Arthur Treacher's vs Houlihan's Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Arthur Treacher's vs Houlihan's including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Arthur Treacher's Franchise
Houlihan's Franchise
Investment $145,000 - $268,000$1,600,000 - $4,300,000
Franchise Fee $30,000$40,000
Royalty Fee 5%4%
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 19691972
Year Franchised 19691994
Term Of Agreement 10 years20 years
Term Of Agreement 10 years20 years
Renewal Fee Current fee$5K


Business Experience Requirements

 
Arthur Treacher's Franchise
Houlihan's Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience

  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Must live in same market being developed

  • Financing Options

     
    Arthur Treacher's Franchise
    Houlihan's Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/NoNo/Yes
    Start-up Costs No/NoNo/Yes
    Equipment No/NoNo/Yes
    Inventory No/NoNo/Yes
    Receivables No/NoNo/Yes
    Payroll No/NoNo/Yes

    Training & Support

     
    Arthur Treacher's Franchise
    Houlihan's Franchise
    Training --
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Grand opening, Field operations/evaluationsMeetings, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertisingCo-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising
    Operations

    Number of employees needed to run franchise unit: 10

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 78

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (80% of current franchisees are owner/operators)


    Expansion Plans

     
    Arthur Treacher's Franchise
    Houlihan's Franchise
    US Expansion -Yes
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion NoNo

    Company Overviews

    About Arthur Treacher's

    Did you know fish and chips were the first convenience food? Back in the 1860s, a London restaurant called Malin's of Bow began serving deep-fried whitefish with a dousing of malt vinegar accompanied by oversized fries. The fish and chips craze soon spread throughout England, and the dish became the world's first convenience food. In 1969 the founders of Arthur Treacher's purchased Malin's and with it, the original fish and chips recipe. Since then we've adjusted the menu to accommodate American tastes and expanded it to include shrimp, clams, fried chicken, and popular side orders including tasty hush puppies and unique cole slaw. All of which makes Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips the traditional English meal perfect for today's All-American appetite!

    About Houlihan's

    Houlihan's has been known for exceptional food at an affordable price since we entered the casual dining segment in 1972. Our menu features a great mix of contemporary pop American cooking - classic dishes reinvented in a fresh modern way and brought to the table with simple, stylish plating and presentations. And then there's the bar. It's always the best place to feel the great energy of Houlihan's. Our bar strategy unites pop culture, trendy premium brands, the newest drinks and vendor insights for a winning combination, resulting in an enviable liquor mix.

    To help us more quickly expand to new markets and trade areas, Houlihan's is seeking sophisticated restaurant operators with experience building out entire markets. At this time, we are not pursuing single-site franchise agreements.

    Our ideal candidate to become a franchise market developer is a successful full-service, multi-unit operator with expertise in one or more large markets (e.g. the top 75 MSAs in the United States). We are seeking entrepreneurial organizations that can thrive in our flexible franchise environment, while having access to growth capital and capital reserves, but experiencing growth constraints with their current restaurant concept(s).