Honey Dew Donuts vs Southern Maid Donuts Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Honey Dew Donuts vs Southern Maid Donuts including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Company Overviews

About Honey Dew Donuts

Dick Bowen, founder and president of Honey Dew Associates, Inc. always had a passion and taste for donuts. As a kid, he followed his dad to work at a local donut shop in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. Throughout high school he worked at several coffee and donut shops, dreaming of the day he would own his own where the local community could gather to "enjoy the local flavor."

In 1973, Dick's dream came true when he opened the first Honey Dew Donuts shop in downtown Mansfield, Massachusetts. He quickly became a local favorite, offering a friendly smile and the finest donuts and coffee around. He lived the promise "Always Fresh, Always Good" and his customers responded by coming over and over again.

Building a chain of coffee and donut shops was never a part of Dick's plan. A customer suggested bringing Honey Dew Donuts to his own local community, and in 1975, this customer became the first franchisee. Three years later Dick introduced the drive-thru concept to New England when he installed one in the Plainville, Massachusetts shop.

Over time, as the chain expanded with more franchisees and more shops, so did the menu to include mouth-watering muffins, pastries, bagels, breakfast sandwiches, gourmet flavored coffees, and frozen beverages. Today, Dick heads a thriving franchise organization that, more than 30 years after the first shop in Mansfield opened, includes over 150 shops sprinkled throughout New England. Dick is now President of Honey Dew Associates and our Franchisees follow Dick's example and are local favorites in their own communities. In fact, many of them get to know their customers so well; they can fill orders as soon as they see their cars enter the parking lot!

Honey Dew Donuts is a New England based coffee and bakery Franchise Company with over 150 locations throughout the Northeast. We are currently seeking individuals, and couples to join our 35-year young brand.

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.