Original Cupcakes vs Mara's Cafe and Bakery Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Original Cupcakes Franchise
Mara's Cafe and Bakery Franchise
Investment $267,500 - $381,000N/A
Franchise Fee $50,000$25,000
Royalty Fee -5%
Advertising Fee -2% local + 1% Nat'l
Year Founded -1984
Year Franchised -2004
Term Of Agreement -10 years
Term Of Agreement -10 years
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Original Cupcakes Franchise
Mara's Cafe and Bakery Franchise
Experience -We are seeking motivated owner-operators with solid restaurant operating experience to join our system. In exchange, we will provide the tools and training you need to run your own Mara�s Caf� & Bakery location. We do, of course, also expect that you have the right amount of capital to invest in the franchise.

Financing Options

 
Original Cupcakes Franchise
Mara's Cafe and Bakery Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/--/-
Start-up Costs -/--/-
Equipment -/--/-
Inventory -/--/-
Receivables -/--/-
Payroll -/--/-

Training & Support

 
Original Cupcakes Franchise
Mara's Cafe and Bakery Franchise
Training -Franchise owners and their key management staff will receive at least two weeks and up to three weeks of training, including both classroom and on-the-job training.
Support -Your team will receive five days of onsite help at your own location around the time of your grand opening. You will have access to all Mara's Caf� & Bakery trademarks, recipes and supply chains, and our unique operational procedures. And, we'll provide you with a copy of our confidential operations manual to help you run your caf� properly.
Marketing --
Operations --

Expansion Plans

 
Original Cupcakes Franchise
Mara's Cafe and Bakery Franchise
US Expansion -Yes
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion --

Company Overviews

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.

About Mara's Cafe and Bakery

The concept behind Mara's Cafe & Bakery got its start in 1984 when Mara and Glenn's "mom and pop" business began offering customers the highest quality, delectable desserts made fresh in our own bakery and served with freshly roasted coffee. It was with the encouragement of our family and friends that we began creating delicious desserts from traditional family recipes and Glenn, a coffee perfectionist, distinguished a unique line of roasted coffee products. It wasn't long before we had customers coming in and out daily, requesting more of their favorite tasty treats and coffee beverages!

In 2004, sons Ian and Devan joined the family business with great plans of expansion. After nearly twenty years of establishing a reputation for serving up the best coffee and desserts in town, we knew it was time to expand not only our business, but our menu as well. The first Mara's Cafe & Bakery was opened in Denville, NJ. With the addition of sandwiches, salads, wraps, and more, this simple "mom and pop" concept quickly became a family-run business - and the dining destination of choice during all hours of the day. Customers from all over soon realized Mara's was the best place to enjoy a delicious meal in a cozy atmosphere and began asking for more locations within their own communities. Thus, the idea to franchise our concept was conceived - after all, we couldn't let our customers down!

Now is the time for you to take advantage of this incredible opportunity and bring our amazing concept to your home town. Discover how becoming a Mara's Cafe & Bakery franchise owner can be the greatest reward of your career - and possibly your life. With the help of our team of experts, our exclusive, award-winning recipes, and our time- tested business model, opening your own Mara's Cafe & Bakery could be as easy as.... pie!

We sincerely appreciate your interest in Mara's Cafe & Bakery, The Magley Family