Ben's Soft Pretzels vs Mara's Cafe and Bakery Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Ben's Soft Pretzels 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

  Ben's Soft Pretzels Mara's Cafe and Bakery
Investment 107200 - 339500 0 - 0
Franchise Fee
Royalty Fee 6% 5%
Advertising Fee 1.50% 2% local + 1% Nat'l
Year Founded 2008 1984
Year Franchised 2013 2004
Term Of Agreement
Term Of Agreement
Renewal Fee


Business Experience Requirements

  Ben's Soft Pretzels Mara's Cafe and Bakery
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

  Ben's Soft Pretzels Mara's Cafe and Bakery
 
Franchise Fees
Start-up Costs
Equipment
Inventory
Receivables
Payroll

Training & Support

  Ben's Soft Pretzels Mara's Cafe and Bakery
Training As a Franchise Partner, you will receive many different forms of hands-on training. We focus on teaching you how to run your business, as well as, how to make our legendary Ben's Soft Pretzel products. We are here to help you every step of the way. * 101 Training (3-Days at Ben's Soft Pretzels University): We walk you through all of the important aspects of starting and managing a successful business. * Reality Training (5-Days at Ben's Soft Pretzels University). In this training we show you everything you need to know about making our delicious pretzel products. * In-Store Training (6-Days). We send a Pretzel Professor to your bakery for 6 days when you open your store to help train your staff in the art of perfect pretzel making. * On-Going Training. We offer multiple training opportunities throughout the year for both Franchise Partners and Bakery Managers. We also offer monthly Franchise Partners conference calls, an online forum, and weekly newsletter to keep you up-to-date with the latest happenings surrounding our business. 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 Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform 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 Here at Ben's Soft Pretzels we are fortunate to have a brand that customers L-O-V-E. Our easy-to-follow marketing programs allow franchise partners to focus their marketing efforts locally. We assist you in turning customers into raving pretzel-loving fans. From announcing the opening of your bakery, to planning your Grand Opening, to growing your brand online, we help our franchise partners every step of the way. We come along side you to create a finely-tuned marketing plan to connect with customers, influencers and community leaders near your bakery. Throughout the year we offer ongoing marketing training to keep up to speed with the most effective marketing tools and tactics.
Operations

Expansion Plans

  Ben's Soft Pretzels Mara's Cafe and Bakery
US Expansion Nationwide, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming Nationwide, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Canada Expansion
International Expansion Worldwide, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azores, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Channel Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equitorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faeroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosrae, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, Northern Ireland, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Ponape, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of Yemen, Reunion, Romania, Rota, Russia, Rwanda, Saba, Saipan, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Barthelemy, St. Christopher, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. John, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tahiti, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tinian, Togo, Tonga, Tortola, Trinidad & Tobago, Truk, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks & Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Union Island, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Gorda, Wake Island, Wales, Wallis & Futuna Islands, Western Samoa, Yap, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Start-Up Costs and Fees Mobile

Investment
Ben's Soft Pretzels
Mara's Cafe and Bakery
Franchise Fee
Ben's Soft Pretzels
Mara's Cafe and Bakery
Royalty Fee
Ben's Soft Pretzels 6%
Mara's Cafe and Bakery 5%
Advertising Fee
Ben's Soft Pretzels 1.50%
Mara's Cafe and Bakery 2% local + 1% Nat'l
Year Founded
Ben's Soft Pretzels 2008
Mara's Cafe and Bakery 1984
Year Franchised
Ben's Soft Pretzels 2013
Mara's Cafe and Bakery 2004
Term Of Agreement
Ben's Soft Pretzels
Mara's Cafe and Bakery 10 years
Renewal Fee
Ben's Soft Pretzels
Mara's Cafe and Bakery


Business Experience Requirements

Experience
Ben's Soft Pretzels
Mara's Cafe and Bakery 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

 
Franchise Fees
Ben's Soft Pretzels
Mara's Cafe and Bakery
Start-up Costs
Ben's Soft Pretzels
Mara's Cafe and Bakery
Equipment
Ben's Soft Pretzels}
Mara's Cafe and Bakery
Inventory
Ben's Soft Pretzels
Mara's Cafe and Bakery
Receivables
Ben's Soft Pretzels
Mara's Cafe and Bakery
Payroll
Ben's Soft Pretzels
Mara's Cafe and Bakery

Training & Support

Training
Ben's Soft Pretzels As a Franchise Partner, you will receive many different forms of hands-on training. We focus on teaching you how to run your business, as well as, how to make our legendary Ben's Soft Pretzel products. We are here to help you every step of the way. * 101 Training (3-Days at Ben's Soft Pretzels University): We walk you through all of the important aspects of starting and managing a successful business. * Reality Training (5-Days at Ben's Soft Pretzels University). In this training we show you everything you need to know about making our delicious pretzel products. * In-Store Training (6-Days). We send a Pretzel Professor to your bakery for 6 days when you open your store to help train your staff in the art of perfect pretzel making. * On-Going Training. We offer multiple training opportunities throughout the year for both Franchise Partners and Bakery Managers. We also offer monthly Franchise Partners conference calls, an online forum, and weekly newsletter to keep you up-to-date with the latest happenings surrounding our business.
Mara's Cafe and Bakery 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
Ben's Soft Pretzels Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Mara's Cafe and Bakery 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
Ben's Soft Pretzels Here at Ben's Soft Pretzels we are fortunate to have a brand that customers L-O-V-E. Our easy-to-follow marketing programs allow franchise partners to focus their marketing efforts locally. We assist you in turning customers into raving pretzel-loving fans. From announcing the opening of your bakery, to planning your Grand Opening, to growing your brand online, we help our franchise partners every step of the way. We come along side you to create a finely-tuned marketing plan to connect with customers, influencers and community leaders near your bakery. Throughout the year we offer ongoing marketing training to keep up to speed with the most effective marketing tools and tactics.
Mara's Cafe and Bakery
Operations
Ben's Soft Pretzels
Mara's Cafe and Bakery

Expansion Plans

US Expansion
Ben's Soft Pretzels Nationwide, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Mara's Cafe and Bakery Nationwide, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Canada Expansion
Ben's Soft Pretzels
Mara's Cafe and Bakery
International Expansion
Ben's Soft Pretzels Worldwide, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azores, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Channel Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equitorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faeroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosrae, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, Northern Ireland, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Ponape, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of Yemen, Reunion, Romania, Rota, Russia, Rwanda, Saba, Saipan, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Barthelemy, St. Christopher, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. John, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tahiti, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tinian, Togo, Tonga, Tortola, Trinidad & Tobago, Truk, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks & Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Union Island, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Gorda, Wake Island, Wales, Wallis & Futuna Islands, Western Samoa, Yap, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Mara's Cafe and Bakery