COFFEE REPUBLIC - about to boil in 2006?

Although I'd still ask the question how the hell, if these stores are losing money at the moment, franchisees are going to make a living out of them when they have increased costs of 50k (let alone 125k)a year to CFE? I agree personal motivation will help but their personal touch is reasonably constrained by the CFE facia and franchise requirements I'd have thought. Unless the real estate sites are unobtainable (doubtful with the current suffering in the high street), I'd just open my own "Bob's coffee house" and save the 50k a year and upfront franchise fee.

I don't see how they're going to generate money out of nothing unless the franchisees are very stupid - in which case they won't be in business for long anyway.