Philly Pretzel Factory vs Au Bon Pain Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Philly Pretzel Factory vs Au Bon Pain including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Philly Pretzel Factory Franchise
Au Bon Pain Franchise
Investment $133,999 - $351,193$2,000,000 - $3,000,000
Franchise Fee $35,000$30,000
Royalty Fee 6%5%
Advertising Fee 2%2% Marketing commitment
Year Founded 1998-
Year Franchised 2005-
Term Of Agreement --
Term Of Agreement --
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Philly Pretzel Factory Franchise
Au Bon Pain Franchise
Experience "Someone who is willing to follow a system. We want someone who has the entrepreneurial spirit, but they have to understand that we have a proven model here." - Daniel DiZio, CEO and co-founder -

Financing Options

 
Philly Pretzel Factory Franchise
Au Bon Pain Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/Yes-/-
Start-up Costs -/Yes-/-
Equipment -/Yes-/-
Inventory -/Yes-/-
Receivables -/Yes-/-
Payroll -/Yes-/-

Training & Support

 
Philly Pretzel Factory Franchise
Au Bon Pain Franchise
Training On-The-Job Training: 5+ days Classroom Training: 5 days -
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 -
Marketing Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app -
Operations Absentee Ownership Allowed

Number of Employees Required to Run: 2 - 6

-

Expansion Plans

 
Philly Pretzel Factory Franchise
Au Bon Pain Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion Yes-

Company Overviews

About Philly Pretzel Factory

Philly Pretzel Factory is a real Soft Pretzel Factory with the ability to produce ten's of thousands of pretzels daily at each location. Philly Pretzel Factory provides tremendous value at prices of 100 for $17.00.

The total initial investment necessary to begin operating a single traditional full production Philly Pretzel Factory ranges from $167,759 to $263,317. This includes approximately $35,000 that must be paid to the franchisor and/or its affiliate.
The total initial investment necessary to begin operating a single traditional oven-ready Philly Pretzel Factory ranges from $209,673 to $351,193. This includes approximately $35,500 to $36,500 that must be paid to the franchisor and/or its affiliate.
The total initial investment necessary to begin operating a single full-production Philly Pretzel Factory located in a Walmart or other big-box retailer ranges from $133,999 to $196,087. This includes approximately $37,000 to $41,700 that must be paid to the franchisor and/or its affiliate.
The total initial investment necessary to begin operating a single oven-ready Philly Pretzel Factory located in a Walmart or other big-box retailer ranges from $187,363 to $244,411. This includes approximately $37,500 to $43,200 that must be paid to the franchisor and/or its affiliate.

#80 on Entrepreneur's ranking of the top 150 franchises offering incentives and other programs to help veterans become franchisees
Veteran Incentives  $1,776 off franchise fee

About Au Bon Pain

Because we want to prepare our franchise partners for optimal success from the beginning, we only sign Area Development Agreements (ADA) based on a territorial market with a minimum unit potential of 10-20 locations. (We do not sell single unit agreements.) This ADA multi-unit potential enables our franchisees to build a significant business in an area with solid earnings potential. In order to be considered for an Au Bon Pain franchise, you must have the financial and management resources necessary to develop multiple cafes
Criteria include: * Open cafes in one of the listed expansion areas. * Offer quality real estate sites in the selected territory. * Sign an ADA for a minimum of 10 units. * Have a liquid net worth of $350k per unit, or approximately $2-3M. * Provide poof of financing from a bank or other financial institution. * Offer multi-unit restaurant business experience. * Offer an established management infrastructure within the market you wish to franchise. * Willingness to adhere to the Au Bon Pain system. * A strong desire to succeed, work hard and be part of a winning team.