Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet vs Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet vs Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet Franchise
Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels Franchise
Investment $90,000 - $180,000$98,350 - $445,000
Franchise Fee $25,000$30,000
Royalty Fee 6%7%
Advertising Fee -1%
Year Founded 19831988
Year Franchised 19871989
Term Of Agreement 5 years5 years
Term Of Agreement 5 years5 years
Renewal Fee 25% of initial fee-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet Franchise
Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills

  • General business experience

  • Financing Options

     
    Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet Franchise
    Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/NoNo/Yes
    Start-up Costs No/NoNo/Yes
    Equipment No/NoNo/Yes
    Inventory No/NoNo/Yes
    Receivables No/NoNo/Yes
    Payroll No/NoNo/Yes

    Training & Support

     
    Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet Franchise
    Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels Franchise
    Training -On-The-Job Training: 32 hours Classroom Training: 40-64 hours
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Internet, Field operations/evaluationsNewsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
    Marketing Ad slicks, National mediaAd Templates National Media Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
    Operations 30% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 5

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    53.9% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 9 - 12

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (95% of current franchisees are owner/operators)


    Expansion Plans

     
    Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet Franchise
    Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels Franchise
    US Expansion -Yes
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion NoYes

    Company Overviews

    About Cookies By Design/Cookie Bouquet

    When she lost her job, single mother Gwen Willhite had to figure out what to do next. Combining two traditional gifts'flowers and sweets'Willhite developed a new business: Cookies by Design/Cookie Bouquet. Each bouquet was arranged with custom-molded, hand-decorated sugar and cinnamon brown sugar cookies in baskets for all holidays and occasions. The company, which Willhite started in her home, soon grew into a chain of shops that began franchising in 1987. Within 10 years, Cookies by Design/Cookie Bouquet had grown to more than 175 shops in 115 cities across the United States.

    Cookies by Design offers a low entry cost and scalable confectionery bakery franchise featuring custom hand decorated cookie bouquets, gourmet cookies, cupcakes and confectionery treats. For over 30 years, Cookies by Design has been delighting people across the US with a unique and delicious gifting alternative to flowers.Our ability to create custom cookie bouquet designs with a personalized message as well as provide local hand delivery set us apart. Our customers are thrilled with
    Cookies by Design’s ease of service and creativity that delivers their gift with a personal touch. We love being a part of people celebrations, special occasions and life events. From start to finish our cookie bouquets are all hand crafted using our sugar cookie dough, cinnamon brown sugar dough recipes and signature icing creating an unforgettable, tasty work of art. With over 300 unique cookie cutter shapes and thousands of design options Cookies by Design’s potential to deliver gift items that are unique, special & memorable are limitless. Cookies by Design has incorporated the business of gifting with the love of baked goods into one successful franchise. Combining the local bakery retail shop offering personalized gifts and local hand delivery with the cookiesbydesign.com online ordering site, gives each location has a national selling reach with a neighborhood delivery touch.

    About Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels

    Anne Beiler had been baking most of her life, but it wasn't until she began managing a concession stand at a farmer's market in Maryland that she thought about starting a business. The stand served pizzas, pretzels, chips and candy, with the pretzels outselling everything else. Beiler stopped selling pizza and began hand-rolling pretzels in front of her customers, making the snack even more popular. Eventually, Beiler bought her own stand, naming it Auntie Anne's, and, soon two of her brothers were operating Auntie Anne's booths of their own. Today, Auntie Anne's locations serve a variety of pretzels, dipping sauces and drinks.

    Join us in putting the hand-rolled deliciousness of Auntie Anne’s® soft pretzels into more people’s hands. We are looking for franchise owners to extend our reach into street side locations, tourist locations, colleges, and more. Our guests savor Auntie Anne’s® pretzels’ unique flavor profile. You’ll value the strong financials, culture that promotes community involvement, and opportunities afforded you by our impressive global footprint. The future is looking bright for our franchise owners. Get in on the goodness now.

    As we rise, you shine.

    Auntie Anne's® is looking for people with a passion for business, matched by their desire to deliver the highest-quality customer service and hospitality. Candidates should have:
    "Fork
    Business Experience
    (Restaurant Experience Preferred)
    "Money"
    $100K+ Liquid Capital
    $300K Net Worth
    "People"
    People Skills
    Connected to the Community
    "Hand
    Philanthropic Values

     Stores can be found in shopping centers, airports and train stations across the United States and Worldwide.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of an Auntie Anne's® franchise ranges from $156,350 to $445,000. This includes $30,000 to $30,400 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliates.
    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Shop within a temporary stand in a farmers’ market, a concession trailer, or a food truck (a “Concession Shop”) is $98,350 to $253,000. This includes $10,000 to $10,400 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliates.

    Veteran Incentives  $10,000 off franchise fee

    "Entrepreneur
    #400 in Franchise 500 for 2020.