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Updated RecentlySymposium Cafe vs La Madeleine Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Symposium Cafe vs La Madeleine including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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| Investment | $625,000 - $675,000 | $1,249,362 - $3,088,747 |
| Franchise Fee | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 4% | 5% |
| Advertising Fee | 1% | 2.5% |
| Year Founded | 1996 | 1983 |
| Year Franchised | 2004 | 2011 |
| Term Of Agreement | - | Term of agreement not renewable |
| Term Of Agreement | - | Term of agreement not renewable |
| Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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| Experience | - | • Passionate about the la Madeleine brand and our food • $5 million net worth; liquid assets of $2.5 million • Dedicated to developing multiple restaurants in a given market • Excellent knowledge of the local retail real estate market • Resources to develop and operate at least three (3) bakery cafés in a given territory • Strong track record as a multi-unit restaurant operator • Cultural fit |
Financing Options |
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| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | -/- | No/No |
| Start-up Costs | -/- | No/Yes |
| Equipment | -/- | No/Yes |
| Inventory | -/- | No/Yes |
| Receivables | -/- | No/Yes |
| Payroll | -/- | No/Yes |
Training & Support |
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| Training | 3 full months of training for up to three individuals at an existing Symposium Cafe location. | • Ongoing field support • Store opening assistance • Continuous training • Extensive six-week training program for Operations Directors, General Managers, and Managers • Ongoing culinary development On-The-Job Training: 416 hours Classroom Training: 64 hours |
| Support | A transition tutor is assigned to directly assist you on a regular basis in your restaurant franchise for a period of 10 weeks. This tutor works closely with you through the opening stages of your cafe, the day-to-day operating systems and procedures to ensure a successful start-up of your restaurant. This program is designed to strengthen and build the Franchise operators commitment to our proven systems. Our unique 10 weeks in-store program is crucial to building your team, establishing a strong customer base, growing restaurant sales and operating a successful Symposium Cafe franchise. The field consulting team provides ongoing support and training through restaurant visits and coaching. They ensure all Symposium Cafe systems, specifications and standards are in place to drive consistent operations and profitable sales. Professional operations staff makes ongoing visits to your restaurant to hear any concerns you may have. They'll also conduct restaurant audits, which expose areas of concern within your operation. Our regional managers work with our Franchisees to develop action plans to correct and eliminate any problems uncovered. | Real Estate • Market evaluation and planning • Site selection assistance • LOI and contract negotiation assistance • In-house real estate resources • Identifying and securing local representation Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform |
| Marketing | - | • Grand opening assistance • Store opening and PR resources • Local marketing support • Creative support for national promotional events Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Email marketing Loyalty program/app |
| Operations | - | - |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | - | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | Yes | - |
| International Expansion | - | Yes |
Company Overviews
About Symposium Cafe
The Symposium Cafe Restaurant - a unique cafe and restaurant franchising opportunity, that is both challenging and rewarding and is redefining the cafe experience. Our competitive advantages stem from the foundation of our gourmet restaurant franchises through to the corporate infrastructure, operational systems and support, and our supplier partnerships. Our franchise system guides each of the franchisees through every facet of the restaurant operation. Upon becoming familiar with our system each franchisee will be able to train and develop each of their associates in all areas of the restaurant business. Our system revolves around the philosophy of "Continued Training" to guarantee our team meets and exceeds our dining patrons expectations. All positional training techniques are clearly outlined in our restaurant manuals with easy to implement instructions. Our restaurant cost management system, indexed in our operations manual, is designed to provide you with the necessary tools to completely analyze and understand your restaurant franchises business both from a sale and cost perspective. Informative and educational restaurant symposiums are held with the main focus and discussion revolving around driving and developing our restaurant and patio sales while controlling costs using our proven cafe systems. All of these elements make The Symposium Cafe franchise a successful, rewarding restaurant franchises opportunity.
About La Madeleine
- Traditional Café: $1,249,362 to $3,088,747 (excluding real estate and landlord allowances). This includes $43,630 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliates.
- Petite Café: $1,426,200 to $1,747,400. $390,983 to $1,718,012 (excluding real estate and landlord allowances). This includes between $20,000 and $43,630 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliates.
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