South Bend Chocolate Company vs River Street Sweets Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of South Bend Chocolate Company vs River Street Sweets including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
South Bend Chocolate Company Franchise
River Street Sweets Franchise
Investment $85,700 - $676,460$419,550 - $844,000
Franchise Fee $35,000$40,000
Royalty Fee 4%5%
Advertising Fee -2%
Year Founded 19911973
Year Franchised 19972015
Term Of Agreement 4 years-
Term Of Agreement 4 years-
Renewal Fee $150-


Business Experience Requirements
 
South Bend Chocolate Company Franchise
River Street Sweets Franchise
Experience
  • Overall qualifications considered; no specific experience is necessary
    		• Prospective franchisees must have solid store managerial experience and excellent supervisory, sales and guest relations skills. Previous experience in customer service and/or marketing is a plus! Our fun and friendly franchise concept appeals to a wide array of potential guests. With that being said, the franchise owner will be able to provide an interactive candy experience for happy guests from all walks of life.

    Financing Options
     
    South Bend Chocolate Company Franchise
    River Street Sweets 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
     
    South Bend Chocolate Company Franchise
    River Street Sweets Franchise
    Training Ongoing (monthly visits)Initial training includes extensive training about the brand's proven systems, policies and procedures at our corporate office in Savannah, Georgia. Franchisees are provided with instructors, facilities, and materials for the initial training program. On-The-Job Training: 183 hours Classroom Training: 18 hours
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluationsNewsletter Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Field Operations Site Selection
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertisingAd Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media Loyalty program/app
    Operations 0% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 6 - 20

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

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    South Bend Chocolate Company Franchise
    River Street Sweets Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion No-

    Company Overviews

    About South Bend Chocolate Company

    Chocolate is in the Tarner family's blood. When Mark Tarner founded the South Bend Chocolate Company (SBCC) in 1991, he had already spent several years working in his father's chocolate factory. Privately owned and operated, the South Bend Chocolate Company got its start making chocolates under a license from the University of Notre Dame, and currently makes licensed chocolates for other schools, including Indiana University and Purdue University. In addition, South Bend Chocolate Company also wholesales its product line to gift shops, gourmet food stores, coffee shops and gift basket companies throughout the country.
    South Bend Chocolate Company franchises operate retail kiosks, Chocolate Caf'ites and Caf'xpress coffee carts in malls throughout Indiana and other states.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of the Kiosk model ranges from $85,700 to $111,005, and for the Cafe Model range from $340,552 to $676,460.
    For the Kiosk model, this includes $55,000 to $57,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate, and for the Café model includes $57,000 to $61,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate.




    About River Street Sweets

    River Street Sweets, - Savannah's Candy Kitchen is an old-fashioned candy store that is family-owned and delivers handmade southern sweets to its guests. It offers a variety of delicious handmade candies such as its World Famous Pralines, Chocolate Loggerheads, old-fashioned caramel apples, homemade ice cream and a huge assortment of nostalgic hard candy right in front of guests. The River Street Sweets - Savannah's Candy Kitchen concept enriches the lives of its guests by providing fresh handmade southern candies served in a clean and fun environment. This franchise program is a partnership of two longstanding candy shops with roots in Savannah Georgia, River Street Sweets and Savannah's Candy Kitchen. Both are owned and operated by members of the Strickland family. The shops have more than a dozen locations across Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee and an extremely strong mail and web ordering presence. River Street Sweets - Savannah's Candy Kitchen is now extending franchise opportunities throughout the South and in other select U.S. markets to qualified candidates. River Street Sweets - Savannah's Candy Kitchen will show you how to make our gourmet Southern candies by hand in your own special, old-fashioned candy and ice cream store environment, which is designed to work in a wide range of settings and location types. Franchise owners have the option to choose what size and setting he/she would like to operate in. Its largest models require 2,000-3,000 sq. ft. and are located primarily in high traffic tourist locations. OR, they can choose one of their smaller locations that are an estimated 750-1,000 sq. ft. Franchisees will also have the opportunity to share in a portion of revenues obtained through our mail and online ordering and gift items. This enables franchisees to build a sweet business through these multiple product lines and revenue streams. 
     $5,000 discount on Franchise fee to veterans.
     Owners converting into a River Street Sweets - Savannah's Candy Kitchen receive an $11,000 discount.