FRANZ — A Sweet Idea From Bosnia and Herzegovina
FRANZ is a new confectionery concept from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It is still at the beginning.
There is no finished café yet, no chain of locations and no large company behind it.
At the moment, FRANZ exists as an idea, a visual direction, product concepts and a clear picture of what we would like it to become.
The goal is simple:
to create a small, distinctive place built around desserts, pancakes, chocolate products, good presentation and a warm atmosphere.
Something made carefully.
Something recognisable.
Something that can grow naturally, one step at a time.
What is FRANZ?
FRANZ is imagined as a modern confectionery and pancake café with a subtle Central European character.
The name is inspired by the history and café culture of Central Europe and the Austro-Hungarian period, which also left its mark on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
But FRANZ is not intended to become a historical theme café.
There are no plans for costumes, exaggerated decoration or an attempt to recreate another century.
The historical influence should remain subtle.
In the name.
In certain desserts.
In small visual details.
In the atmosphere.
The rest should feel modern, warm and simple.
What would FRANZ offer?
FRANZ would bring several different products together under one identity.
The idea is not to build the entire concept around only one dessert.
We want people to be able to visit FRANZ for something simple, discover something new, or take something home as a gift.
Pancakes
Freshly prepared sweet and savoury pancakes would be one of the main parts of the FRANZ offer.
There would be familiar combinations, but also signature FRANZ creations using flavours such as chocolate, pistachio, hazelnut, caramel, fruit and different creams.
The idea is to keep them generous, fresh and carefully presented.
Modern cakes and Mirror Glaze desserts
Modern pastry would be another important part of FRANZ.
We would like to develop individual cakes and desserts with flavours such as:
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pistachio
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chocolate
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hazelnut
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raspberry
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vanilla
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caramel
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coconut
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seasonal fruits
Some of these desserts would use modern pastry techniques such as mousses, inserts, glazes and mirror-glaze finishes.
The goal is not only to make desserts that look good.
They first have to taste good.
Classic cakes
Not everything at FRANZ needs to be complicated.
There would also be classic cakes, familiar flavours and desserts people already know and enjoy.
Chocolate.
Fruit.
Nuts.
Cream.
Simple combinations done properly.
Chocolate dragées
Another part of the FRANZ concept is a small range of chocolate-coated products.
Pistachios.
Hazelnuts.
Almonds.
Dried fruits.
These could be coated in chocolate and different finishes, then packed in a simple and elegant way.
Something to enjoy with coffee.
Something to take home.
Or something to give as a small gift.
Desserts and products to take home
FRANZ should not end at the café door.
Part of the idea is to develop products that can also be taken home.
This could include:
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desserts in distinctive packaging
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chocolate dragées
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gift boxes
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small tasting collections
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seasonal products
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cakes for special occasions
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packaged confectionery products
Over time, we would like FRANZ to become not only a place people visit, but also a small confectionery brand from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Why crowdfunding?
Starting even a small food business requires a surprising amount before the first customer ever walks through the door.
There is kitchen equipment.
Refrigeration.
Mixers.
Pancake equipment.
Pastry tools.
Moulds.
Display equipment.
Furniture.
Packaging.
Ingredients.
Administrative costs.
And eventually, the preparation of a suitable physical space.
FRANZ is meant to be built gradually and responsibly.
Crowdfunding can help move the project from planning and product development toward something tangible.
It can help purchase equipment.
Test products.
Develop packaging.
Prepare production.
And eventually help create the first physical FRANZ location.
Our crowdfunding goal
€20,000
The crowdfunding target for FRANZ is €20,000.
This amount would give the project a strong starting point and allow several important parts of FRANZ to move forward at the same time.
But FRANZ does not depend on reaching the full amount in order to take its first steps.
We are using a Keep-it-All funding model.
That means the project can move forward with the support it receives, even if the full €20,000 target is not reached.
If part of the goal is raised, the available funds will be directed toward the most important first priorities.
That may mean purchasing essential equipment.
Developing and testing products.
Creating packaging.
Preparing a small production setup.
Or covering part of the costs connected with a future location.
The more support FRANZ receives, the more parts of the project can be developed from the beginning.
The €20,000 goal represents the level of funding that would allow FRANZ to make a much stronger start.
But every contribution can help move one part of the idea forward.
What would the funding be used for?
The funds raised would primarily be directed toward several areas.
Equipment
Kitchen and pastry equipment, refrigeration, mixers, pancake equipment, work tools and other basic production needs.
Product development
Testing cakes, pancakes, dragées and other products until they are ready to become part of the FRANZ offer.
