Do you want to own your own business in the most exciting and fast paced industry in the United States? Ellianos Coffee Company and the specialty coffee industry are growing. We now have exciting specialty coffee franchise opportunities in the Southeastern United States, with primary growth targeted in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina & North Carolina. Learn more about our concept by clicking the links on the left side of this page or click here to Request More Information . The information in this website is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for informational purposes only. Currently, the following states regulate the offer and sale of franchises: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Franchisee Benefits
New business start ups require a huge commitment of time and money. By joining Ellianos, you receive the following valuable benefits you would not receive by going it on your own. START UP HELP
OPERATIONS ASSISTANCE
MARKETING SUPPORT
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Application Process
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| Financial Requirements
UNDERSTANDING THE INVESTMENT
If you have an initial interest in becoming an Ellianos Franchisee, then you probably have a target area in mind, and perhaps you even have your eye on some potential sites. While market research and site selection are crucial, you must first look at the financial considerations involved.
The total amount of investment required to start an Ellianos Franchise can vary widely, depending on your real estate arrangement and other varying factors. Typically, we have two formats that can be considered, depending on the selected site. The main format so far, with the least amount of capital required, has been to locate vacant space in an existing shopping center parking lot, in a visible and easily accessible spot, and work a land lease with the existing property owner. This means you are only required to invest in building, equipment, utility hookups and minimal other site costs since you are just setting down in an area that is already paved.
The second format has been to purchase a separate parcel or site, usually in an unimproved condition, and then do all of the site improvements and utility work, in addition to the building and equipment costs. A site like this could also be worked as a lease, instead of a purchase. This format obviously increases the amount of capital required for the project substantially. The advantage of purchasing your land is the ownership of the land as an asset, which will hold and possibly increase its value over time.
In addition to understanding the financial requirements involved, it is important to understand the time this process takes. Depending on your situation and motivation, the process from signing the Franchise Agreement to Grand Opening can take anywhere from 6 months to 1 year.
FINANCING
The minimum requirements to become an Ellianos Franchisee are a minimum of $50,000 in cash or liquid assets, with an overall financial net worth of at least $150,000. However, if you will need to obtain a loan to start up, your financial institution may have different financial requirements.
The first consideration is to evaluate your ability to fund the operation, either with your own capital, or a combination of your capital and a funding or borrowing source (investors, partners or banks).
The total amount of investment, without the purchase of real estate can run a broad range, from at least $169,300 to $292,500, even before considering the actual real estate, which can be either leased or purchased. Please see the Initial Investment table and notes for more information on specific start up costs.
If you need to obtain financing to start your Ellianos, typically lenders will require a combination of your own down payment and other assets. Depending on your asset base, a lender’s required down payment could be anywhere from 30% - 50% or more of the investment. For more information, read the article on How to Finance Your Franchise.
If you do not meet the asset requirement and you do not have substantial business experience, it is important to understand that obtaining financing from traditional banks can be very difficult. You may still have the options of finding a partner with more resources or searching out loans from the Small Business Administration.
Locate the SBA lenders in your area, and contact several of them. After discussing the concept and requirements with them, you should be able to decide if you have the potential to qualify for their lending. Direct them to our website if they need more information on the concept.
EVALUATING INCOME POTENTIAL
The amount of profit or loss is based on a wide range of factors including sales, costs, and the franchisee’s ability to manage business operations. Ellianos does not make any claims or guarantees on projected sales, profits, or losses. What we can do, is help you build your own projections.
This involves projecting daily sales based on available market and site factors and assumptions, and projecting your costs. Use our Projection Calculator to build your own Ellianos income scenario. Please Click Here to DOWNLOAD the projection calculator file. You must have Microsoft Excel to open.)
*The projection calculator provides a mere projection. Actual results may vary widely. Again, Ellianos makes no claim to and can not guarantee financial results.
NEXT STEPS
Once you decide that Ellianos is a good opportunity for you and you have realistic financing possibilities, then follow these next steps:
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| FAQ
Q: What is Ellianos Coffee Company?
Q: What are the Franchise Fees associated with owning an Ellianos Drive-Thru Coffee Shop?
