes | No/No |
| Start-up Costs | No/Yes | No/No |
| Equipment | No/Yes | No/No |
| Inventory | No/Yes | No/No |
| Receivables | No/Yes | No/No |
| Payroll | No/Yes | No/No |
Training & Support |
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| Training | On-The-Job Training: 72 hours Classroom Training: 40 hours | - |
| Support | Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives |
| Marketing | Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising |
| Operations |
30% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 10 - 14 Absentee Ownership Allowed |
Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 50% 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. (80% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | No | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | Yes | No |
| International Expansion | No | Yes |
The first Zoup! opened in 1998 in Southfield, MI, a suburb of Detroit. Over the next five years, the founders opened five more Detroit-area locations, and in 2003 they began to franchise the concept. Zoup! restaurants feature 12 rotating daily varieties of soup, including low-fat, vegetarian, gluten and dairy free options. Made-to-order salads, sandwiches and baked goods are also available.