Packaging
Boxes, labels, containers, prototypes and the first small production quantities.
Chocolate and pastry production
Moulds, tools and equipment needed for chocolate, modern pastry and dragée production.
Ingredients
Chocolate, nuts, pistachios, fruit, dairy ingredients and other materials required for testing and initial production.
Future physical space
Part of the funding may also be used toward furniture, display equipment, work surfaces and preparation of the first FRANZ location.
Administrative and setup costs
Registrations, permits and other necessary expenses connected with putting the project into operation.
The exact distribution will depend on the amount raised, equipment prices and the stage FRANZ has reached at that moment.
We would rather be transparent about that than pretend today that every individual expense can already be predicted perfectly.
No supporter levels
We want to keep this campaign simple.
There are no gold supporters.
No silver supporters.
No premium members.
No complicated reward levels.
There is no amount someone has to contribute in order to be considered important.
Support FRANZ with whatever amount feels comfortable to you.
For one person that may be €5.
For someone else it may be €20.
Another person may decide to contribute more.
The amount is entirely up to you.
What matters to us is that someone looked at FRANZ and decided:
this idea deserves a chance.
A thank-you from FRANZ
Every supporter will receive a personal digital:
FRANZ FOUNDING SUPPORTER CERTIFICATE
The certificate will carry the supporter's name and serve as a small reminder that they supported FRANZ while it was still at the beginning.
It will not show how much someone contributed.
There will be no different versions depending on contribution size.
It is simply a thank-you.
A record that you were there at the beginning.
The FRANZ Founders Wall
There is one part of this project that we would especially like to make real.
When FRANZ opens its first physical location, we want to dedicate one part of the interior to the people who helped during the beginning.
A simple wall.
A FRANZ sign.
And the names of the people who supported the idea.
No contribution amounts.
No rankings.
No VIP section.
Just names.
Someone who contributed €5 could appear beside someone who contributed €500.
Because both helped FRANZ move forward.
Anyone who prefers not to have their name displayed publicly will, of course, be able to remain anonymous.
Why a Founders Wall?
Because crowdfunding can easily become a number on a screen.
€5.
€20.
€100.
A progress bar slowly moving toward a target.
But behind every contribution is a real person.
Someone from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Someone from Germany.
Austria.
Croatia.
Switzerland.
Canada.
Australia.
The United States.
Or somewhere else entirely.
Maybe years from now, one of those people will travel through Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Maybe they will walk into FRANZ.
Order a pancake.
Try a pistachio dessert.
Have a coffee.
And then notice their own name on the wall.
Not because they were an investor.
Not because they gave the largest amount.
But because they were there when FRANZ was still only an idea.
That is something we would like to remember.
Where will FRANZ be?
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
At this stage, we do not want to announce a particular town, street or address.
Finding the right home for FRANZ will depend on what is realistically available when the project reaches that stage.
We believe it is better to choose the right location when the time comes than to promise an address too early.
For now, the location is simply:
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
What happens next?
Development of FRANZ will happen step by step.
The pace will naturally depend on the amount of support received.
But the people who support the project should be able to follow what happens next.
Not only finished promotional photographs.
The actual process.
Finding equipment.
Testing desserts.
Trying packaging.
Developing dragées.
Improving recipes.
Working on the visual identity.
Finding solutions that work.
Changing the ones that do not.
Preparing the first products.
And eventually preparing the first physical FRANZ location.
We want supporters to be able to see what their contribution helped move forward.
Why FRANZ?
There is no dramatic story behind FRANZ.
No tragedy.
No claim that this project is going to change the world.
It is simply an attempt to create something good and build it carefully.
A place where someone can have pancakes with their family.
Buy a cake for a birthday.
Take home a box of chocolate-coated pistachios.
Meet someone for coffee.
Bring a small gift to a friend.
Or simply sit down for half an hour and enjoy something sweet.
These are ordinary things.
But ordinary moments often become memories.
That is the kind of place we would like FRANZ to become part of.
Be there at the beginning
FRANZ is still at the beginning.
And maybe that is the most interesting time to become part of it.
There is still a lot to build.
A lot to test.
A lot to learn.
And a lot that can change along the way.
If you like the idea, you can support FRANZ with whatever amount feels right to you.
If contributing financially is not possible, sharing the project with someone else also helps.
And one day, when the first FRANZ location opens its doors, we hope some of the people reading this today will walk inside.
Maybe they will find their own name on the wall.
And know that they were there before the first pancake was served, before the first cake entered the display case and before FRANZ had a door to walk through.
FRANZ
Bosnia and Herzegovina
