• Investment Required
• Investment Level: $ 125 K
• Training and Support: Yes

A woman named Maxine Clark in 1997 developed the Build a Bear Franchise. The company became a corporation in April of 2000, and now Maxine Clark is serving as a chairman of the board of directors. Maxine Clark is a true innovator in the world of retail, having been able to spot emerging trends in the retail and merchandising industry, and to offer insight into the desires of the average American consumer. These characteristics have allowed her to generate growth for a number of retail leaders that she worked for prior to focusing on her Build a Bear Franchise. By the end of 2006, there were nearly 300 different Build a Bear Franchise locations, including in the United States, in Canada and in the United Kingdom as well. There are also Build a Bear Franchise locations that can be found in Europe, Asia and Australia. Maxine Clark is also responsible for 2B Made, which is based on the idea that little girls love customized dolls.

The strategy for the Build a Bear Franchise is to grand exclusive Build-a-Bear workshop franchise opportunities to every country outside of the United States, Canada, France, Puerto Rico and the United States. The Build a Bear Franchise is working hard to expand internationally, which is why these exclusive franchise workshops are being offered. Franchisees will be responsible for owning and operating every single Build a Bear Franchise location within the specific country. A preferred franchisee, then, is someone who lives in the country and already has experience with opening and operating retail locations. Friends 2B Made stores are not yet being franchised, so franchise opportunities are only being expanded for the Build a Bear Franchise line. 

Currently the Build a Bear Franchise company is not currently offering franchise locations for the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. All of these Build a Bear locations are actually company owned and will likely continue to be so, at least while the Build a Bear Franchise company focuses on international growth. Still, the Build a Bear company is always open to suggestions, especially from those looking for local opportunities for Build a Bear store expansion.

Please note that we are not actively submitting franchising applications to this franchisor from our website at this current point in time. Please do however feel free to browse our other top franchisor profiles, as a number of these companies are currently accepting new franchising opportunity applications that are well worth taking the time to explore.