Woops! Macaron and BakeShop Franchise

Innovative cafe and bakery franchise capitalizes on increasing demand for macarons and other international desserts

The Woops! franchise capitalizes on two important trends: customers are increasingly seeking boutique, high-quality neighborhood sources for espresso and artisanal baked goods; and globally popular desserts like the classic French macaron are rising in popularity.

 

Macarons are hot! The classic French dessert, though popular in Europe for centuries, is now the “in” treat in the U.S. Served at parties, weddings and office gatherings and gifted for birthdays and other events, the macaron was dubbed “the cupcake killer” by The Atlantic. At approximately 100 calories, the gluten-free treat is visually appealing and healthier than many other desserts. Whole Foods has seen a 40% increase in macaron sales, and Google searches for the hard-to-find dessert have skyrocketed.

“When you choose to eat a cupcake, you’re making a commitment to a guilty treat that is both high in calories and sugar,” says Tal Avivi, co-founder of the Woops! franchise. “On the contrary, a box of six macarons is meant to be savored and enjoyed as a shared experience that is hard to find in America. When you’re biting into a Woops! macaron, you’re tasting the most authentic French macaron that you will come across outside of Paris — a pastry that has been prepared for you by hand, in the traditional way, using natural and high-quality ingredients. Woops! is delivering authentic European flavors but with an the American sensibility, and that is why we are finding so much success.”

Our bakery franchises: Macarons and so much more

The Woops! franchise operates an artisanal bakery in New York City that hand-produces classic French macarons in more than 20 flavors, as well 30 other international desserts, such as Jewish rugelach, French almond croissants and Argentinian alfajor pastries, to name a few. Our head pastry chef is a Belgian-born master who employs authentic European recipes he learned during his tenure in some of Europe’s finest establishments, as well as recipes he discovered during extensive travels around the world.

The Woops! product offering isn’t limited to sweets. We also feature fresh sandwiches that are simple in concept but huge in flavor — perfect for customers on the go. We have branded coffee and trained baristas who are skilled in creating traditional European caffeinated beverages such as macchiatos, and cappuccinos.

“We provide our customers with the rare experience of getting artisanal European-styled food for remarkably affordable prices,” says Raj Bhatt, co-founder of Woops! “Our average ticket is anywhere from $8 to $10, which is incredibly affordable for the quality of treats our customers are buying. From the franchisee’s perspective, these small tickets add up quickly. The 16 locations we have in the New York and the tri-State area are always busy. These locations are profitable because all of our products are fast-frozen at our artisanal bakery and are quickly shipped to our other locations for a very reasonable cost. Our fast-frozen methods allow us to retain the high level of flavor that our growing base of customers loves about our products.”

A proven business model makes Woops! a best-bet investment

The Woops! executive team has first hand experience both as franchisees and franchisors. They devised an extremely simple business model for each of its franchise options: the in-line bakery and the macaron kiosk.

The Woops! in-line bakery franchise model is succeeding in the greater New York City-area — where it is especially tough to compete with the hundreds, if not thousands, of options for desserts and coffee — because everything about our in-store experience has been designed to provide the authentic artisan experience consumers are craving. The classic-contemporary aesthetic of our white-brick walls and ceramic tiled floors enhances the colorful arrays of macarons and the perfectly arranged displays of artisanal international pastries — which are front and center in our stores. Add in flowers, good lighting and comfortable places to sit, and Woops! franchises have the advantage of being a place people actually want to hang out.

“Our in-line bakeshop was designed to have a small footprint — a thousand square feet maximum — which benefits our franchisees a number of ways,” Tal says. “For starters, it is easier to find great real estate in places where the Woops! franchise will really take off. Having a small footprint also means the stores are easy to get up and running and have lower construction costs.

“From an operational standpoint, the business is efficient to run and requires only a small staff. All of the products are shipped to you from our artisanal bakery in New York City, which makes it easy to manage inventory and maintain quality. We wanted to provide a business model that would be as easy to manage for an entry-level franchisee as it would for a franchisee with a ton of experience.”

The other macaron franchise option that Woops! offers is our beautifully designed kiosks, which have the high-end feel that perfectly complements the beauty of our products. The state-of-the-art kiosks offer practical features such as refrigeration and self contained sinks so that our quality products can be served properly, as well as stored in optimal conditions.

“Our kiosks really make our macarons look like jewelry,” Raj says. “They’re the most high-end kiosks available, and because we’ve designed them, we were able to add features that make storing and serving our products incredibly easy for our franchisees. Moreover, we have relationships with three of the biggest mall chains in America, and they are chomping at the bit for us to enter their malls.”

Cost & fees of owning a Woops! Macaron and Bakery franchise

With investment starting at $59,800 for a macaron kiosk and $175,800 for an in-line bakeshop, Woops! offers investors a low initial investment with a high potential return: our in-line bakeshops generated average sales of $48,500 a month in 2014, and our average kiosk generated $256,000 in sales in the same year.