| ||||
Updated RecentlyThe Connoisseur vs Waters Edge Wineries Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of The Connoisseur vs Waters Edge Wineries including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
||
| Investment | $200,000 - $270,000 | $269,674 - $769,760 |
| Franchise Fee | $29,500 | $50,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 6% | 5% +$200/mo. |
| Advertising Fee | - | 2% |
| Year Founded | 1972 | 2004 |
| Year Franchised | 1988 | 2012 |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | - |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | - |
| Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
||
| Experience | - | |
Financing Options |
||
| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | No/No | -/Yes |
| Start-up Costs | No/No | -/Yes |
| Equipment | No/No | -/Yes |
| Inventory | No/No | -/Yes |
| Receivables | No/No | -/- |
| Payroll | No/No | -/Yes |
Training & Support |
||
| Training | - | You will receive comprehensive training from us.We will provide you with pre-opening training courses, both hands-on and classroom based, to help you prepare for opening for business. We’ll also provide training and documentation on how to run our micro-winery tank system. On-The-Job Training: 1 week Classroom Training: 1 week Additional Training: Via Webinar |
| Support | Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | Ongoing support and refresher training as needed. And, you’ll have access to confidential operational documents and manuals to help guide your daily winery business functions efficiently. Our team of experts will provide on-going support to ensure the success of your business. Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations |
| Marketing | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks | Getting to know your market - we offer tools and guidance to help know more about the demographics in your market versus our benchmarks. You may want to start to look for spaces that are appropriate for our model, and get an idea on market rents. |
| Operations |
0% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 2 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) | Absentee Ownership Allowed Number of Employees Required to Run: 3 - 5 |
Expansion Plans |
||
| US Expansion | - | - |
| Canada Expansion | No | - |
| International Expansion | No | - |
Company Overviews
About The Connoisseur
Packaged with personalized labels, wine sold by Sanford and Annalisa French's company comes from vineyards in California and cellars in Europe. While it is illegal to ship wine directly to consumers in 39 states, Redondo Beach, California-based The Connoisseur has established a network of franchises and distributors that, like florists, can take orders from other stores and deliver wine and other gifts within 48 hours.
About Waters Edge Wineries
In 2012, Waters Edge Wineries was created to focus on a single brand
name. Our philosophy is focused on helping people learn about the
amazing world of wine and remove the barriers that keep people from
enjoying wine on a regular basis.
Our franchise helps people start up complete wineries in a retail space
that ranges from 2, 500 - 4, 000 square feet. Think of it as a
"micro-winery.”
The difference between a Waters Edge Winery and a traditional winery
is that we do not grow or crush the grapes - we outsource those
functions to a global network of vineyards and growers. This lowers the
cost of ownership, and removes the biggest risk associated with most
wineries.
Actual wine production is done onsite. A Waters Edge Winery® makes
several wines that are exclusive to our winery locations. We make many
of the popular varietals, including Merlots, Cabs and Chardonnays. We
also make some harder-to-find wines such as Barolos, Gewurztraminers,
Pinotages, Petit Verdot and Ports. We source grapes globally that will
allow you to make over 50 different kinds of wine using grapes from the
best grape growing regions in the world. Places such as California,
Italy, France, New Zealand, Chile and Germany.
We also offer a lineup of wines that are found nowhere else and add
to the spectrum of tastes for our guests. These include fun wines such
as our popular Peach Apricot Chardonnay and Cranberry Malbec. These
wines are easy for nearly everyone to enjoy - low in alcohol and
slightly off-dry.
We believe that wine is meant to go with food. And our guests will
linger in our wineries longer if they have food readily available. Waters Edge has a partnership with Boar’s Head Brands to offer a light
menu which includes tapas, Panini-style sandwiches, flatbread pizzas,
artisan cheeses and fruits, as well as delicious desserts.
Seeking new franchise units in the following regions/states:
Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming
Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming