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Updated RecentlyGolden Corral vs Symposium Cafe Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Golden Corral vs Symposium Cafe including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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| Investment | $2,700,795 - $7,037,915 | $625,000 - $675,000 |
| Franchise Fee | $50,000 | $40,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 4% | 4% |
| Advertising Fee | 2.4% | 1% |
| Year Founded | 1973 | 1996 |
| Year Franchised | 1986 | 2004 |
| Term Of Agreement | 15 years | - |
| Term Of Agreement | 15 years | - |
| Renewal Fee | 15 years (plus two, 5-year renewal options) | - |
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 | -/- |
| Start-up Costs | No/Yes | -/- |
| Equipment | No/Yes | -/- |
| Inventory | No/No | -/- |
| Receivables | No/No | -/- |
| Payroll | No/No | -/- |
Training & Support |
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| Training | On-The-Job Training: 665 hours Classroom Training: 8.5 hours Additional Training: At company training location | 3 full months of training for up to three individuals at an existing Symposium Cafe location. |
| Support | Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform | A transition tutor is assigned to directly assist you on a regular basis in your restaurant franchise for a period of 10 weeks. This tutor works closely with you through the opening stages of your cafe, the day-to-day operating systems and procedures to ensure a successful start-up of your restaurant. This program is designed to strengthen and build the Franchise operators commitment to our proven systems. Our unique 10 weeks in-store program is crucial to building your team, establishing a strong customer base, growing restaurant sales and operating a successful Symposium Cafe franchise. The field consulting team provides ongoing support and training through restaurant visits and coaching. They ensure all Symposium Cafe systems, specifications and standards are in place to drive consistent operations and profitable sales. Professional operations staff makes ongoing visits to your restaurant to hear any concerns you may have. They'll also conduct restaurant audits, which expose areas of concern within your operation. Our regional managers work with our Franchisees to develop action plans to correct and eliminate any problems uncovered. |
| Marketing | National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app | - |
| 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) | - |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | Yes | - |
| Canada Expansion | No | Yes |
| International Expansion | Yes | - |
Company Overviews
About Golden Corral
About Symposium Cafe
The Symposium Cafe Restaurant - a unique cafe and restaurant franchising opportunity, that is both challenging and rewarding and is redefining the cafe experience. Our competitive advantages stem from the foundation of our gourmet restaurant franchises through to the corporate infrastructure, operational systems and support, and our supplier partnerships. Our franchise system guides each of the franchisees through every facet of the restaurant operation. Upon becoming familiar with our system each franchisee will be able to train and develop each of their associates in all areas of the restaurant business. Our system revolves around the philosophy of "Continued Training" to guarantee our team meets and exceeds our dining patrons expectations. All positional training techniques are clearly outlined in our restaurant manuals with easy to implement instructions. Our restaurant cost management system, indexed in our operations manual, is designed to provide you with the necessary tools to completely analyze and understand your restaurant franchises business both from a sale and cost perspective. Informative and educational restaurant symposiums are held with the main focus and discussion revolving around driving and developing our restaurant and patio sales while controlling costs using our proven cafe systems. All of these elements make The Symposium Cafe franchise a successful, rewarding restaurant franchises opportunity.