Golden Corral vs Western Sizzlin Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Golden Corral vs Western Sizzlin including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Golden Corral Franchise
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Investment $2,700,795 - $7,037,915$811,000 - $2,300,000
Franchise Fee $50,000$30,000
Royalty Fee 4%3%
Advertising Fee 2.4%-
Year Founded 19731962
Year Franchised 19861965
Term Of Agreement 15 years20 years
Term Of Agreement 15 years20 years
Renewal Fee 15 years (plus two, 5-year renewal options)-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Golden Corral Franchise
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • (or must have partner with industry experience.)
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    Golden Corral Franchise
    Western Sizzlin Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/NoNo/No
    Start-up Costs No/YesNo/No
    Equipment No/YesNo/No
    Inventory No/NoNo/No
    Receivables No/NoNo/No
    Payroll No/NoNo/No

    Training & Support
     
    Golden Corral Franchise
    Western Sizzlin Franchise
    Training On-The-Job Training: 665 hours Classroom Training: 8.5 hours Additional Training: At company training location-
    Support Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet PlatformNewsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
    Marketing National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/appAd slicks
    Operations International franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 80% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 100

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    		 20% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 40

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

    Expansion Plans
     
    Golden Corral Franchise
    Western Sizzlin Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion YesNo

    Company Overviews

    About Golden Corral

    Golden Corral restaurants began as budget steakhouses located principally in small cities from Virginia to Texas. In the mid-1980s, guest requests prompted Golden Corral to reinvent itself by introducing the Buffet & Grill Metro unit that features 160 hot and cold items, a carving station, and the Brass Bell Bakery, which offers rolls, muffins, cookies, pies and pizza made from scratch. The buffet was expanded in 2001 to include cooked-to-order sirloin steaks.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a restaurant ranges from $2,700,795 to $5,340,215 for the less expensive restaurant design, and from $3,453,379 to $7,037,915 for the more expensive restaurant design. This amount includes $51,400 to $4,482,285 that must or may be paid to the franchisor or its affiliates.

    #90 in Franchise 500 for 2020.

    About Western Sizzlin

    WesterN SizzliN serves only the finest steaks. In the cooking process, our steaks are specially seasoned with Gold Dust, a WesterN SizzliN proprietary recipe. The combination of the Pascarellas original cooking technique and one-of-a-kind seasoning brought Nick and his wife Nora, an impeccable reputation for serving the most succulent tasting steak around. As one of our franchisees says, "We've got a special juicy flavor that only WesterN SizzliN has!" But don't just take our word for it, ask anyone who has ever had one, and they'll tell you about it. Nick's concept was just too good to keep to himself. In 1966 he responded to requests and began selling franchises nationally. By 1988, Nick's "steakhouse" had grown into a national chain with yearly sales of nearly half a billion dollars!