T.J. Cinnamons vs Bruegger's Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of T.J. Cinnamons vs Bruegger's including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
T.J. Cinnamons Franchise
Bruegger's Franchise
Investment $22,100 - $39,200$389,600 - $591,600
Franchise Fee $5,000$30,000
Royalty Fee Varies5%
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 19851983
Year Franchised 19851993
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Renewal Fee Then-current franchise fee25% of then-current franchise fee


Business Experience Requirements

 
T.J. Cinnamons Franchise
Bruegger's Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills

  • Industry experience

  • Financing Options

     
    T.J. Cinnamons Franchise
    Bruegger's Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/NoNo/No
    Start-up Costs No/NoNo/No
    Equipment No/NoNo/No
    Inventory No/NoNo/No
    Receivables No/NoNo/No
    Payroll No/NoNo/No

    Training & Support

     
    T.J. Cinnamons Franchise
    Bruegger's Franchise
    Training Training program provided through manual-
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesGrand opening, Field operations/evaluations
    Marketing Ad slicksAd slicks, Regional advertising
    Operations

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed.

    Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 95% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (66% of current franchisees are owner/operators)


    Expansion Plans

     
    T.J. Cinnamons Franchise
    Bruegger's Franchise
    US Expansion -Yes
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion NoNo

    Company Overviews

    About T.J. Cinnamons

    When Ted and Joyce Rice first started selling cinnamon rolls at state fairs and rodeos, they were just looking to make some extra money and add to their retirement fund. Yet the demand for their sticky product was so great they were forced to turn their parttime venture into a fulltime T.J. Cinnamons bakery in Kansas City. The company began franchising and grew to nearly 250 locations in the late 1980s. But by the mid-'90s a declining economy, lower traffic, and inexperienced operators left only 47 bakeries operating. Arby's parent company acquired the business in 1996 and has since revived the bakery concept to be an add-on business that can be combined with any existing restaurant.

    About Bruegger's

    When Nord Brue and Mike Dressell started Bruegger's in 1983, they actually founded the retail bagel concept. Up until that point, bagels were considered mostly an ethnic food and were not known much outside of New York. At that time, less than one-third of Americans had ever tasted a bagel. From their home base in Burlington, Vermont, Brue and Dressell pioneered a new concept that expanded the traditional bagel bakery into a quick service bakery with premium specialty cream cheeses, custom-made sandwiches, signature soups and exceptional coffee. They worked with a professional bagel baker from New York City for 2 1/2 years to perfect their recipe and baking process. In 2004, Bruegger's welcomed new ownership and expanded beyond bagels into breads, wraps and other lunchtime menu items, and began updating bakeries to reflect the welcoming feel of a New England farmhouse-inspired bakery-cafe that Bruegger's has evolved into. Today, almost 40 years after the first Bruegger's opened in Troy, New York, there are almost 300 Bruegger's locations throughout the U.S., with more on the way.