Bad Ass Coffee Company vs Van Houtte Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Bad Ass Coffee Company vs Van Houtte including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	Bad Ass Coffee Company Franchise	Van Houtte Franchise
Investment	$304,500 - $620,000	$250,000 - $300,000
Franchise Fee	$35,000	$27,500
Royalty Fee	6%	5%
Advertising Fee	2%	-
Year Founded	1991	1919
Year Franchised	1998	1983
Term Of Agreement	5 years	10 years
Term Of Agreement	5 years	10 years
Renewal Fee	$2.5K	-
Business Experience Requirements
	Bad Ass Coffee Company Franchise	Van Houtte Franchise
Experience	-	-
Financing Options
	Bad Ass Coffee Company Franchise	Van Houtte Franchise
	In-House/3rd Party	In-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees	No/No	No/No
Start-up Costs	No/Yes	No/No
Equipment	No/Yes	No/No
Inventory	No/Yes	No/No
Receivables	No/No	No/No
Payroll	No/No	No/No
Training & Support
	Bad Ass Coffee Company Franchise	Van Houtte Franchise
Training	-	-
Support	Newsletter, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives	Meetings, Grand opening, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
Marketing	Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising	Co-op advertising, Regional advertising
Operations	International 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: 10 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators)	5% of all franchisees own more than one unit Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
Expansion Plans
	Bad Ass Coffee Company Franchise	Van Houtte Franchise
US Expansion	-	-
Canada Expansion	No	No
International Expansion	Yes	Yes

Company Overviews

About Bad Ass Coffee Company

In 1995, B.J. Bilanzich was so taken by the playfulness of the brand, that upon arrival to Salt Lake City, she and her husband began to open stores in Utah and eventually purchased Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii and began franchising on the mainland.

Today, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii continues to serve premium Hawaiian and other top international coffees with a kick �" but Bad Ass Coffee franchises don’t stop there. We also serve popular blended drinks, teas, food and branded merchandise with exceptional service through 24 stores in the U.S., US Virgin Islands and Japan.

The Bad Ass Coffee Company serves only the finest, American-grown, gourmet, whole bean Kona, and Hawaiian coffee available on the market today. Our Signature Blend marries 10% Hawaiian coffee and coffees from around the world to offer our customers many different flavor profiles. Both our brand and our product are strong sellers with a growing and expanding base of repeat core customers. When you invest in the Bad Ass Coffee Company franchise, you're getting far more than just a store location. We can provide you and your new business with a full range of support services to help you get your business up and running and on the road to success quicker and easier than ever before. From assistance with the primary planning stages and location selection of your store, providing access to excellent marketing information and support, as well as access to our expert interior design and installation teams, to helpful opening day assistance and beyond, we'll be there for you.

About Van Houtte

Albert-Louis Van Houtte, a French immigrant, set up his first grocery store in Montreal in 1919. Van Houtte stocked the store with specialty products from Europe, including coffee. Each day he would roast small batches of coffee in the back of his shop, and soon Van Houtte had built up a reputation in Montreal for selling quality coffee. In the more than 80 years since its founder began roasting European coffees, A.L. Van Houtte Cafe-Bistro has grown beyond Montreal and has expanded its menu. Today, each cafe-bistro serves a variety of coffee and espresso drinks, as well as teas, soups and sandwiches.