Great Harvest vs Mrs. Fields Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Great Harvest vs Mrs. Fields including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$69,613 - $704,873 | $166,806 - $410,500 |
Franchise Fee |
$35,000 | $30,000 |
Royalty Fee |
5% | 6% |
Advertising Fee |
2.5% | - |
Year Founded |
1976 | 1977 |
Year Franchised |
1978 | 1990 |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years | 7 years |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years | 7 years |
Renewal Fee |
- | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
Experience |
General business experience | Industry experience General business experience Marketing skills |
Financing Options |
|
In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party |
Franchise Fees |
No/Yes | No/Yes |
Start-up Costs |
No/Yes | No/Yes |
Equipment |
No/Yes | No/Yes |
Inventory |
No/No | No/Yes |
Receivables |
No/No | No/No |
Payroll |
No/No | No/No |
Training & Support |
Training |
On-The-Job Training: 120 hours
Classroom Training: 120 hours
Additional Training: When necessary | - |
Support |
Meetings/Conventions
Toll-Free Line
Grand Opening
Field Operations
Site Selection
Franchisee Intranet Platform
| Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives |
Marketing |
Ad Templates
Regional Advertising
Social media
Website development
Email marketing
Loyalty program/app | Ad slicks, National media |
Operations |
10% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 5
- 7
Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
International franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses
Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. |
Expansion Plans |
US Expansion |
Yes | - |
Canada Expansion |
No | No |
International Expansion |
Yes | Yes |
Company Overviews
About Great Harvest
Pete Wakeman had been baking bread most of his life. As a child, he would help his aunt. In high school, he baked for his friends. During summer vacations, he sold bread from the roadside. In 1976, when Wakeman heard about a bakery in Great Falls, Montana, that was going under, he bought it. With the help of his wife, Laura, Wakeman established the Great Harvest Bread Co. and set about baking loaves for people in the Great Falls community. Soon, people from neighboring communities starting asking about setting up their own Great Harvest locations. The first franchise opened in Kalispell, Montana. In 1983, the Wakemans converted their Great Falls bakery into a franchise and moved company headquarters to Dillon, Montana, so they could concentrate on the franchising end of their business. Great Harvest bakeries serve a variety of breads each day including honey whole wheat, white cheddar garlic, sunflower and cranberry orange.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Great Harvest
bakery cafe franchise in a “Hub” location is $144,100 to $704,873. This
includes $35,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate.
The
total investment necessary to begin operation of a Great Harvest bakery
cafe franchise in a “Spoke” location is $69,613 to $447,536. This
includes $15,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate.
If
you want development rights, you must pay the franchisor a development
fee equal to the full initial franchise fee for the first bakery cafe
($35,000) plus a deposit of $7,500 (of the $15,000 initial franchise
fee) for each additional bakery cafe you agree to develop. The total
investment necessary to begin operation if you acquire development
rights is $151,600 to $712,373. This includes $42,500 that must be paid
to the franchisor or affiliate.
Veteran Incentives 15% off franchise fee
#4 on Franchise Rankings.com
About Mrs. Fields
Mrs. Fields Cookies started in 1977 and has been in the Famous Brands portfolio since 2000. Today the company has over
300 locations in over 20 countries. Mrs. Fields has been a pioneer in cookies and based goods.
Through its franchisees' retail stores; it is one of the largest retailers of freshly baked, on-premises specialty cookies and brownies in the world and the largest retailer of soft-serve frozen yogurt with live active cultures. Its franchise systems operate through a network of more than 800 franchised and licensed locations throughout the United States and in 25 foreign countries. In addition, it operates an internet and catalog gifting business, and has entered into licensing arrangements that leverage awareness of its core brands among its retail customer base.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a retail store
ranges from $251,995 to $410,500.
This includes $35,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliate.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a retail kiosk
ranges from $166,806 t0 $233,640.
This includes $35,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliate.