Panera Bread/Saint Louis Bread Company vs Original Cupcakes Franchise Comparison

After more than 17 years in the retail industry, Ken Rosenthal changed gears and founded Saint Louis Bread Co. in 1987. His goal was to create a neighborhood bakery where people could pick up fresh-baked bread, meals and snacks. In 1993, Rosenthal sold Saint Louis Bread to Au Bon Pain Co. Six years later, the company was renamed Panera Bread. The future growth of Panera Bread will be based upon company bakery-cafe development as well as the continued sale of franchise area development agreements. Panera Bread does not sell single-unit franchises, so it is not possible to open just one bakery-cafe. Rather, we have chosen to develop by selling market areas which require the franchise developer to open a number of units, typically 15 bakery-cafes in a period of 6 years. Panera Bread franchises must be well-capitalized to open great bakery-cafes and meet this aggressive development schedule. Additionally, they must have a proven track record as excellent multi-unit restaurant operators to operate great Panera Bread bakery-cafes.

 Cupcakes has established the following minimum franchisee requirements: -You must have a minimum of 2 years business and/or management experience -You must be prepared to work full time in your store(s) with eagerness and enthusiasm -You must be in good health; operating your own business can be physically and mentally demanding -You must be willing to follow the systems and manuals provided to you by Cupcakes.

In addition, every Franchisee must have, at a minimum, a satisfactory financial rating and the ability to finance the total capital investment, ongoing operating costs and working capital for the store as required.