Q: What can I do to get more information? The information in this website is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for informational purposes only. Currently, the following states regulate the offer and sale of franchises: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| HeroFran
The HeroFran Program offers qualifying heroes the choice of two incentive recognition programs:
The HeroFran Program is designed to give business incentive and recognition to heroes who have committed their lives to the safety of their fellow Americans. A “qualifying hero” is defined as any U.S. military veteran, law enforcement officer, or firefighter who has served four or more years and is separated from service under honorable conditions. The four year service requirement does not apply if a hero was separated for a service-related injury.
The HeroFran Program was created as an extension of Ellianos’ Service +1 Program, where we provide world-class service to our customers, and do one better by giving back to the communities in which we work and live. The HeroFran Program is our way of saying thank you to our veterans, law enforcement officers, and firefighters, for making America and our communities safe for everyone. But, it’s more than just saying, “thank you;” it’s also our way to help those brave Americans to have a business of their own as they leave public service and enter the private business sector.
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| Shopping Centers/Landlords Page
Turn a small portion of your parking lot into income with Ellianos. Ellianos Coffee Company drive thru coffee shops take up a small space in an existing center parking lot, or any convenient site that may be developed. We serve a wide variety of high quality coffee, espresso drinks, cappuccino, lattes, freezers, smoothies, chai teas, and more. The building is approximately 500 square feet (16’ by 30’) and would only require enough clearance for a drive thru lane on each side. It is very upscale in design, and would be a welcome addition to any type of center. Ellianos provides the following benefits to shopping centers:
The building signage draws traffic in, so visibility is highly important. Of course, Ellianos works best in as high of traffic corridors as possible, with the best possible ingress and egress. Ellianos will do a lease, purchase or build to suit. In the typical ground lease scenario, the Ellianos franchisee would build the structure at their expense.
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| Request More Information
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| Pre-Application
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| How to Finance your Franchise
How To Finance Your Franchise Entrepreneurs looking for financial backing to acquire a franchise can count on two things: lenders want to see strong business plans, and they expect borrowers to provide about a third of the total capital needed. Depending on the type of franchise, this could mean coming up with roughly $50,000 to $200,000 from savings, stocks, bonds, pensions, IRAs, property and so on. In today’s lending environment, there are several ways to secure financing to acquire a franchise to cash in on the dream of small-business ownership. The International Franchise Association is the world’s largest trade group representing this growing business strategy’s leading franchisors and franchisees. Overall, franchising provides more than 18 millions U.S. jobs and boosts the nation’s economy by more than $1.53 trillion. Franchised small businesses span 75 different industries and today can be found in more that 100 countries. The association also counts among its members many top lending institutions and financial advisors. IFA company members who specialize in lending are listed on the IFA web site at www.franchise.org. Commercial Bank Loans and Independent Financing Specialists Franchisees generally have an easier time securing bank loans than their independent business owner counterparts, because they have behind them the established trademark and marketplace experience of their franchisor. Banks generally point to lower default rates on franchise loans. In addition, several lending institutions specialize in franchise loans, catering almost exclusively to franchising. The U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration offers competitive rates and generally longer terms than other sources. Loans are typically made by a private bank or other lending institution, with a portion guaranteed by SBA. The agency offers many programs designed to meet a variety of small business needs, including its popular 7(a) guaranteed business loan program. Other SBA guaranteed loans offer 85 percent financing for amounts under $150,000 and 75 percent financing on loans exceeding $150,000. The low documentation loan program, first introduced in 1994, secures loans of $150,000 or less and is SBA’s quick and easy program for providing a guarantee on small business loans. The Certified Development Company is a private, non profit organization licensed by SBA as a lending source for small and medium size businesses that need financing for industrial or commercial buildings, machinery and equipment. Finally, small business investment companies provide equity capital and long-term debt financing, specializing in particular industries. Local SBA offices, franchisors, or banks can help with this financing vehicle. Help From the Franchisor Most franchisosr offer help to franchises in finding a bank, and have lists of bank, and non-bank lenders with which the company has good relations, called preferred lenders. Alternative Finance Options There are other financing alternatives available to franchisees, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Business and industrial development corporations provide long-term debt financing to small business, and are operated under state programs with federal guarantees, but exist in only a handful of states. Venture capital firms generally specialize in certain industries and look for a high return on investment, short pay-out and a good share of the business, with fixed buy-back terms at a guaranteed price. Family and friends are an important source of financing for many new franchisees as well. | |||||||||||||||||||||
