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Updated RecentlyArthur Treacher's vs Friendly's Restaurants Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Arthur Treacher's vs Friendly's Restaurants including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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| Investment | $145,000 - $268,000 | $498,500 - $1,950,000 |
| Franchise Fee | $30,000 | $30,000 - $35,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 5% | 4% |
| Advertising Fee | - | 3.5% |
| Year Founded | 1969 | 1935 |
| Year Franchised | 1969 | 1996 |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 20 years |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 20 years |
| Renewal Fee | Current fee | $5K |
Business Experience Requirements |
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| Experience | ||
Financing Options |
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| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | No/No | No/No |
| Start-up Costs | No/No | No/No |
| Equipment | No/No | No/No |
| Inventory | No/No | No/No |
| Receivables | No/No | No/No |
| Payroll | No/No | No/No |
Training & Support |
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| Training | - | - |
| Support | Newsletter, Meetings, Grand opening, Field operations/evaluations | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations |
| Marketing | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising | Ad slicks, National media |
| Operations | Number of employees needed to run franchise unit: 10 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
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Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 62% of all franchisees own more than one unit
Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | - | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | No | No |
| International Expansion | No | No |
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 Friendly's Restaurants
In Springfield, Massachusetts at the height of the Great Depression in 1935, 20 year-old Prestley Blake and his 18 year-old brother Curtis opened an ice cream shop called 'Friendly' that served double-dip cones for 5 cents. The brothers opened a second shop five years later in West Springfield, Massachusetts and added food to the menu. Within a decade, locations opened throughout western Massachusetts and Connecticut. In 1988 Donald N. Smith, the company's current CEO, purchased the company and a year later added an 's' to the name, making it 'Friendly's.'
In May 2000, Friendly's introduced a new food and dessert menu featuring colossal burgers, sandwich wraps, splits, sundaes and Cyclones. Friendly's produces 10 million snack cups and 230,000 gallons of fudge every year. In addition to its restaurants and cafes, Friendly's manufactures a complete line of frozen desserts.