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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Zoup! Fresh Soup Company vs Link Business including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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Investment | $355,900 - $648,500 | $53,200 - $148,500 |
Franchise Fee | $39,900 | $45,000 |
Royalty Fee | 6% | 6.5% |
Advertising Fee | 1% | 2% |
Year Founded | 1998 | 1996 |
Year Franchised | 2003 | 2007 |
Term Of Agreement | 5 years, Renewable for 3 additional 5 year periods | - |
Term Of Agreement | 5 years, Renewable for 3 additional 5 year periods | - |
Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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Experience | - | |
Financing Options |
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In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
Franchise Fees | No/Yes | -/Yes |
Start-up Costs | No/Yes | -/Yes |
Equipment | No/Yes | -/Yes |
Inventory | No/Yes | -/Yes |
Receivables | No/Yes | -/Yes |
Payroll | No/Yes | -/Yes |
Training & Support |
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Training | On-The-Job Training: 72 hours Classroom Training: 40 hours | On-The-Job Training: 40 hours Classroom Training: 16 hours Additional Training: Online broker academy |
Support | Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform | Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software |
Marketing | Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app | Marketing Support Ad Templates Social media Website development Email marketing |
Operations |
30% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 10 - 14 Absentee Ownership Allowed | Absentee Ownership Allowed Number of Employees Required to Run: 1 |
Expansion Plans |
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US Expansion | No | Yes |
Canada Expansion | Yes | Yes |
International Expansion | No | Yes |
The first Zoup! opened in 1998 in Southfield, MI, a suburb of Detroit. Over the next five years, the founders opened five more Detroit-area locations, and in 2003 they began to franchise the concept. Zoup! restaurants feature 12 rotating daily varieties of soup, including low-fat, vegetarian, gluten and dairy free options. Made-to-order salads, sandwiches and baked goods are also available.