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Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea is a specialty café franchise founded in 1993 by Lisa and Wei Bee in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan, near the University of Michigan. The company is headquartered at 123 W. Washington Street, Ann Arbor, MI. It began franchising in 2004 and has since expanded to nearly 40 locations across 12 states in the U.S.
The franchise offers a globally inspired menu of premium beverages and light fare. Popular drinks include the Dragon Eye coffee, French Vietnamese Au Lait, Thai Iced Tea, and Ginger Lemon Iced Tea.
Sweetwaters is known for using real, high-quality ingredients such as Japanese matcha, freshly brewed cold brew coffee, and handmade whipped cream. The café also serves a variety of pastries, desserts, and breakfast and lunch sandwiches.
What sets Sweetwaters apart is its strong connection to local communities and its authentic cultural roots. Each location showcases local art and often hosts community events, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea provides a comprehensive training program to ensure franchisees are well-prepared to operate their cafes successfully. The training encompasses various formats and stages, combining online modules, in-person sessions, and hands-on experience.
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea offers territory protection to its franchisees under specific conditions. Once a franchisee secures a location approved by the franchisor, Sweetwaters defines a "Designated Territory" for that particular café.
This territory is outlined in the Data Sheet attached to the Franchise Agreement and typically grants the franchisee exclusive rights within that defined boundary. The protection means that within the designated area, the franchisor will not establish or allow another Sweetwaters café to operate, thereby shielding the franchisee from internal competition.
However, this exclusivity is contingent on compliance with the franchise agreement and operational standards. In the case of multiple locations under a Development Agreement, each franchise location is individually assigned its own territory upon approval of the premises.
KEY FRANCHISE STATS
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