Zoup! Is...
What
It Takes
WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A ZOUP! FRANCHISEE
Franchising Starts…Stumbles…and Takes Off Running
Franchising as we know it today began in California in the 1950s when Ray Kroc bought franchise rights for a then unknown drive-in restaurant. And, while McDonald’s went on to become wildly successfully, throughout the 60s and 70s, franchising as a whole got a “black eye” as more than a few unscrupulous players preyed on uninformed, would-be business owners.
Franchising has come a long way since those days due, in part, to the industry’s self-regulation and the Federal Trade Commission’s involvement. In fact, today an estimated 1,500 franchisors operate in the U.S., doing business with more than 320,000 franchise retail units. And, the franchise sector contributes more than $1 trillion dollars to the U.S. economy annually.
Zoup!’s Franchisees Choose from Several Different Structures
We’re interested in teaming up with exceptional people who have a high degree of personal integrity, an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong desire to succeed in running their own business. Franchisees also must be detail-oriented and have a passion for the Zoup! philosophy and products.
In addition to individual franchisees, we’re looking for seasoned business people (or entities) with the skills and financial backing needed to open multiple locations and develop key geographic territories. Here are a few examples of the types of business models we could offer:
- Single-Unit Franchise Agreement in which a franchisee purchases the right to develop one store in a limited, exclusive area, without any obligation to develop additional units.
- Multi-Unit Franchise Agreement, which is also known as an Area Development Agreement (ADA). With this arrangement, a franchisor agrees to “develop a market” and receives the right to develop multiple units in a broad, exclusive area within a specified timeframe.
Financial Qualifications
All single-unit applicants must meet our minimum financial qualifications and be in a position to properly capitalize the franchise investment, including working capital and personal living expenses during the start-up period.
Store Opening Cost Summary*
|
|
Low |
High |
|
Franchise Fee |
$25,000 |
$25,000 |
|
Leasehold Improvements |
$55,000 |
$150,000 |
|
POS, Equipment, Furniture, Signage |
$107,000 |
$172,000 |
|
Other Opening Costs |
$38,500 |
$50,000 |
|
Total |
$225,500 |
$397,000 |
Multi-Unit applicants are required to meet a higher level of financial qualifications, all of which will be based on the specific agreement.
*(The Zoup! Systems LLC UFOC provides additional information.)
Nine Steps to Owning a Zoup! Franchise
- Complete and submit our Preliminary Application for review.
- If your application meets our preliminary requirements, we will contact you to find out additional information, review the franchise development process and answer basic questions.
- If we all agree to proceed with the process, we will (1) e-mail you a link to a Confidential Application that you will be asked to return within an agreed upon time frame and (2) send you more information about franchising and the company.
- Once we receive your application we'll call you to confirm receipt of application and discuss next steps.
- If we all agree to proceed, we'll schedule an initial meeting and provide you the Zoup! Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC) and schedule a follow-up meeting or phone call to discuss the UFOC.
- Along the way, we will send information regarding (1) GO! Plan and marketing; (2) Training; (3) Real Estate selection and (4) Z! Track Process.
- Upon review of the UFOC and background information, we will schedule a phone call to answer any remaining questions regarding the above material, financing, store visit or meeting, with a view toward looking forward.
- If we all agree to proceed, we will schedule a call to answer any remaining questions. At that point, we will send a New Franchise Agreement Form.
- Upon signing the Franchise Agreement, you will be assigned various development coordinators who will guide you through the Z! Track Pre-open process and start you on your way to finding a suitable location and opening your own Zoup!
Our In-Store Training Program Shows You the “Real Deal”
Approximately one month prior to your store’s opening, you will visit Zoup! headquarters for a two-week program that includes class-room style training and hands-on work in one of our stores. During this training, you will work every position, prep every product and perform all the duties of a Zoup! store manager. Your training also will cover everything from Zoup! Core Values, food service code and cash management to problem resolution and hiring procedures. As part of this process, you’ll also be trained to use the Z!Net online management system that provides many of the tools you’ll need to successfully run your business.
