House of Bread vs Original Cupcakes Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of House of Bread vs Original Cupcakes including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
House of Bread Franchise
Original Cupcakes Franchise
Investment $157,000 - $347,000$267,500 - $381,000
Franchise Fee $35,000$50,000
Royalty Fee 6%-
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 1996-
Year Franchised 1998-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee $5K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
House of Bread Franchise
Original Cupcakes Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    House of Bread Franchise
    Original Cupcakes Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/No-/-
    Start-up Costs No/No-/-
    Equipment No/No-/-
    Inventory No/No-/-
    Receivables No/No-/-
    Payroll No/No-/-

    Training & Support
     
    House of Bread Franchise
    Original Cupcakes Franchise
    Training --
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives-
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising-
    Operations 25% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 8

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    House of Bread Franchise
    Original Cupcakes Franchise
    US Expansion --
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion Yes-

    Company Overviews

    About House of Bread

    After spending six years as a lawyer, Sheila McCann decided to do something different with her life. At Harvard Business School, she researched several business ideas before settling on a bread bakery. McCann had fond memories of baking with her grandmother as a child in Montana. Inspired by her grandmother's spirit of independence and endurance, she founded House of Bread in San Luis Obispo in 1996.

    The company targets its specialty breads to young professionals, health-conscious consumers and baby boomers looking to increase fiber in their diets. House of Bread lets customers sample its healthful, whole-grain breads and watch the bread being made. All stores feature on-site milling.

    About Original Cupcakes

    Founded by best friends Heather White and Lori Joyce in 2002, Cupcakes bakes their products from scratch and uses preservative-free, basic ingredients, offering customers fresh batches of yummy goodness daily.

    The Cupcakes trademark has been globally recognized as the original cupcakes bakery. It was also the Cupcakes Bakery featured on the hit reality TV Show called, ‘The Cupcake Girls’ on the W Network. The TV Show airs in 90 countries worldwide, including the USA, Asia, and Latin America. The Cupcakes brand stands for fun, nostalgia, and celebration!

     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.